Preparation and Microstructure of a Si-Mo Fused Slurry Coating on Carbon/Carbon Composites for Oxidation Protection

A coating of composition Si-40Mo (wt pct) was prepared by fused slurry coating method on the two-dimensional carbon/carbon (2D-C/C) composite to improve oxidation resistance. In the procedure of the fabrication, pure St slurry inner layer in the pre-coating was necessary to apply because of infiltration of liquid Si into the substrate during the sintering. The coating consists of Si continuous phase and MoSi2 particles. In addition, the infiltration of Si into the substrate and the SiC reaction layer between the coating and the C/C composite were observed. Oxidation behavior of coated and uncoated C/C composites was studied in cyclic mode. The oxidation resistance and the thermal shock resistance of the Si-Mo fused slurry coating were quite excellent at 1370℃.

Protective Graphite Coating for Two-Dimensional Carbon/Carbon Composites

Two-dimensional carbon/carbon(2D C/C)composites are a special class of carbon/carbon composites,generally obtained by combining resin-impregnated carbon fiber clothes,which are then cured and carbonized.This study deals with the preparation of a protective coating for these materials.This coating,based on graphite,was prepared by the slurry method.The effect of graphite and phenolic resin powders with different weight ratios was examined.The results have shown that the coating slurry can fill the pores and cracks of the composite surface,thereby densifying the surface layer of the material.With the increase of the graphite powder/phenolic resin weight ratio,the coating density is enhanced while the coating surface flatness decreases;moreover,the protective ability of coating against erosion first increases(from 1:3 to 2:2)and then decreases(from 2:2 to 3:1).When the weight ratio is about 1:1,the coating for 2D C/C composites exhibits the best erosion resistance,which greatly aids these materials during gas quenching.In this case,the erosion rate is decreased by approximately 41.5%at the impact angle of 30°and 52.3%at normal impact,respectively.This can be attributed to the ability of the coating slurry to infiltrate into the substrate,thereby bonding the fibers together and increasing the compactness of the 2D C/C composites.

Effects of ply-orientation on microstructure and properties of super-aligned carbon nanotube reinforced copper laminar composites

The super-aligned carbon nanotube(SACNT)films reinforced copper(Cu)laminar composites with different orientationsof CNT ply were fabricated by electrodeposition.The results show that the tensile strength and yield strength of cross-ply compositewith5.0%(volume fraction)of SACNT reach maximum of336.3MPa and246.0MPa respectively,increased by74.0%and124.5%compared with pure Cu prepared with the same method.Moreover,the electrical conductivities of all the prepared composites areover75%IACS.The result of TEM analysis shows that the size of Cu grain and the thickness of twin lamellae can be reduced byadding SACNT,and the refining effect in cross-ply composites is more significant than that in unidirectional ply composites.Theenhanced strength of the Cu/SACNT composites comes from not only the reinforcing effect of SACNT films but also the additionalstrengthening of the Cu grain refinement caused by CNT orientation.

Fabrication method and microstructural characteristics of coal-tar-pitchbased 2D carbon/carbon composites

The lignin-cellulosic texture of wood was used to produce two-dimensional （2D） carbon/carbon （C/C） composites using coal tar pitch. Ash content tests were conducted to select two samples among the different kinds of woods present in lran, including walnut, white poplar, cherry, willow, buttonwood, apricots, berry, and blue wood. Walnut and white poplar with ash contents of 1.994wt% and 0.35 lwt%, respectively, were selected. The behavior of these woods during pyrolysis was investigated by differential thermal analysis （DTA） and thermo gravimetric （TG） analysis. The bulk density and open porosity were measured after carbonization and densification. The mierostruc- tural characteristics of samples were investigated by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, and Fourier-transform infrared （FT-IR） spectroscopy. The results indicate that the density of both the walnut and white poplar is increased, and the open porosity is decreased with the increasing number of carbonization cycles. The XRD patterns of the wood charcoal change gradually with increasing py- rolysis temperature, possibly as a result of the ultra-structural changes in the charcoal or the presence of carbonized coal tar pitch in the composite＇s body.

