Effect of SiC coating and heat treatment on the thermal radiation properties of C/SiC composites

The effects of SiC coating and heat treatment on the emissivity were investigated for 2D C/SiC composites prepared by CVI in the 6–16 μm range. SiC coating had an obvious effect on the spectral emissivity of the composites but caused just 5% difference in the total emissivity. A radiation transport model was applied to explain those changes caused by SiC coating. Heat treatment affected the thermal radiation properties of the composites through the microstructure evolution. Base on the complementary analytical techniques, the changes in the emissivity were attributed to a good graphitization degree of carbon phases, large β-SiC grain sizes and high α-SiC content resulting in high emissivity.     

Strengthening/toughening of 2D C/SiC composites by coating

SiC and SiC_w/SiC coatings were prepared on two-dimensional carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide ceramic matrix composites (2D C/SiC), and strengthening/toughening of the composite by the coatings was investigated. After coating, the density of the C/SiC composites was increased effectively and the mechanical properties were improved significantly. Compared with SiC coating, SiC_w/SiC coating showed the more significant effect on strength/toughness of the composites. Coatings had two effects: surface strengthening and matrix strengthening. The latter was the dominant effect. The surface strengthening can increase the crack initiation stress, while the matrix strengthening can enhance the crack propagation resistance. The former effect increased the strength and the latter effect increased the toughness.     

The effect of hole defects on the oxidation behaviour of two-dimensional C/SiC composites

Oxidation behaviour of two-dimensional (2D) C/SiC composites with 0, 1 and 2 mm average diameter holes has been investigated in air at 700 °C. Oxidation tests, mechanical tests, microstructural characterization and computed tomography (CT) were performed to find the effect of hole defects on the oxidation behaviour of C/SiC composites. The experimental results pointed out that the thermal exposure area (TEA) ratio and oxidation time were two key affecting factors on the oxidation behaviour. Weight loss was found to accelerate at oxidation durations higher than 1 h, thereafter residual tensile strength also dropped. A TEA ratio of 16% was found as critical in severely downgrading the residual tensile strength and significantly weakening the oxidation resistance behaviour for C/SiC composites contain hole defects.     

Interlaminar shear behaviors of 2D needled C/SiC composites under compressive and tensile loading

The interlaminar shear strength of 2D needled C/SiC composites was measured using the double-notch shear test method. Interlaminar shear tests were performed under compressive and tensile loading. Shear stress–strain response and shear strain field evolution were studied using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The results show that the interlaminar shear strength of the specimen using the compressive loading method is 15% higher than that of the tensile loading method. Severe shear strain concentration was observed near the upper notch of the tensile loading specimen. Acoustic emission (AE) was utilized to monitor the damage during the tests. Typical damage mechanisms were categorized according to AE signal characteristics. The statistical results show that more matrix cracks were produced in the tensile loading specimen and no separate fiber/matrix debonding signal was detected in both specimens.     

Study of dynamic compressive behaviors of 2D C/SiC composites at elevated temperatures based on in-situ observation

Dynamic and quasi-static compressive behaviors of 2D C/SiC composites were examined from room temperature to 1600 °C based on in-situ observation, under the environment of air and argon. Tests were conducted respectively on a high temperature universal test machine and an improved high temperature split Hopkinson pressure bar. The improvement of the interface strength and the nucleation of multiple cracks influence the compressive strength under dynamic conditions. As the influence of thermal residual stress, the failure angles and compressive strength of the specimen increased with the increase of temperature in the argon environment. Owing to the competition between oxidation and thermal residual stress, the compressive strength of the specimen increased slightly with increasing temperature, and then dropped sharply for temperature above 700 °C in air. The strain rate sensitivity factor of 2D C/SiC composites increased significantly as the temperature increased in the air environment, but decreased in the argon environment.     

纤维类型对C/SiC复合材料性能的影响

利用化学气相浸渗法制备了Cf-C/SiC复合材料,借助SEM、TEM等研究了纤维类型对Cf-C/SiC复合材料力学性能的影响.实验证明T300碳纤维增韧补强效果优于M40碳纤维,利用T300碳纤维制备出弯曲强度为459M,断裂韧性为20.0MPa*m1/2,断裂功为25170J/m2的Cf-C/SiC复合材料.2种碳纤维增韧效果的差异是由纤维的原始强度、热膨胀系数和弹性常数的不同决定的.     

