Effects of h-BN/SiC ratios on oxidation mechanism and kinetics of C/C-BN-SiC composites

C/C-BN-SiC composite was prepared by ceramic slurry infiltration combined with resin impregnation and carbonization, and the matrix with continuous distributed self-healing phase was obtained. In this study, the kinetic characteristics and oxidation behavior of the composites with various h-BN/SiC ratios in the temperature range of 600～1300°C were studied by combining the isothermal oxidation test with the kinetic model. The optimal h-BN/SiC ratio balances the thermal stability and fluidity of the oxidized product, which not only has high thermal stability and low oxygen permeability to acts as an oxygen diffusion barrier but also has a certain fluidity to seal defects.     

Effect of high-temperature heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical behavior of PIP-based C/C-SiC composites with SiC filler

C/C-SiC composites were fabricated by a combined process of chemical vapor deposition (CVD), slurry infiltration(SI), and precursor infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP). The microstructure and mechanical behavior were investigated for the dense C/C-SiC composites before and after high-temperature heat treatment. The results indicated that the sintering of the SiC matrix and the migration of the SiC matrix/fiber bundles weak interface occurred after high-temperature heat treatment at 1900 ℃. The SiC sintering resulted in an increase in the flexural strength of the C/C-SiC composites from 298.9 ± 35.0 MPa to 411.1 ± 57.3 MPa. The migration of the weak interface changed the direction of crack propagation, making the fracture toughness of the C/C-SiC composites decrease from 13.3 ± 1.7 MPa⋅m ^1/2 to 9.02 ± 1.5 MPa⋅m ^1/2.     

The effects of high-temperature annealing on microstructure and performance of Cf/C-SiC composites modified by FeSi2

FeSi₂ modified C/C-SiC composites (C/C-SiC-FeSi₂) are fabricated by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) combined with reactive melt infiltration (RMI) with FeSi75 alloy. The effects of high-temperature annealing (1600?°C, 1650?°C, 1700?°C) on the microstructure and performance of C/C-SiC-FeSi₂ are investigated. With the elevation of annealing temperature, the porosity of the composites and the content of SiC increase due to the evaporation of liquid Si and the further reaction of Si and C. The mechanical performance gradually decreases due to the catalytic graphitization of the carbon fiber, the high porosity and the thermal residual stress (TRS) caused by thermal mismatch of different phases. The coefficient of thermal expansion and thermal diffusivity slightly decrease with increasing annealing temperature for the increase of porosity. However, the friction performance of the heat treated materials at high braking speed are greatly improved attributing to the increase of SiC content and the capturing and storage function of pores on hard particles.     

Laser ablation resistance and mechanism of Si-Zr alloyed melt infiltrated C/C-SiC composite

Ablation resistance of C/C-SiC composite prepared via Si-Zr alloyed reactive melt infiltration was evaluated using a facile and economical laser ablation method. Linear ablation rates of the composite increased with an increase in laser power densities and decreased with extended ablation time. The C/C-SiC composite prepared via Si-Zr alloyed melt infiltration presented much better ablation resistance compared with the C/SiC composite prepared by polymer infiltration and pyrolysis process. The good ablation resistance of the composite was attributed to the melted ZrC layer formed at the ablation center region. Microstructure and phase composition of different ablated region were investigated by SEM and EDS, and a laser ablation model was finally proposed based on the testing results and microstructure characterization. Laser ablation of the composite experienced three distinct periods. At the very beginning, the laser ablation was dominated by the oxidation process. Then for the second period, the laser ablation was dominated by the evaporation, decomposition and sublimation process. With the further ablation of the composite, chemical stable ZrC was formed on the ablated surface and the laser ablation was synergistically controlled by the scouring away of ZrC melts and evaporation, decomposition and sublimation process.     

Electrical properties of C/C and C/C-SiC ceramic fibre composites

The electrical properties of carbon/carbon (C/C) and carbon/carbon-silicon carbide (C/C-SiC) ceramic composites were measured. The results show that the capacitance decreases rapidly with an increase in frequency and it becomes constant above a frequency of 500 kHz, whereas the dissipation factor increases with increasing frequency. C/C-SiC composites give higher value than C/C composites due to the presence of microcracks.     