Fabrication and ablation property of carbon/carbon composites with novel SiC-ZrB_2 coating

A novel SiC?ZrB2 coating was prepared using a two-step technique by slurry-sintering and chemical vapor reaction on carbon/carbon (C/C) composites. The SiC?ZrB2 coating was composed of the scattered ZrB2 phase and the continuous SiC phase. It was observed that a good adhesion was built between the coating and the C/C composites. The SiC?ZrB2 coating samples exhibited a better ablation resistance in comparison with the uncoated C/C composites. The SiO2?ZrO2 barrier layer, the heat dissipation of the gaseous products and the pinning effect of ZrO2 all contributed to the good ablation resistance of the SiC?ZrB2 coated composites.

MG63 Osteoblast-like Cells Growth Behaviour on Carbon/Carbon Composites with Different Carbon Matrixes

During the process that implant materials are used for bone replacement,the cell responses to implant materials determine the long-term stability of bone replacement.The microstructure of implant materials is considered as a critical factor that influences the cell responses.Carbon/Carbon composites（C/C composites） are novel implant materials,but there are few reports on the effect of their microstructure,especially the carbon matrixes and holes,on cell behavior.In this paper,C/C composites with different carbon matrixes are prepared by chemical vapor infiltration and pressure impregnation carbonization technique,respectively.The structure of holes is analyzed.The cell responses to C/C composites with different carbon matrixes are evaluated with MG63 osteoblast-like cells.The morphologies of MG63 osteoblast-like cells on the surface of C/C composites,especially in the holes are assessed by scanning electron microscope,and cell proliferation behavior is evaluated by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiozol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide（MTT） assay. The results show that MG63 osteoblast-like cells have a lamellar morphology with similar sizes and spreading areas as well as the same proliferation behaviors for C/C composites with different carbon matrixes.Carbon matrix shows unapparent influence on the cell growth behavior.Besides,MG63 osteoblast-like cells have various interactions with the holes of C/C composites.The cells stride over the holes with 6～8μm in size,and connect with each other or grow along the curvature wall of the holes with a size of 30-40μm;the cells present three-dimensional morphologies inside the holes and display circular shapes along the ridge of the holes.Diverse cell-material interactions are found according to the size and position of the holes,which provides theoretical foundation for the microstructure design of clinical C/C composites.

Comparative study on the interface and mechanical properties of T700/Al and M40/Al composites

T700/Al and M40/Al composites were fabricated by squeeze casting technology, and their interface and mechanical properties were investigated comparatively. The results showed that both of the composites were dense, and the fibers were distributed uniformly in aluminum matrix. Aluminum carbide （Al4C3） was observed on the interface of the two carbon fiber-reinforced aluminum （Cf/Al） composites. There was little Al4C3 with a length of 300-500 nm and a width of 30-60 nm in the M40/Al composite, whereas there was a great deal of Al4C3 with a length of 200-400 nm and a width of 100-200 nm in the T700/Al composite, due to a higher graphitization of M40Cf than T700Cf. The M40/Al composite showed a much higher tensile strength than the TT00/Al composite, and it was related to interracial bonding between carbon fibers and aluminum matrices.

Enhancing both strength and toughness of carbon/carbon composites by heat-treated interface modification

A simple method to increase both strength and toughness of carbon/carbon(C/C) composites is presented.This method is based on the heat treatment of the pre-deposited thin carbon coating, leading to the formation of more orderly pyrolytic carbon(PyC) as a functional interlayer between fiber and matrix that could optimize the interfacial sliding strength in C/C composites. Effects of such a heat-treated PyC layers on the microstructure, tensile strength and fracture behavior of unidirectional C/C composites were investigated. Results showed that although the in-situ fiber strength was deteriorated after the introduction of interfacial layer, tensile strength of the specimen was greatly improved by 38.5% compared with pure C/C composites without any treatment. The interfacial sliding stress sharply decreased, which was interpreted from finite element analysis and verified by Raman spectra. Therefore, the fracture behavior was changed from brittle fracture to multiple-matrix cracking induced non-linear mechanical behavior.Finally, the ultimate strength can be predicted by different models according to the interfacial sliding stress. Our research would provide a meaningful way to improve both strength and toughness of C/C composites.

