Intelligent cooling structure design of "Z-pins like" silicon rods to enhance the ablation resistance of C/C-ZrC-SiC composites above 2500 °C

In order to improve the ablation resistance of C/C-ZrC-SiC composites by reducing the damage of the protective oxide layer, novel "Z-pins like" silicon rods, which were designed and fabricated by liquid phase sintering, were utilised as a dissipative agent. The microstructure evolution and thermal dissipation behaviour were investigated after ablating above 2500 °C for 300 s. After the "Z-pins like" silicon rods were implanted, the anti-ablative property of the C/C-ZrC-SiC composites was drastically improved by the dissipative thermal protection mechanism. The linear ablation rate of the "Z-pins like" silicon rod-reinforced C/C-ZrC-SiC composite was -0.28 μm/s, which is 112.72% lower than the unmodified composite. Additionally, the actual ablative temperature dropped approximately 357 °C, which enabled abundant SiO₂ to remain in the ablation centre. Furthermore, a dense SiO₂-rich oxide layer with a low oxygen diffusion coefficient is formed that covers the entire ablative surface.     

Microstructure,thermophysical properties,and ablation resistance of C/HfC-ZrC-SiC composites

Carbon/carbon composites modified by HfC-ZrC-SiC were fabricated by reactive melt infiltration with the aim of improving their ablation resistance for application in aerothermal environments. Their microstructure, thermophysical and ablation properties were investigated. Results show that the thermal diffusivity decreases with increasing temperature for all composites. The thermal conductivity of the C/HfC-ZrC-SiC composites decreasing with increasing HfC molar fraction is related to decreased grain size and increased porosity, which impede phonon interaction and increase the phonon scattering. High HfC content effectively improves the oxidation and ablation resistance of the composites. C/HfC-ZrC-SiC composites containing 8.8?mol.% HfC exhibited the best ablation resistance owing to a compact and continuous HfO₂-ZrO₂ mixed layer that formed on the ablated surface.     

Microstructure and ablation resistance of ZrCxNy-modified ZrC-SiC composite coating for carbon/carbon composites

Nitrogen-modified ZrC-SiC coatings were prepared by thermal evaporation, in situ reaction, and nitriding process, and the microstructure and ablation property of the coatings were studied. The results showed that nitrogen atoms could replace the carbon atoms and fill the vacancies of ZrC. In addition, the interface of the ZrC phase was optimized. The nitrogen atom solid solution was limited on the coating surface, and the interior of the coating was composed of high-melting point ZrC and SiC ceramics. The ablation test showed a reduction in the ablation rate of the coating after nitriding due to the formation of a dense ZrO₂ layer.     

Effect of the surface microstructure of SiC inner coating on the bonding strength and ablation resistance of ZrB2-SiC coating for C/C composites

The present study has been conducted in order to investigate the effect of the surface morphology of SiC inner coating on the bonding strength and ablation resistance of the sprayed ZrB₂-SiC coating for C/C composites. The microstructure of SiC inner coatings prepared by chemical vapor deposition and pack cementation at different temperatures were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and 3D Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope. Tensile bonding strength and oxyacetylene ablation testing were used to characterize the bonding strength and ablation resistance of the sprayed ZrB₂-SiC coating, respectively. Results show that SiC inner coating prepared by chemical vapor deposition has a smooth surface, which is not beneficial to improve the bonding strength and ablation resistance of the sprayed ZrB₂-SiC coating. SiC inner coating prepared by pack cementation at 2000 °C has a rugged surface with the roughness of 72.15 µm, and the sprayed ZrB₂-SiC coating with it as inner layer exhibits good bonding strength and ablation resistance.     

Effects of zirconium addition on microstructure and ablation resistance of carbon fibre reinforced carbon and SiC ceramic matrix composite prepared by reactive melt infiltration

Abstract

Carbon fibre reinforced C and SiC binary ceramic matrix composites (C/C–SiC) were fabricated by a quick and low cost reactive melt infiltration (RMI) method with Si–Zr25 and Si melts. Effects of zirconium addition in infiltrated Si melt on microstructure and ablation resistance of the composite were investigated. The composite by Si–Zr25 melt infiltration was composed of SiC, ZrC, C and a little amount of ZrSi₂ without residual silicon, overcoming the problem of residual silicon in C/C–SiC composite by Si RMI. Compared with the composite by Si melt infiltration, the ablation resistance of the composite by Si–Zr25 was greatly improved by zirconium addition due to ZrO₂ and SiO₂ protecting layer formed during ablation.     

Optimized ablation resistance behavior and mechanism of C/SiC composites with high thermal conductive channels

Aimed to enhance the high-temperature service performance of C/SiC composites in high-speed aircraft thermal protection system, in this article, pitch-based carbon fibers were used to construct high thermal conductive channels to improve the heat transfer capability of C/SiC composites. The results revealed that the as-prepared composites equipped with 4.7 times higher thermal conductivity than that of conventional C/SiC composites. The oxyacetylene flame ablation test confirmed that the constructed high thermal conductive channels, which quickly conducted the heat flow from the ablation center area to other areas is the main reason of as-prepared composites exhibiting a very impressive ablation resistance property. Briefly, the ablation temperature of the as-prepared composite surfaces considerably dropped by about 300°C compared with conventional C/SiC composites, while the linear ablation rate and mass ablation rate of the composites are 1.27 μm/s and 0.61 mg/s respectively, which is superior to many recent reports, demonstrating that this article provides a simple but highly effective measure to improve the ablation resistance property of C/SiC composites.     

Effect of co-deposited SiC nanowires and carbon nanotubes on oxidation resistance for SiC-coated C/C composites

To protect carbon/carbon composites (C/Cs) against oxidation, SiC coating toughened by SiC nanowires (SiCNWs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) hybrid nano-reinforcements was prepared on C/Cs by a two-step technique involving electrophoretic co-deposition and reactive melt infiltration. Co-deposited SiCNWs and CNTs with different shapes including straight-line, fusiform, curved and bamboo dispersed uniformly on the surface of C/Cs forming three-dimensional networks, which efficiently refined the SiC grains and meanwhile suppressed the cracking deflection of the coating during the fabrication process. The presence of SiCNWs and CNTs contributed to the formation of continuous glass layer during oxidation, while toughed the coating by introducing toughing methods such as bridging effect, crack deflection and nanowire pull out. Results showed that after oxidation for 45 h at 1773 K, the weight loss percentage of SiC coated specimen was 1.35%, while the weight gain percentage of the SiCNWs/CNTs reinforced SiC coating was 0.03052% due to the formation of continuous glass layer. After being exposed for 100 h, the weight loss percentage of the SiCNWs/CNTs reinforced SiC coating was 1.08%, which is relatively low.     

Fabrication of porous SiC nanostructured coatings on C/C composite by laser chemical vapor deposition for improving the thermal shock resistance

Recently, fabricating one-dimensional (1D) nanomaterials on C/C composite has been recognized effective to improve the thermal shock resistance of the coated composites. However, the remaining metal catalyst in CVD process and the week bond of 1D nanomaterials with substrate limit the strengthening effect. Herein, laser chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) was proposed for fabricating porous SiC nanostructured coating on C/C composite without metal catalyst. The laser heating resulted in a temperature gradient between the top and bottom of the coating, providing an external driving force for the vertical growth of whiskers with side-branches, forming a porous network nanostructure. The porous nanostructure was beneficial to reduce CTE and effectively relieve thermal stress. After 10 times of thermal shock test from RT to 1723 K, the porous SiC nanostructured coating remained intact. This work provides a novel methodology to produce functional coating on C/C composite with outstanding thermal shock resistance.