Influence of graphitization temperature on microstructure and mechanical property of C/C-SiC composites with highly textured pyrolytic carbon

C/C-SiC composites with highly textured pyrolytic carbon (HT PyC) were prepared by a combining chemical vapor infiltration and liquid silicon infiltration. The effect of HT PyC graphitization before and after 2327 and 2723 K on C/C-SiC composites was investigated. The mechanical properties decreased with increasing graphitization temperature, but graphitization treatment changed the fracture behavior from brittle like to pseudo-ductile. The decrease in bending strength from 306.21 to 243.69 MPa resulted from the weak interfacial bonding between HT PyC and fiber, and the good orientation of graphite layers. The crack at border of fiber bundle and longitudinal crack in HT PyC shortened the path of crack propagation, resulting in fracture toughness decrease from 21.11 to 14.72 MPa·m^1/2. A more pseudo-ductile behavior was due to the longer pull-out of fibers, the better orientation of graphite layers, the sliding of sublayers, and the deflection and propagation caused by the transverse cracks.     

Experimental evaluation and theoretical prediction of elastic properties and failure of C/C-SiC composite

The paper presents experimental characterization and theoretical predictions of elastic and failure properties of continuous carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide (C/C-SiC) composite fabricated by Liquid Silicon Infiltration (LSI). Its mechanical properties were determined under uniaxial tensile, compression, and pure shear loads in two sets of principal coordinate systems, 0°–90° and ±45°, respectively. The properties measured in the 0°–90° coordinate system were employed as the input data to predict their counterparts in the ±45° coordinate system. Through coordinate transformations of stress and strain tensors, the elastic constants and stress-strain behaviors were predicted and found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. In the same way, three different failure criteria, maximum stress, Tsai-Wu, and maximum strain, have been selected for the evaluation of the failure of C/C-SiC as a type of genuinely orthotropic material. Based on the comparisons with experimental results, supported by necessary practical justifications, the Tsai-Wu criterion was found to offer a reasonable prediction of the strengths, which can be assisted by the maximum stress criterion to obtain an indicative prediction of the respective failure modes.     

Microstructure and ablation properties of La2O3 modified C/C-SiC composites prepared via precursor infiltration pyrolysis

Effects of La₂O₃ modification on the microstructure, mechanical and ablation properties of C/C-SiC composites were investigated. Experimental results show that a new La₁₀(SiO₄)₆O₃ phase was generated during heat treatment process. The presence of the La-compounds, namely La₂O₃ and La₁₀(SiO₄)₆O₃, had an important impact on the structure of reinforced skeleton and the molten oxide film, and thus strongly affected the mechanical and ablation properties of the composites. Excessive La addition induced the structural damage of the reinforced skeleton, resulting in weakened mechanical and ablation properties. The C/C-SiC composites with 25.65 wt.% La₂O₃ addition displayed better mechanical properties and the best ablation resistance. The La₁₀(SiO₄)₆O₃ phase could react with molten silica to form a viscous glass during ablation. The transformation of La-compounds into La₂Si₂O₇ can reduce the ablation of SiO₂ and enhance the glass film, so as to protect the composites from further ablation.     

Microstructure evolution and grain growth mechanisms of h-BN ceramics during hot-pressing

Pure h-BN ceramic specimens were prepared by hot-pressing under different sintering temperatures and pressures using ball milled h-BN powders composed of amorphous and nanocrystalline BN. Microstructures and thermal conductivities of these h-BN ceramic specimens were characterized and measured. Higher sintering pressure is more favorable to the preferred orientation growth of plate-like h-BN grains along the pressure direction, forming microstructures where the c-axes of h-BN grains are preferentially oriented perpendicular to the pressure direction. However, such microstructures can only be obtained at appropriate sintering temperature. Thermal conductivities of h-BN ceramic specimens are strongly related to their microstructures, especially the grain orientation. Growth mechanisms of h-BN grains were investigated. There is multi-area co-growth phenomenon around the grain boundaries composed of the basal planes of h-BN grains, which results in the formation of stacking faults in the as-grown h-BN grains.     