Influences of Carbon Content on the Properties and Microstructure of Ultrafine WC-10Co Cemented Carbide

WC-10Co nanocrystalline composite powders prepared by spray pyrogenation-continuous reduction and carburization technology were consolidated by vacuum sintering plus hot isostatic pressing （HIP）. Influences of carbon content on properties and microstructure of ultrafine WC-10Co cemented carbide were investigated. The results show that the relative density of the ultrafine WC-10Co cemented carbides can reach 99.72%, and the transverse rupture strength （TRS） was higher than 3 890 MPa, Rockwell A hardness （HRA） was higher than 92.5, the average grain size was less than 460 nm, when carbon content in nanocrystalline composite powder was 5.54wt% and the ball-milled time was 48 hours, ultrafine WC-10Co cemented carbide with excellent properties and homogeneous microstructure was obtained.

Influence of recycled carbon fiber addition on the microstructure and creep response of extruded AZ91 magnesium alloy

In this study,the recycled short carbon fiber(CF)-reinforced magnesium matrix composites were fabricated using a combination of stir casting and hot extrusion.The objective was to investigate the impact of CF content(2.5 and 5.0 wt.%)and fiber length(100 and 500μm)on the microstructure,mechanical properties,and creep behavior of AZ91 alloy matrix.The microstructural analysis revealed that the CFs aligned in the extrusion direction resulted in grain and intermetallic refinement within the alloy.In comparison to the unreinforced AZ91 alloy,the composites with 2.5 wt.%CF exhibited an increase in hardness by 16-20%and yield strength by 5-15%,depending on the fiber length,while experiencing a reduction in ductility.When the reinforcement content was increased from 2.5 to 5.0 wt.%,strength values exhibited fluctuations and decline,accompanied by decreased ductility.These divergent outcomes were discussed in relation to fiber length,clustering tendency due to higher reinforcement content,and the presence of interfacial products with micro-cracks at the CF-matrix interface.Tensile creep tests indicated that CFs did not enhance the creep resistance of extruded AZ91 alloy,suggesting that grain boundary sliding is likely the dominant deformation mechanism during creep.

Effect of coating thickness on microstructures and mechanical properties of C/Cu/Al composites

The different copper coatings with thickness varying from 0.3μm to 1.5μm were deposited on carbon fibers using either electroless plating or electroplating method. The coated fibers were chopped and composites were fabricated with melting aluminum at 700℃. The effect of the copper layer on the microstructure in the system was discussed. The results show that the copper layer has fully reacted with aluminum matrix, and the intermetallic compound CuAl2 forms through SEM observation and XRD, EDX analysis. The results of tensile tests indicate that composites fabricated using carbon fibers with 0.7-1.1μm copper coating perform best and the composites turn to more brittle as the thickness of copper coating increases. The fracture surface observation exhibits good interface bonding and ductility of the matrix alloy when the thickness of copper coating is about 0.7-1.1μm.

Influence of deposition voltage on phase, microstructure and antioxidation property of cristobalite aluminum phosphate coatings

Cristobalite aluminum phosphate (C-AlPO_4) coatings were prepared by a hydrothermal electrophoretic deposition process on SiC-coated C/C composites. Phase compositions and microstructures of the as-prepared coatings were characterized by XRD and SEM analyses. The influence of deposition voltage on the phase, microstructure and antioxidation property of the cristobalite aluminum phosphate coatings was investigated. Results show that the as-prepared coatings are composed of cristobalite aluminum phosphate crystallites. The thickness and density of cristobalite aluminum phosphate coatings are improved with the increase of deposition voltage. The deposition amount and bonding strength of the cristobalite aluminum phosphate coatings also increase with the increase of deposition voltage. The deposition mass per unit area of the coatings and the square root of the deposition time at different hydrothermal voltages satisfy linear relationship. The antioxidation property of the coated C/C composites is improved with the increase of deposition voltage. Compared with SiC coatings prepared by pack cementation, the multilayer coatings prepared by pack cementation with a later hydrothermal electrophoretic deposition process exhibit better antioxidation property. The as-prepared multi-coatings can effectively protect C/C composites from oxidation in air at 1 773 K for 37 h with a mass loss rate of 0.53%.

