Thermal diffusivity of 3D C/SiC composites from room temperature to 1400 °C

A 3D C/SiC composite and a bulk CVD SiC material were prepared. The effects of the CVD SiC coating and the heat treatment on the longitudinal and transverse thermal diffusivity of the C/SiC composites were investigated. The thermal diffusivity of the C/SiC composites could be well fitted by a multinomial function from room temperature to 1400 °C which includes a power term, an exponential term and a constant term. The exponential term affected the thermal diffusivity and led to its increase above 1200 °C with activation energy of 77 kcal/mol. The microstructure change in the composites was the reason that the thermal diffusivity was increased above 1200 °C. The longitudinal thermal diffusivity of the composite was twice or more than the transverse one and increased more rapidly by the exponential term. The former was decreased by the CVD SiC coating, but the latter was increased by it. The heat treatment could increase the thermal diffusivity and make the exponential term disappeared in the functions. The functional curve before the treatment intersected that after the treatment at the treatment temperature.