Polymer Infiltration and Pyrolysis (PIP) is the latest technique resulting from worldwide research to develop a process that enables the fabrication of advanced ceramics more efficiently than conventional processes. This technique involves soaking a fiber preform or powder compact with a liquid polymer precursor that converts to ceramic material upon pyrolysis. Pre-ceramic polymers are available that form silicon carbide, silicon nitride, silicon oxycarbide, and silicon oxynitride. Advantages of PIP include simpler, less costly equipment, lower process temperatures, shorter cycle times, and capability to produce more complex parts. Also, polymers afford the potential to control materials chemistry at the molecular level.

While PIP is promising, it has had limited acceptance due to the shortcomings of most current pre-ceramic polymers. They are usually difficult to handle, require curing agents and, for silicon carbide, are high in carbon or oxygen content, which degrades high temperature performance. Starfire polymer derived silicon carbide is stable up to 1900°C (500°C higher than competing polymer precursors, substantiated by a NASA contractor for the CRV program). It cures by low temperature thermal cross-linking, affording rigidity for ease of handling and intermediate machining to near net shape. Harmless hydrogen gas is the only effluent of pyrolysis, allowing a very high 80-85% yield of silicon carbide ceramic.