Formation of a chromium-carbide conversion coating on silicon carbide

The formation of a chromium-carbide conversion coating on SiC was achieved using the pack-cementation technique. The conversion coating is intended to improve the corrosion resistance of SiC and its derivatives, such as SiC-base continuous fibers and composites, by forming a protective Cr₂O₃ scale upon exposure to high-temperature corrosive environments. Different pack chemistry and processing parameters were evaluated in the laboratory. Results indicated that the coating morphologies and compositions achieved were significantly affected by variation of these processing factors. In this paper, the conversion coating obtained from one of the systems investigated is reported. The coating consists of a multilayered structure with each of the sublayers containing a high-Cr concentration. In addition, the coating surface is relatively dense and pore free compared to the underlying SiC substrate material. A dense and pore-free morphology is highly desirable for coating applications, especially on porous substrates. The multilayered coating structure consists of the following sublayers: Cr₂₃C₆/Cr₇C₃/Cr₇C₃+Cr₃Si/Cr₅Si₃C_x/SiC substrate.