Process study, microstructure, and matrix cracking of SiC fiber reinforced MoSi2 based composites

SiC fiber reinforced SiAlON-MoSi₂ composites have been manufactured by a concurrent fiber winding and low pressure plasma spraying (LPPS) technique to produce a multilayer, circumferentially fiber reinforced composite ring. The LPPS parameters for SiAlON-MoSi₂ powder were optimized by a two-level experimental design approach followed by further optimization, which provided a smooth sprayed surface, low matrix porosity, and high deposition efficiency. The microstructure of SiAlON-MoSi₂ matrix consisted of a lamellar structure built up of individual splats and a uniform distribution of discontinuous SiAlON splats throughout the MoSi₂ matrix. The spray/wind composites exhibited 2% porosity and well-controlled fiber distribution. High temperature consolidation led to the formation of a thick reaction zone at the fiber-matrix interface by a chemical reaction between C coating and MoSi₂. Matrix cracking occurred in SiC _f (15 vol.%)/MoSi₂ after cooling from 1500 to 25 °C and was attributed to the large tensile residual stresses in the matrix developed on cooling because of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between matrix and fiber. The addition of 40 vol.% SiAlON into the MoSi₂ effectively eliminated the matrix cracking by reducing the matrix-fiber CTE mismatch. Predictions of matrix cracking stress on the basis of residual stresses in the composites showed that the maximum permissible fiber volume fraction to avoid matrix cracking was 6% for SiC _f /MoSi₂ and 23% for SiC _f /SiAlON(40 vol.%)-MoSi₂.