2D-C/C-SiC复合材料强粒子冲蚀下的失效分析

本文采用化学气相渗透(CVI)工艺制备了2D针刺预制体增强的C/C-SiC复合材料,并对材料密度、力学性能以及强粒子冲蚀下的烧蚀机理和破坏机制进行了分析。结果表明,C/C-SiC复合材料在强粒子冲蚀下的破坏机制主要为机械冲蚀和颗粒侵蚀,其次是冲蚀过程中伴随的少量氧化。材料内层间孔、束间孔以及针刺孔的存在加剧了C/C-SiC复合材料破坏。研究发现,通过改变预制体结构来实现材料力学性能的均衡,并提高材料密度以减少材料的孔隙率将成为该使用环境下的材料设计原则     

Preparation,ablation behavior and mechanism of C/C-ZrC-SiC and C/C-SiC composites

ZrC precursor was synthesized by a solution approach using ZrOCl₂·8H₂O, acetylacetonate, glycerol and boron-modified phenolic resin. A ZrC yield of ~ 40.56 wt% was obtained at 1500 °C in the C/Zr molar ratio of 1:1. C/C-ZrC-SiC composites were fabricated by a combined processes of chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) and precursor infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) using the synthesized ZrC precursor. For comparison, C/C-SiC composites were prepared by CVI. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that C/C-ZrC-SiC composites exhibited better oxidation resistance than C/C-SiC composites. After oxyacetylene torch ablation, the mass ablation rate of C/C-ZrC-SiC composites was 9.23% lower than that of C/C-SiC composites. The porous ZrO₂ skeleton in the ablation center was prone to be peeled off by the flame flow, resulting in the higher linear ablation rate of C/C-ZrC-SiC composites. The oxide layers of ZrO₂ and SiO₂ were formed on the transition and brim region of C/C-ZrC-SiC composites and acted as effective heat and oxygen barriers. For C/C-SiC composites, the C-SiC matrix was severely depleted in the ablation center and the formed SiO₂ layer in the brim region could protect the matrix against further ablation.     

Evaluation of the moulding process for production of short-fibre-reinforced C/C-SiC composites

For the production of C/C-SiC brake discs via the liquid silicon infiltration method (LSI), the hot pressing process is the state of art technique for the moulding of the CFRP composites. This technique consists of several manual steps which increase production cost. The overall cost can be reduced by implementing injection moulding process.In this paper the influence of the moulding process (hot pressing, injection moulding) on the properties of semi-finished and final products during the production of short-fibre-reinforced C/C-SiC composites by means of the LSI process are examined. The starting polymer is chemically characterised. Carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites are fabricated by hot pressing, as well as injection moulding process. The CFRP composites are converted into porous C/C composites by pyrolysis. Liquid silicon is infiltrated to form dense C/C-SiC composites, which are further investigated during the course of this paper. Significant differences in properties of the composites are discussed.     

Effect of preparation method on the mechanism for oxidation of C/C-BN composites

C/C-BN composites and C_f/BN/PyC composites exhibiting different structures for pyrolytic carbon (PyC) and boron nitride (BN) were studied comparatively to determine their oxidation behavior. This study used five types of samples. Porous C/C composites were modified with silane coupling agents (APS) and then fully impregnated in water-based slurry of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN); the resulting C/C-BN preforms were densified by depositing PyC by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI), resulting in three types of C/C-BN composites. The other two C_f/BN/PyC composites were obtained by depositing a BN interphase and PyC in carbon fiber preforms by CVI; one was treated with heat, and the other was not. This study was focused on determining how the PyC deposition mechanism, morphology and pore structure were affected by the method of BN introduction. In the 600–900 °C temperature range, the C_f/BN/PyC composites and C/C composites underwent oxidation via a mixed diffusion/reaction mode. The C/C-BN composites had a different pore structure due to the formation of nodules comprising h-BN particles; both interfacial debonding and cracking were reduced, resulting in higher resistance to gas diffusion, lower oxidation rate and larger activation energy (Ea) in the temperature range 600–800 °C. In addition, the mechanism for oxidation of C/C-BN composites gradually exhibited diffusion control at 800–900 °C because the formation of h-BN oxidation products healed the defects. The oxidation mechanism was more dependent on pore structure than on BN structure or content.     