Fatigue resistance and damage mechanisms of 2D woven SiC/SiC composites at high temperatures

Fatigue resistance and damage mechanisms of 2D woven SiC/SiC composites at high temperatures were investigated in this research. Fatigue behavior tests were performed at 1200℃ and 1000°C at 10 Hz and stress ratio of 0.1 for maximum stresses ranging from 80 to 120 MPa, and the fatigue run-out could be defined as 10⁶ cycles. Evolution of the cumulative displacement and normalized modulus with cycles was analyzed for each fatigue condition. Fatigue run-out was achieved at 80 MPa and 1000°C. It could be found that the cycle lifetimes of the composites decreased sharply with the increasing maximum stress and temperature conditions significantly affected the fatigue performance under matrix cracking stress. The cumulative displacement showed no noticeable increase before 1000 cycles and the modulus of the failed specimens decreased before fracture. The retained properties of composites that achieved fatigue run-out, as well as the microstructures, were characterized in order to understand the fatigue behavior and failure mechanisms. The composites exhibited similar fracture morphology with matrix crack extension and glass phase oxidation formation under different conditions. In general, the high-temperature fatigue damage and failure of composites could be affected by combination of stress damage and oxidative embrittlement.     

针刺C/C复合材料拉伸性能和韧性的研究进展

综述了近年来国内外针刺C／C复合材料拉伸性能和韧性研究进展,归纳了影响针刺C／C复合材料拉伸性能和韧性的主要因素,即炭纤维、炭基体、界面和针刺工艺参数等,初步得到了提高材料拉伸性能和韧性的方法：提高针刺C／C材料拉伸性能的方法主要是提高纤维体积分数;提高针刺C／C材料韧性的方法主要是改善致密工艺。在此基础上,对未来的进一步研究进行展望。     

Enhancing thermal conductivity of C/SiC composites containing heat transfer channels

In this study, CNTs/SiC micro-pillars at controlled content ratios were introduced into C/SiC composites as heat transfer channels to improve the thermal conductivity in the thickness direction. The thermal conductivities and bending strengths before and after heat treatment at 1650 °C were investigated and the results were discussed. The theoretical calculations and finite element analyses confirmed that CNTs/SiC micro-pillars successfully worked as heat transfer channels. The theoretical thermal conductivity calculated by effective medium theory (EMT) model was 19.25 W/m⋅k and agreed-well with the experimental value. The measured thermal conductivity was estimated to 20.69 W/m⋅k and improved to 22.36 W/m⋅k after heat treatment. The latter was 3.56-fold higher than that of traditional C/SiC and attributed to increased grain growth during heat treatment. The optimal bending strength before heat treatment was recorded as 324.5 ± 23.74 MPa due to microstructure evolution caused by CNTs. After heat treatment, the bending strength improved by 138 % with ductile fracture mode attributed to ordered layer structure of PyC interphase and complex phase composition of the composites. These features benefited the abundant propagation of cracks and energy consumption. In sum, introduction of heat transfer channels into C/SiC composites provided a new way to improve the thermal conductivity in thickness direction of ceramic matrix composites.     

Effect of initial density on thermal conductivity of new micro-pipeline heat conduction C/SiC composites

C/SiC composites prepared by chemical vapor infiltration technique (CVI) have been regarded as thermal structural materials widely. However, these composites still suffer from poor functional properties like low thermal conductivity, especially in thickness direction of the composites, limiting their large-scale applications. Herein, mesophase pitch based carbon fiber (MPCF) and continuous wave laser machining were utilized to construct highly effective heat conductive micro-pipelines within CVI C/SiC composite. The effect of initial density on the final density and thermal conductivity of the as-obtained MPCF-C/SiC composites were investigated. The results revealed that higher initial density would directly enhance the thermal conductivity and reduce the negative impact of the bottle-neck effect. At temperatures between 100°C and 500°C, MPCF-C/SiC composites preserved more than threefold of the thermal conductivity (340%) when compared to reference C/SiC composites. This work provides a highly effective route for enhancing the thermal conductivity of C/SiC, which would broaden their future applications.     

三维针刺C/SiC复合材料无纬布纤维方向对材料力学性能的影响

通过化学气相渗透法结合反应熔体浸渗法制备了三维针刺C/SiC复合材料,采用扫描电子显微镜观察材料的显微结构,并研究了无纬布纤维方向对材料力学性能的影响.结果表明,三维针刺C/SiC复合材料由O°无纬布层、短纤维胎网层、90°无纬布层以及针刺纤维束组成,无纬布层纤维方向对材料性能有显著影响.试样的拉伸强度和弯曲强度随着无纬布纤维方向与试样长度方向的夹角θ(0 ～45°)值的增大而减小,面内剪切强度和冲击韧性随θ角的增大而增大.     

