Effects of thermal oxidation on microwave-absorbing and mechanical properties of SiC_f/SiC composites with PyC interphase

The SiCf/SiC composites containing PyC interphase were prepared by chemical vapor infiltration process. The influences of thermal oxidation on the complex permittivity and microwave absorption properties of Si Cf/Si C composites were investigated in the frequency range of 8.2-12.4 GHz. Both the real and imaginary parts of the complex permittivity decreased after thermal oxidation. The composites after 100 h thermal oxidation showed that reflection loss exceeded-10 d B in the frequency of 9.7-11.9 GHz and the minimum value was-11.4 d B at 11.0 GHz. The flexural strength of composites decreased but fracture behavior was improved obviously after thermal oxidation. These results indicate that the SiCf/SiC composites containing PyC interphase after thermal oxidation possess good microwave absorbing property and fracture behavior.

Effects of dip-coated BN interphase on mechanical properties of SiC_f/SiC composites prepared by CVI process

BN interphase was successfully synthesized on SiC fiber fabrics by dip-coating process using boric acid and urea as precursors under N2 atmosphere. The morphology of BN interphase was observed by SEM, and the structure was characterized by XRD and FT-IR spectra. The SiCf/SiC composites with dip-coated BN interphase were fabricated by chemical vapor infiltration （CVI） process, and the effects ofBN interphase on the mechanical properties of composites were investigated. The results show that the SiC fibers are fully covered by BN interphase with smooth surface and turbostratic structure （t-BN）, and the thickness is about 0.4 μm. The flexural strengths of SiCf/SiC composites with and without BN interphase are about 180 and 95 MPa, respectively. Compared with the as-received SiCf/SiC composites, the composites with BN interphase exhibit an obvious toughened fracture behavior. From the microstructural analysis, it can be confirmed that the BN interphase plays a key part in protecting the fibers from chemical attack during matrix infiltration and weakening interfacial bonding, which can improve the mechanical properties of SiCf/SiC composites remarkably.

Recent Progresses and Critical Issues of SiC_f/SiC Composite Under Irradiation Environments

SiC with fiber-reinforced composites, which are presently considered as the primary structural materials in some fusion reactor conceptual designs, are more attractive and competitive for structural materials in a fusion energy system because of its excellent chemical and mechanical properties such as high fracture toughness, induced-low activation, afterheat under 14MeV neutron irradiation environment at elevated temperature, and good compatibility with coolant and breeder materials. Thus it is important to investigate the research progress of advanced SiC composite, including transmuted helium gas, radiation swelling, radiation effects on mechanical properties, irradiation-enhanced creep, fatigue, physical properties associated with fusion design and their critical issues. This report summarized these results and addressed the major critical issues under irradiation conditions.

Multi-scale Modeling and Finite Element Analyses of Thermal Conductivity of 3D C/SiC Composites Fabricating by Flexible-Oriented Woven Process

Thermal conductivity is one of the most significant criterion of three-dimensional carbon fiber-reinforced SiC matrix composites(3D C/SiC).Represent volume element(RVE)models of microscale,void/matrix and mesoscale proposed in this work are used to simulate the thermal conductivity behaviors of the 3D C/SiC composites.An entirely new process is introduced to weave the preform with three-dimensional orthogonal architecture.The 3D steady-state analysis step is created for assessing the thermal conductivity behaviors of the composites by applying periodic temperature boundary conditions.Three RVE models of cuboid,hexagonal and fiber random distribution are respectively developed to comparatively study the influence of fiber package pattern on the thermal conductivities at the microscale.Besides,the effect of void morphology on the thermal conductivity of the matrix is analyzed by the void/matrix models.The prediction results at the mesoscale correspond closely to the experimental values.The effect of the porosities and fiber volume fractions on the thermal conductivities is also taken into consideration.The multi-scale models mentioned in this paper can be used to predict the thermal conductivity behaviors of other composites with complex structures.

Recent advances in joining of SiC-based materials(monolithic SiC and SiC_f/SiC composites):Joining processes,joint strength, and interfacial behavior

Silicon carbide(SiC) has been widely concerned for its excellent overall mechanical and physical properties, such as low density, good thermal-shock behavior, high temperature oxidation resistance, and radiation resistance; as a result, the SiC-based materials have been or are being widely used in most advanced fields involving aerospace, aviation, military, and nuclear power. Joining of SiC-based materials(monolithic SiC and SiCf/SiC composites) can resolve the problems on poor processing performance and difficulty of fabrication of large-sized and complex-shaped components to a certain extent, which are originated from their high inherent brittleness and low impact toughness.Starting from the introduction to SiC-based materials, joining of ceramics, and joint strength characterization, the joining of SiC-based materials is reviewed by classifying the as-received interlayer materials, involving no interlayer, metallic, glass-ceramic, and organic interlayers. In particular, joining processes(involving joining techniques and parameter conditions), joint strength,interfacial microstructures, and/or reaction products are highlighted for understanding interfacial behavior and for supporting development of application-oriented joining techniques.