Influence of graphitization treatment on microstructure and flexural strength of C/C-ZrC-SiC composites fabricated via reactive melt infiltration

C/C-ZrC-SiC composites were prepared by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) and molten salt assisted reactive melt infiltration (RMI). The microstructure of low density and high density C/C composites without graphitization (LC/HC) and graphitization at 2000 °C (LCG/HCG) were compared. Moreover, the effects of graphitization of LC and HC on the microstructure and flexural strength of C/C-ZrC-SiC composites were investigated in detail. The composites prepared by infiltration of LC and LCG had lower flexural strength, 220.01 ± 21.18 MPa and 197.94 ± 19.05 MPa, respectively. However, the composites prepared by HC and HCG presented higher flexural strength, 308.76 ± 12.35 MPa and 289.62 ± 8.70 MPa, respectively. This was due to the phenomenon of fiber erosion in both LC and LCG during the RMI process. After graphitization, the flexural strength of C/C-ZrC-SiC composites prepared by RMI decreased, but the fracture behavior of the composites tends to be more mild. The decreased strength of the composites were caused by the increased matrix cracks, fiber damage in high temperature and the weak interfacial bonding. The improve of failure behavior of the composites was due to interface debonding between the fiber and matrix, and composites can consume the fracture energy through fiber pull-out.     

Tribological performance of B4C modified C/C-SiC brake materials under dry air and wet conditions

In this work, boron carbide (B₄C) was selected as additive to improve the tribological performance of C/C-SiC brake materials. It contained four phases (C, B₄C, Si and SiC) in B₄C modified C/C-SiC (C/C-B₄C-SiC) brake materials. Its wear rates were much less than that of C/C-SiC, especially at high braking speeds. The introduction of B₄C particles could reduce the braking temperature. During the braking process, B₄C in the material can be oxidized to B₂O₃. The flow of B₂O₃ could cover the interface of carbon fiber and PyC to prevent them from oxidation and thereby reduce the oxidative wear of the brake materials. Under wet conditions, the braking property of C/C-B₄C-SiC brake materials did not degrade, whereas the braking process was found to be stable.     

Key technologies for laser-assisted precision grinding of 3D C/C-SiC composites

Due to their exceptional and distinctive qualities, 3D C/C-SiC composites are widely utilized in producing high-end equipment and the aerospace national defense industries. However, the hard and pseudo plastic nature of the material and its anisotropies make it challenging to process. To improve the processing quality of 3D C/C-SiC composites, laser-assisted precision grinding technology is introduced in this paper, which innovatively controls the depth of the thermally induced damage layer by adjusting the laser process parameters to reduce the hard brittleness of the material, and then the surface is created by precision grinding with a grinding wheel on this basis. Experiments on laser-induced damage, laser-assisted grinding, and diamond scratching were carried out to investigate the effect of laser parameters on material damage and the effect of laser-assisted grinding processes, with an emphasis on revealing the mechanism of material removal. The results show that laser irradiation causes complex reactions such as sublimation, decomposition, and oxidation of 3D C/C-SiC composites, resulting in SiO2 and Si and recondensed SiC, causing surface/subsurface damage. A maximum reduction in normal grinding force, tangential grinding force, specific grinding energy, and surface roughness of 35.6%, 43.6%, 43.58%, and 24.22%, respectively, compared to conventional grinding processes with laser-assisted grinding. After laser irradiation, the degree of brittle fracture in the precision grinding of workpieces is significantly reduced due to the degradation of matrix and fiber damage caused by laser irradiation, which reduces the hard and pseudo plastic properties of the material. The removal mechanism shows a trend of ductile domain removal in the grinding of thermally damaged layers, which reduces the grinding force and improves the surface quality.     