Preparation and mechanical properties of C/C composites reinforced with arrayed SiC columnar pins

C/C composites with SiC columnar pins were fabricated by a recently developed space-holder method. Effects of SiC columnar pins with pins-row spacing of 5 mm and 4 mm on mechanical properties and toughening of C/C composites were characterized and discussed. Corresponding porous C/C composite matrices were also characterized. The results show that introduction of SiC columnar pins not only improves the compressive and shear properties of C/C composites, but significantly affects the PyC texture of the C/C composite matrix. Under identical TG-CVI deposition conditions, the pristine C/C composites (S₀), the unidirectional porous C/C composites (S₁ and S₂), and the C/C composites with SiC columnar pins (S₃ and S₄) show typical low-textured PyC, high-textured PyC, and medium-textured PyC, respectively. The mechanical properties of unidirectional porous C/C composites with channels-row spacing of 5 mm (S₁) are higher than those of unidirectional porous C/C composites with channels-row spacing of 4 mm (S₂). Conversely, for the C/C composites with SiC columnar pins, the mechanical properties of samples with columns-row spacing of 5 mm (S₃) are lower than those with columns-row spacing of 4 mm (S₄). Moreover, the compressive strength P_//(load direction parallel to the channel), P_⊥ (load direction vertical to the channel), and shear strength of S₃ and S₄ is respectively higher than that of S₁. Therefore, introduction of SiC columnar pins can effectively improve the mechanical properties of composites without significantly changing the density.     

Effects of fabrication processes on the properties of SiC/SiC composites

Precursor infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) and chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) were used to fabricate SiC/SiC composites on a four-step 3D SiC fibre preform deposited with a pyrolytic carbon interface. The effects of fabrication processes on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the SiC/SiC composites were studied. Results showed the presence of irregular cracks in the matrix of the SiC/SiC composites prepared through PIP, and the crystal structure was amorphous. The room temperature flexural strength and modulus were 873.62 MPa and 98.16 GPa, respectively. The matrix of the SiC/SiC composites prepared through CVI was tightly bonded without cracks, the crystal structure had high crystallinity, and the room temperature bending strength and modulus were 790.79 MPa and 150.32 GPa, respectively. After heat treatment at 1300 °C for 50 h, the flexural strength and modulus retention rate of the SiC/SiC composites prepared through PIP were 50.01% and 61.87%, and those of the composites prepared through CVI were 99.24% and 96.18%, respectively. The mechanism of the evolution of the mechanical properties after heat treatment was examined, and the analysis revealed that it was caused by the different fabrication processes of the SiC matrix. After heat treatment, the SiC crystallites prepared through PIP greatly increased, and the SiOxCy in the matrix decomposed to produce volatile gases SiO and/or CO, ultimately leading to an increase in the number of cracks and porosity in the material and a decrease in the material load-bearing capacity. However, the size of the SiC crystallites prepared through CVI hardly changed, the SiC matrix was tightly bonded without cracks, and the load-bearing capacity only slightly changed.     

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.     

Improved thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of SiC/SiC composites using pitch-based carbon fibers

Pitch-based carbon fibers were assembled in horizontal and thickness directions of SiC/SiC composites to form three-dimensional heat conduction networks. The effects of heat conduction networks on microstructures, mechanics, and thermal conductivities were investigated. The results revealed the benefit of introducing heat conduction networks in the densification of composites. The maximum bending strength and interlaminar shear strength of the modified composites reached 568.67 MPa and 68.48 MPa, respectively. These values were equivalent to 18.6% and 69.4% increase compared to those of composites without channels. However, channels in thickness direction destroyed the continuity of fibers and matrix, creating numerous defects. As the volume fraction of heat conduction channels rose, the pinning strengthening effect of channels and influence of defects competed with each other to result in first enhanced mechanical properties followed by a decline. The in-plane thermal conductivity was found anisotropic with a maximum value reaching 86.20 W/(m·K) after introducing pitch-based carbon unidirectional tapes. The thermal conductivity in thickness direction increased with volume fraction of pitch-based carbon fibers and reached 19.13 W/(m·K) at 3.87 vol% pitch-based carbon fibers in the thickness direction. This value was 90.75% higher than that of composites without channels.     

Effect of in situ grown SiC nanowires on microstructure and mechanical properties of C/SiC composites

Hexagonal-shaped SiC nanowires were in situ formed in C/SiC composites with ferrocene as catalyst in the densification process of polymer impregnation and pyrolysis. The effect of SiC nanowires on microstructure and properties of the composites were studied. The results show that the in situ formed SiC nanowires were hexagonal, mostly with diamer of about 250 nm, and grew by the vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) mechanism. The C/SiC composite with nanowires shows higher bulk density and flexural strength than the one with no SiC nanowires, and the high temperature flexural strength behavior of C/SiC composites with SiC nanowires was evaluated.     

