Oxidation protection of C/SiC coated carbon/carbon composites with Si–Mo coating at high temperature

To protect carbon/carbon (C/C) composites against oxidation, a Si–Mo coating was prepared on C/SiC-coated C/C composites by a simple slurry method. The microstructure of the coating was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectra. Results showed that the coating was mainly composed of SiC, MoSi₂ and Si. It could protect C/C composites from oxidation at 1873 K in air for 300 h and withstand 13 thermal cycles between room temperature and 1873 K. The excellent oxidation and thermal shock resistance of the coating was attributed to the formation of dense SiO₂ glass at high temperature. The volatilization of MoO₃ and SiO₂ at 1873 K was the main reason of the weight loss of the coated C/C composites.