Tensile Mechanical Behavior and Failure Mechanism of a Plain-Woven SiCf/SiC Composites at Room and Elevated Temperatures

Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are the preferred materials for solving advanced aerospace high-temperature structural components;it has the comprehensive advantages of higher temperature (~1500˚C) and low density. In service environments, CMCs exhibit complex damage mechanisms and failure modes, which are affected by constituent materials, meso-architecture and inhere defects. In this paper, the in-plane tensile mechanical behavior of a plain-woven SiCf/SiC composite at room and elevated temperatures was investigated, and the factors affecting the tensile strength of the material were discussed in depth. The results show that the tensile modulus and strength of SiCf/SiC composites at high temperature are lower, but the fracture strain increases and the toughness of the composites is enhanced;the stitching holes significantly weaken the tensile strength of the material, resulting in the material is easy to break at the cross-section with stitching holes.

A review of third generation SiC fibers and SiC_f/SiC composites

Compared with the first and second generations SiC fibers, the third generation SiC fibers have obvious improvement in heat-resistance, oxidation-resistance and creep-resistance, which promote the development of SiCf/SiC composite materials. Therefore, the third generation SiC fibers have more advantages and broader prospects in engineering applications. In this paper, the fabrication and properties of the third generation SiC fibers are compared and discussed. The preparation processes of the third generation SiC fibers reinforced SiC matrix composites and their application in aeroengine and nuclear energy fields are summarized, while their future development is prospected as well.

KD-S SiC_f/SiC composites with BN interface fabricated by polymer infiltration and pyrolysis process

Continuous silicon carbide fiber reinforced silicon carbide matrix(SiC_f/SiC) composites are attractive candidate materials for aerospace engine system and nuclear reactor system. In this paper, SiC_f/SiC composites were fabricated by polymer infiltration and pyrolysis(PIP) process using KD-S fiber as the reinforcement and the LPVCS as the precursor, while the BN interface layer was introduced by chemical vapor deposition(CVD) process using borazine as the single precursor. The effect of the BN interface layer on the structure and properties of the SiC_f/SiC composites was comprehensively investigated. The results showed that the BN interface layer significantly improved the mechanical properties of the KD-S SiC_f/SiC composites. The flexure strength and fracture toughness of the KD-S SiC_f/SiC composites were evidently improved from 314±44.8 to 818±39.6 MPa and 8.6± 0.5 to 23.0±2.2 MPa·m^(1/2), respectively. The observation of TEM analysis displayed a turbostratic structure of the CVD-BN interface layer that facilitated the improvement of the fracture toughness of the SiC_f/SiC composites. The thermal conductivity of KD-S SiC_f/SiC composites with BN interface layer was lower than that of KD-S SiC_f/SiC composites without BN interface layer, which could be attributed to the relative low thermal conductivity of BN interface layer with low crystallinity.

Effect of properties of SiC fibers on longitudinal tensile behavior of SiC_f/Ti-6Al-4V composites

Three types of SiC fibers with different tensile strength were employed to prepare unidirectional titanium matrix composites. The strengths of the original SiC fibers and extracted fibers from the composites were measured. The results show that the mechanical properties of fibers are greatly damaged by the consolidation processing of the composite. The strength data of the extracted fibers are used to predict the strength of the composites according to two theoretic models. The Globe Load-Sharing(GLS) model overestimates the strength of the composites. If the Local Load-Sharing(LLS) model assumes that failure occurs after the formation of a cluster with three broken fibers, the model can predict the strength of the composites exactly.

Preparation and oxidation property of ZrB_2-MoSi_2/SiC coating on carbon/carbon composites

To improve the oxidation resistance of carbon/carbon composites,ZrB2-MoSi2/SiC coating on the carbon/carbon substrate was prepared.The inner coating of SiC was prepared by pack cementation and the outer coating of ZrB2-MoSi2 was prepared by slurry painting.The phase compositions and microstructures of the coating were characterized by XRD and SEM,respectively.The preparation and the high temperature oxidation property of the coated composites were investigated.The results show that the outer coating of carbon/carbon composites is composed of ZrB2,MoSi2 and SiC phases.The mass losses of the ZrB2-MoSi2/SiC coated samples with SiC nano-whiskers after 30 h and 10 h of oxidation at 1 273 K and 1 773 K were,respectively,5.3% and 3.0%.The ZrB2-MoSi2/SiC coated samples exhibit self-sealing performance and good oxidation resistance at high temperature.

