Carbon fiber/reaction-bonded carbide matrix for composite materials – Manufacture and characterization

Abstract

The processing of self-healing ceramic matrix composites by a short time and low cost process was studied. This process is based on the deposition of fiber dual interphases by chemical vapor infiltration and on the densification of the matrix by reactive melt infiltration of silicon. To prevent fibers (ex-PAN carbon fibers) from oxidation in service, a self-healing matrix made of reaction bonded silicon carbide and reaction bonded boron carbide was used. Boron carbide is introduced inside the fiber preform from ceramic suspension whereas silicon carbide is formed by the reaction of liquid silicon with a porous carbon xerogel in the preform. The ceramic matrix composites obtained are near net shape, have a bending stress at failure at room temperature around 300 MPa and have shown their ability to self-healing in oxidizing conditions.

Design, Manufacture, and Characterization of a Carbon Fiber‐Reinforced Silicon Carbide Nozzle Extension

“…Due to their excellent thermal and mechanical properties at high temperatures and due to their low material density, they will increase the payload capacity and improve the performance of future upper-stage and orbital rocket engines. [1][2][3][4][5] A variety of different ceramic matrix composite (CMC) processing routes have been studied intensively during the last 10 years, including chemical vapor infiltration (CVI), [6][7][8][9] liquid polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP), 10,11 and reactive melt infiltration, [12][13][14][15][16] and combinations of these. Processing costs and durations are significantly high using CVI or PIP fabrication routes.…”

Oxidation behavior of SiBC matrix modified C/SiC composites with different PyC interphase thicknesses

“…However matrix pores exist in C/SiC composites due to the "bottom-neck effect" during CVI process, which will act as diffusion paths of oxidizing species, restricting the application of C/SiC composites in oxidation environment. Liquid silicon infiltration (LSI), slurry infiltration and their combination have been used to produce dense C/SiC composites to fill the matrix pores by Si [6,7] or self-healing components such as B 4 C, SiB 4 , and SiBC [8][9][10][11][12]. The porosity of dense C/SiC composites is effectively reduced to less than 5% but higher processing temperature (41420 1C) aggravates the mismatch between coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the fiber and matrix and brings larger thermal residual stress (TRS) on the composites, resulting in the formation of intrinsic matrix micro-cracks while cooling down from the fabrication temperature to room temperature [13][14].…”

Synthesis of Biopolymer‐Derived Zirconium Carbide Powder by Facile One‐Pot Reaction

“…Several different approaches have been employed to densify continuous fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites such as chemical vapor infiltration, chemical vapor deposition, reactive melt infiltration, and slurry impregnation . However, they are not suitable for the preparation of ceramics with large, complicated shapes, and high density owing to the difficulty in achieving infiltration quickly and effectively.…”