SiC was partially infiltrated into three types of carbonized paper-fibre preforms using pressure-pulsed chemical vapour infiltration from SiCl4(4%)-CH4(4%)-H-2 at 1100 degrees C (A-type preforms, source fibres of filter paper; B-H- and B-L-type preforms, source fibres of recycled paper). The porosity of the preforms decreased linearly with the number of pulses. After 10 000 pulses, the porosity of A-, B-H- and B-L-type samples was 77, 78 and 85%, respectively. Average pore sizes of A-, B-H-and B-L-type samples after 10 000 pulses were about 5.0, 2.7 and 7.0 mu m, respectively. On an A-type sample of 10 mm phi and 5 mm long after 10 000 pulses, pressure drop along the direction of axial air flow was 10 kPa at a face velocity of 0.8 m s(-1). The order of pressure drop was B-H > A >B-L. Flexural strength of A-type sample reached 10 MPa after 15 000 pulses.