C/SiC/MoSi_2-SiC-Si multilayer coating for oxidation protection of carbon/carbon composites

C/SiC/MoSi2-SiC-Si oxidation protective multilayer coating for carbon/carbon （C/C） composites was prepared by pack cementation and slurry method. The microstructure, element distribution and phase composition of the as-received coating were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （EDS） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The results show that the multilayer coating was composed of MoSi2, SiC and Si. It could effectively protect C/C composites against oxidation for 200 h with the mass loss of 3.25% at 1873 K in static air. The mass loss of the coated C/C composites results from the volatilization of SiO2 and the formation of cracks and bubble holes in the coating.

Double SiC coating on carbon/carbon composites against oxidation by a two-step method

To improve the oxidation resistance of C/C composites, a double SiC protective coating was prepared by a two-step technique. Firstly, the inner SiC layer was prepared by a pack cementation technique, and then an outer uniform and compact SiC coating was obtained by low pressure chemical vapor deposition. The microstructures and phase compositions of the coatings were characterized by SEM, EDS and XRD analyses. Oxidation behaviour of the SiC coated C/C composites was also investigated. It was found that the double SiC coating could protect C/C composites against oxidation at 1773 K in air for 178 h with a mass loss of 1.25%. The coated samples also underwent thermal shocks between 1773 K and room temperature 16 times. The mass loss of the coated C/C composites was only 2.74%. Double SiC layer structures were uniform and dense, and can suppress the generation of thermal stresses, facilitating an excellent anti-oxidation coating.

Thermal analysis for brake disks of SiC/6061 Al alloy co-continuous composite for CRH3 during emergency braking considering airflow cooling

The mass of high-speed trains can be reduced using the brake disk prepared with SiC network ceramic frame reinforced 6061 aluminum alloy composite （SiCn/Al）. The thermal and stress analyses of SiCn/Al brake disk during emergency braking at a speed of 300 km/h considering airflow cooling were investigated using finite element （FE） and computational fluid dynamics （CFD） methods. All three modes of heat transfer （conduction, convection and radiation） were analyzed along with the design features of the brake assembly and their interfaces. The results suggested that the higher convection coefficients achieved with airflow cooling will not only reduce the maximum temperature in the braking but also reduce the thermal gradients, since heat will be removed faster from hotter parts of the disk. Airflow cooling should be effective to reduce the risk of hot spot formation and disc thermal distortion. The highest temperature after emergency braking was 461 °C and 359 °C without and with considering airflow cooling, respectively. The equivalent stress could reach 269 MPa and 164 MPa without and with considering airflow cooling, respectively. However, the maximum surface stress may exceed the material yield strength during an emergency braking, which may cause a plastic damage accumulation in a brake disk without cooling. The simulation results are consistent with the experimental results well.

Microstructures and properties of Al-50%SiC composites for electronic packaging applications

Al？50%SiC （volume fraction） composites containing different sizesofSiC particles （average sizesof 23, 38 and 75 μm） were prepared by powder metallurgy. The influences of SiC particle sizes and annealing on the propertiesof the compositeswere investigated. The results show that SiC particles are distributed uniformly in the Al matrix. The coarse SiC particles result in higher coefficient of thermal expansion （CTE） and higher thermal conductivity （TC）, while fine SiC particles decrease CTE and improve flexural strength of the composites. The morphology and size of SiC particles in the composite are not influenced by the annealing treatment at 400℃for 6h. However, the CTE and the flexural strength of annealed composites are decreased slightly, and the TCis improved. The TC, CTE and flexural strength of the Al/SiC composite with averageSiC particlesize of75 μm are 156 W/（m·K）, 11.6×10^-6K^-1 and 229 MPa, respectively.

Effect of ZrC-SiC content on microstructure and ablation properties of C/C composites

C/C-ZrC-SiC composites with different ZrC-SiC contents were fabricated by precursor infiltration and pyrolysis. The effect of ceramic content on the microstructure and ablation resistance was investigated. Both the C/C-SiC and C/C-ZrC-SiC composites exhibited good ablation resistance under the plasma flame above 2300℃. Withtheincreaseof ZrC content, a continuous oxide layer and a solid Zr-Si-O mesophase were formed during the ablation. And the structure of the formed oxides layer closely linked with the contents of ZrC-SiC ceramics. The solid ZrO2-ZrC and Zr-Si-O mesophase could increase the viscosity of SiO2 moderately and improve the anti-scouring ability. The continuous SiO2-ZrO2-ZrC-SiC layer would serve as a thermal and oxygen barrier for preventing the substratefrom further ablation. The C/C-ZrC-SiC composites with 27.2%ZrC and 7.56%SiC shows superior ablation resistance, and the mass and linear ablation rates are-3.51 mg/s and-1.88 μm/s, respectively.