Improving interface adhesion in TiNi wire/shape memory epoxy composites using carbon nanotubes

In order to increase both the interfacial strength and interphase region strength between TiNi wires and shape memory epoxy,a novel interface structure including aminated CNTs was designed.The morphology shows that after electroplating and etching,continuous and homogeneous concave-convex layers form on the surface of astreated TiNi wires,meanwhile aminated CNTs were planted on the surface which could react with shape memory epoxy at the interface region.The interfacial shear strength increases first with the CNT content rising but then a dramatic drop happens,and the maximum is obtained at CNT content of 0.6 g·L^(-1),which is about twice the result of acid etching TiNi wires.

Thermal Conductivity and Tensile Properties of Carbon Nanofiber-Reinforced Aluminum-Matrix Composites Fabricated via Powder Metallurgy: Effects of Ball Milling and Extrusion Conditions on Microstructures and Resultant Composite Properties

Carbon nanofiber(CNF)-reinforced aluminum-matrix composites were fabricated via ball milling and spark plasma sintering(SPS), SPS followed by hot extrusion and powder extrusion. Two mixing conditions of CNF and aluminum powder were adopted: milling at 90 rpm and milling at 200 rpm. After milling at 90 rpm, the mixed powder was sintered using SPS at 560 °C. The composite was then extruded at 500 °C at an extrusion ratio of 9. Composites were also fabricated via powder extrusion of powder milled at 200 rpm and 550 °C with an extrusion ratio of 9(R9) or 16(R16). The thermal conductivity and tensile properties of the resultant composites were evaluated. Anisotropic thermal conductivity was observed even in the sintered products. The anisotropy could be controlled via hot extrusion. The thermal conductivity of composites fabricated via powder extrusion was higher than those fabricated using other methods. However, in the case of specimens with a CNF volume fraction of 4.0%, the thermal conductivity of the composite fabricated via SPS and hot extrusion was the highest. The highest thermal conductivity of 4.0% CNF-reinforced composite is attributable to networking and percolation of CNFs. The effect of the fabrication route on the tensile strength and ductility was also investigated. Tensile strengths of the R9 composites were the highest. By contrast, the R16 composites prepared under long heating duration exhibited high ductility at CNF volume fractions of 2.0% and 5.0%. The microstructures of composites and fracture surfaces were observed in detail, and fracture process was elucidated. The results revealed that controlling the heating and plastic deformation during extrusion will yield strong and ductile composites.

INTERFACE AND PROPERTIES OF ALKALI-TREATED CARBON FIBRE REINFORCED CEMENT COMPOSITES

The surface of carbon fibre is studied which has been treated with heated sodium hydrate solution (NaOH) . It is found that the surface of carbon fibre is not corroded during the treatment. But at the same time, it is also found that after this treatment, a certain number of carbonyl groups (C O) and (-COOH or ?COONa) are produced on the treated surface of carbon fibre. When carbon fiber is mixed with cement paste, the above reactive groups will link with Ca+2 in the paste, which will result in an early stage hydration of cement in inter facial areas. In addition, the experiments show that the rheological properties of cement paste reinforced with alkali-treated carbon fibre differ greatly from that of untreated carbon fibre reinforced cement paste.