Failure analysis of 2D C/SiC composite z-pinned/bonded hybrid single-lap joints

Z-pinned/bonded hybrid joints are widely used in the 2D C/SiC composite structures, whose mechanical behavior and failure mechanisms are directly related with the structure integrity. The hybrid joints for 2D C/SiC composite structures are formed by depositing SiC into the gap of z-pinned joints. To evaluate the SiC bonding effect, the tensile experiments for two kinds of z-pinned joints with and without bonded layer were conducted. It was proved that the failure modes of the pin were the tensile and shear failure, and the bonded layer was the interlaminar shear failure of the substrate plate instead of the shear failure of SiC bonded layer due to the smaller interlaminar shear strength. The bonded zone states of specimens were also examined, which were reproduced in the shell-fastener numerical model with surface-based cohesive behavior. Combining with shear strength theory, a numerical model is developed to study the failure processes of the hybrid joints. The SiC bonded zone areas can also greatly influence the failure response of the hybrid joints. The large SiC bonded layer zone can improve the shear strength of the joints. The failure of the joints is determined by the SiC bonded layer when the SiC bonded zone is large enough. This study can be helpful to evaluate and design the SiC bonded zone states of the hybrid joints in the engineering application.     

Effect of heat treatment on the tribological behavior of 2D carbon/carbon composites

The effect of high temperature heat treatment on the tribological behavior of carbon/carbon (C/C) composites has been investigated. C/C composite preforms were made from 1K PAN plain carbon cloth, and densified using rapid directional diffusion (RDD) CVI processes. Four specimens treated at 1800, 1800+2000, 2000, and 2300 °C, respectively, were prepared. A ring-on-ring specimen configuration was used to simulate aircraft brakes. The brake initial angular velocity ranged from 1800 to 7500 rpm (6.2-26.0 m s⁻¹ average linear sliding velocity). The specific pressure and moment of inertia were 392-784 kPa and 0.25-0.31 kg m², respectively (1.9-42.3 MJ m⁻² kinetic energy loading per unit friction surface area). The results showed that the stability of the brake moment-time curves increased with increasing heat treatment temperature (HTT) for the four composites, and those treated at 2300 °C possessed the lowest initial brake moment peak ratio values (from 1.1 to 1.3). The high degree of graphitization and low shear forces of the matrix carbon resulting from the high HTT could allow friction films to develop and reduce those values under the present brake conditions. The friction coefficients of four RDD CVI C/C composites decreased with an increase in specific pressure. The resulting changes in the friction coefficient of the four composites due to the specific pressure changes have basically nothing to do with the interface temperature under those conditions. According to the practical brake conditions, the friction properties of RDD CVD C/C composites could be improved by regulating the structure of the brake discs, changing the specific pressure exerted on the discs and the heat treatment. The linear wear rates of the four materials increased with increasing HTT. The composites treated at 2000 °C had both high enough friction coefficients and the lower linear wear rates. The different heat treatment methods at 2000 °C had no obvious effect on the friction and wear properties of RDD CVI C/C composites.     

Effect of ply structure on mechanical hysteresis behavior in 3D needle-punched C/SiC composites

For 3D needle-punch C/SiC composite, four ply structures were adopted to fabricate the composite using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and reactive infiltration (RI) methods. Effects of ply structure on the mechanical hysteresis behavior of the 3D NP C/SiC composites were analyzed. The hysteresis-based damage parameters (i.e., unloading/reloading inverse tangent modulus (UITM/RITM), interface slip parameter, and hysteresis width) were analytically derived from the hysteresis theory. Evolution of the hysteresis-based damage parameters with increasing peak stress was analyzed. Comparison analysis of the mechanical hysteresis behavior between the 3D NP-C/SiC with four ply structures were conducted. The hysteresis-based damage parameters reflect the internal damages under cyclic loading. The higher the values of hysteresis-based damage parameters, the more seriously of the damages occurred in the composite.     

Joining of C/SiC composites by spark plasma sintering technique

CVD–SiC coated C/SiC composites (C/SiC) were joined by spark plasma sintering (SPS) by direct bonding with and without the aid of joining materials. A calcia-alumina based glass–ceramic (CA), a SiC + 5 wt% B₄C mixture and pure Ti foils were used as joining materials in the non-direct bonding processes. Morphological and compositional analyses were performed on each joined sample. The shear strength of joined C/SiC was measured by a single lap test and found comparable to that of C/SiC.