Microstructure and interface thermal stability of C/Mo double-coated SiC fiber reinforced γ-TiAl matrix composites

C/Mo duplex coating interfacially modified SiC fiber-reinforced γ-TiAl matrix composite （SiCf/C/Mo/γ-TiA1） was prepared by foil-fiber-foil method to investigate its interfacial modification effect. SiCf/C/TiAl composites were also prepared under the same processing condition for comparision. Both kinds of the composites were thermally exposed in vacuum at 800 and 900℃ for different durations in order to study thermal stability of the interfacial zone. With the aids of scanning electron microscope （SEM） and energy dispersive spectrometer （EDS）, the interracial microstructures of the composites were investigated. The results reveal that, although adding the Mo coating, the interfacial reaction product of the SiCf/C/Mo/TiAl composite is the same with that of the SiCf/C/TiA1 composite, which is TiC/Ti2AlC between the coating and the matrix. However, C/Mo duplex coating is more efficient in hindering interfacial reaction than C single coating at 900 ℃ and below. In addition, a new layer of interfacial reaction product was found between Ti2AlC and the matrix after 900 ℃, 200 h thermal exposure, which is rich in V and close to the chemical composition of B2 phase.

Microstructure and thermophysical properties of SiC/Al composites mixed with diamond

The thermophysical properties of the SiC /Al composites mixed with diamond（SiC-Dia/Al） were studied through theoretical calculation and experiments. The thermal conductivity and the thermal expansion coefficient of the SiC-Dia/Al were calculated by differential effective medium（DEM） theoretical model and extended Turner model, respectively. The microstructure of the SiC-Dia/Al shows that the combination between SiC particles and Al is close, while that between diamond particles and Al is not close. The experimental results of the thermophysical properties of the SiC-Dia/Al are consistent with the calculated ones. The calculation results show that when the volume ratio of the diamond particles to the SiC particles is 3：7, the thermal conductivity and the thermal expansion coefficient can be improved by 39% and 30% compared to SiC/Al composites, respectively. In other words, by adding a small amount of diamond particles, the thermophysical properties of the composites can be improved effectively, while the cost increases little.

Microstructure and properties of Al/Si/SiC composites for electronic packaging

The Al/Si/SiC composites with medium volume fraction for electronic packaging were fabricated by gas pressure infiltration.On the premise of keeping the machinability of the composites,the silicon carbide particles,which have the similar size with silicon particles（average 13 μm）,were added to replace silicon particles of same volume fraction,and microstructure and properties of the composites were investigated.The results show that reinforcing particles are distributed uniformly and no apparent pores are observed in the composites.It is also observed that higher thermal conductivity（TC） and flexural strength will be obtained with the addition of SiC particles.Meanwhile,coefficient of thermal expansion（CTE） changes smaller than TC.Models for predicting thermal properties were also discussed.Equivalent effective conductivity（EEC） was proposed to make H-J model suitable for hybrid particles and multimodal particle size distribution.

Characterization of SiC nanowires prepared on C/C composite without catalyst by CVD

SiC nanowires were prepared on C/C composite surface without catalyst by chemical vapor deposition（CVD） using CH3 SiCl3 as precursor.SEM images of the CVD-product reveal that some long nanowires have grown to tens of micrometers with some gathered as a ball.Some short nanowires agglomerate like chestnut shell with many thorns accompanied by some deposited nano-particles.XRD,Raman-spectrum and FTIR patterns indicate that the product is a typical β-SiC.TEM images show that the nanowires have a wide diameter range from 10 to 100 nm,and some thin nanowires are bonded to the thick one by amorphous CVD-SiC.A SiC branch generates from an amorphous section of a thick one with an angle of 70° between them,which is consistent with the [111] axis stacking angle of the crystal.SAED and fast Fourier transform（FFT） patterns reveal that the nanowires can grow along with different axes,and the bamboo-nodes section is full of stacking faults and twin crystal.The twisted SiC lattice planes reveal that the screw dislocation growth is the main mechanism for the CVD-SiC nanowires.

Effect of wear conditions on tribological properties of electrolessly-deposited Ni-P-Gr-SiC hybrid composite coating

The friction and wear properties of the electrolessly-deposited Ni-P-Gr-SiC composites were investigated. The effects of graphite content, load and rotation speed on the friction coefficient and wear resistance of the composite coatings were mainly investigated. The worn surface and cross section of the coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The results show that the composite coatings reveal good antifriction and wear resistance due to the synergic effect of graphite and SiC particles. The formation of graphite-rich mechanically mixed layer （GRMML） on the surface of Ni-P-Gr-SiC coating contributes to the good tribological behavior of the wear counterparts and SiC particles play a load bearing role in protecting GRMML from shearing easily.