Oxidation protection of graphite materials by single-phase ultra-high temperature boride modified monolayer Si-SiC coating

To improve the oxidation resistance of Si-SiC coating, single-phase ultra-high temperature boride (ZrB₂ or TaB₂) modified Si-SiC coating was designed and established on graphite substrates by combination of dipping and reactive infiltration process. ZrB₂ or TaB₂ phase was introduced in Si-SiC coating by directly mixing raw materials and phenol formaldehyde resin in the slurry, and then the ZrB₂-SiC-Si and TaB₂-SiC-Si coatings were fabricated on the graphite samples by dipping-curing, pyrolysis, and siliconizing. The crystalline phases and microstructure of the as-obtained multiphase coatings were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The interrupted oxidation tests from room-temperature to 1500?°C were conducted to assess the anti-oxidation property of the prepared coatings. After 1200?h of oxidation at 1500?°C in air (30 times thermal cycles), the mass losses of the graphite substrates coated with ZrB₂-SiC-Si and TaB₂-SiC-Si coatings were 0.086% and 0.537%, respectively, and the high-temperature stability of the modified coatings was greatly improved compared to the Si-SiC coating. The excellent anti-oxidation performances of the compound coatings were attributed to the compact structure of the coatings and the formation of compound oxide layers covering on the surfaces. The compound Zr-Si-O and Ta-Si-O films possessed low oxygen diffusion rate and appropriate viscosity, which can provide appreciable oxidation protection for the internal coatings, thus obtaining the excellent oxidation and spallation resistance property.