Influence of in-plane and out-of-plane machining on the surface topography,the removal mechanism and the flexural strength of 2D C/C-SiC composites

Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) are increasingly demanded especially for the production of structural components for several industries such as aerospace because of their excellent thermo-mechanical and fatigue properties. As one of the last production steps final machining is necessary to meet the required tolerances. From the economic point of view final machining of CMCs is highly critical and special knowledge is assumed to avoid irreparable damage, because of their heterogeneous, anisotropic and brittle nature. In this work diamond grinding and diamond milling have been applied to a 2D C/C-SiC composite at various feed rates and cutting speeds and in both main laminate directions, in-plane and out-of-plane. The microstructures of in-plane and out-of-plane machining indicate different material removal mechanisms due to different composite architecture. Increasing feed rate leads generally to more surface defects and consequently to higher roughness. Little influence on the four-point-bending strength was observed when changing the machining speed.     

Thermal performance and ablation characteristics of C/C-SiC for thermal protection of hypersonic vehicle

A small-scale plasma ablation facility was employed to test the C/C-SiC composite material for investigating the thermal performance and ablation characteristics under two heat flux conditions, 3593.54 kW·m^?2 and 5644.86 kW·m^?2. The morphology of post-test specimens was analyzed with the ablation rates calculated. The average mass ablation rates of two group specimens were 0.01735 and 0.10620 g·s^?1 respectively with average linear ablation rate of 0.00680 and 0.09407 mm·s^?1. Specimen surface could be divided into three regions with typical layered structure characteristics. For the stagnation point ablation test, the structural deformation in the ablation surface area featured in vertical layering and lateral regionality, forming an ablation pit near the stagnation point. In the center region, sublimation occured primarily, accompanied by a serious jet scouring of the molten liquid phase, as well as a small amount of oxidation reaction; Jet erosion with thermal sublimation was the main factor for the mass loss in the transitional region; Thermochemical reactions were mainly carried out in the marginal region. The SiO₂ generated from the thermochemical reaction of the material filled the interspace well and prevented the thermochemical reaction from penetrating deeper through the crack. The protective layer in the molten state with high viscosity reduced the damage of the high-speed jet impact material.     

A novel approach for preparing a SiC coating on a C/C-SiC composite by slurry painting and chemical vapor reaction

In order to improve the oxidation resistance of C/C-SiC composites, a SiC coating was prepared on a C/C-SiC composite by slurry painting combined with a chemical vapor reaction process. The oxidation resistance and microstructural evolution of the coated samples were investigated. The results show that the as-prepared SiC coating contained a large amount of residual silicon, and the presence of these Si promoted the formation of a complete SiO₂ glass layer in the initial stage of oxidation. However, the evaporation of the residual Si also accelerated the failure of the SiC coating, which caused the weight loss of the sample to be about 2.2% after oxidation in static air at 1500 °C for 300 h. Attributed to a large number of SiC ceramics in the C/C-SiC composite, the oxidation weight loss rate of the coating sample after coating failure was reduced.     

Improved mechanical properties and directional heat transfer performance of h-BN matrix multilayer composites with alternately stacked untextured/textured layers

The h-BN matrix multilayer composites with alternately stacked untextured/textured layers were fabricated by hot-pressing from the alternately stacked “fine h-BN powders” layers and “plate-like h-BN powders + 3Y₂O₃–5Al₂O₃” layers. During the hot-pressing process, Y₂O₃ and Al₂O₃ reacted, forming Y₃Al₅O₁₂, which provided a liquid phase environment for h-BN plates to be readily rotated and oriented under the action of the uniaxial pressure. The residual compressive stress in textured layers, which was caused by the mismatch of thermal expansion between textured layers and untextured layers, resulted in crack arrest at the first textured layer in the multilayer composite with 49 vol% textured layers, which improved its flexural strength and fracture toughness by 33.1% and 23.4% compared with the textured monolith, respectively. The multilayer composite with 35 vol% textured layers behaved a much better directional heat transfer performance than the textured and untextured monoliths, making it a promising candidate as thermal management devices in electronics.