Effect of matrix sub-layer interfacial fracture on residual strength improvement of the fatigued carbon/carbon composites

In the present study, flexural behavior of carbon fber reinforced pyrolytic carbon matrix composites （C/C composites） before and after fatigue tests had been studied. The results showed that the residual flexural strengths of the samples had been improved after fatigue tests, and the fracture mechanisms of the original and post-fatigue specimens had some differences. Fracture mechanism of the original specimens could be described as fiber/matrix interfacial de-bonding, and the dominant damage of the post-fatigue specimens could be regarded as pyrolytic carbon sub-layers＇ step-delamination. The degradation of matrix sub-layer interfacial bonding strength was beneficial to improve the mechanical properties of C/C composites.2017 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science ＆ Technology.

Flexible piezoresistive pressure sensor based on a graphene-carbon nanotube-polydimethylsiloxane composite

Flexible sensors are used widely in wearable devices, specifically flexible piezoresistive sensors, which are common and easy to manipulate.However, fabricating such sensors is expensive and complex, so proposed here is a simple fabrication approach involving a sensor containing microstructures replicated from a sandpaper template onto which polydimethylsiloxane containing a mixture of graphene and carbon nanotubes is spin coated. The surface morphologies of three versions of the sensor made using different grades of sandpaper are observed, and the corresponding pressure sensitivities and linearity and hysteresis characteristics are assessed and analyzed. The results show that the sensor made using 80-mesh sandpaper has the best sensing performance. Its sensitivity is 0.341 kPa-1in the loading range of 0–1.6 kPa, it responds to small external loading of 100 Pa with a resistance change of 10%, its loading and unloading response times are 0.126 and 0.2 s, respectively,and its hysteresis characteristic is ~7%, indicating that the sensor has high sensitivity, fast response, and good stability. Thus, the presented piezoresistive sensor is promising for practical applications in flexible wearable electronics.

Simultaneously enhanced thermal conductivity and mechanical performance of carbon nanotube reinforced ZK61 matrix composite

Alloying seriously deteriorates the thermal conductivity of magnesium(Mg)alloys,thus,restricts their applications in the fields of computer,communication,and consumer products.In order to improve the thermal conductivity of Mg alloys,adding carbon nanotube(CNT)combined with aging treatment is proposed in this work,i.e.fabricating the D-CNT(a kind of dispersed CNT)reinforced ZK61 matrix composite via powder metallurgy,and conducting aging treatment to the composite.Results indicate the as-aged ZK61/0.6 wt.%D-CNT composite achieved an excellent thermal conductivity of 166 W/(mK),exhibiting 52.3%enhancement in comparison with matrix,as well as tensile yield strength of 321 MPa,ultimate tensile strength of 354 of MPa,and elongation of 14%.The simultaneously enhanced thermal conductivity and mechanical performance are mainly attributed to:(1)the embedded interface of the D-CNT with matrix and(2)the coherent interface of precipitates with matrix.It is expected the current work can provide a clue for devising Mg matrix composites with integrated structural and functional performances,and enlarge the current restricted applications of Mg alloys.

Microstructures,mechanical and oxidation behaviors of C/C composites modified by NiAl alloy

Carbon/carbon composites modified by NiAl alloy were prepared using vacuum reactive melt infiltration methods with NiAl and titanium mixed powders as raw materials. The microstructures were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The fracture behavior, infiltration and oxidation mechanism were further discussed. The results indicated that NiAl alloy exhibited good wettability on the C/C preform because a TiC reaction layer formed at the interface. Multi-layer（PyC/TiC/NiAl＋TiC） coating evenly and compactly distributed on the surface of the carbon fiber in tubular form. The penetration depth of molten NiAl alloys depended on the reaction between the PyC and titanium. The impact fracture was inclined to along the interface between the NiAl permeability layer and C/C matrix. Al_2TiO_5 and TiO_2 formed on the surface, while the interior multi-layer tubular structure partially remained after oxidation at 1773 K for 30 min.

Interfacial Properties Modification of Carbon Fiber/Polyarylacetylene Composites

This work was dedicated to performing surface oxidation and coating treatments on carbon fibers （CF） and investigating the changes of fiber surface properties after these treatments, including surface composition, relative volume of functional groups, and surface topography with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） and atom force microscopy （AFM） technology. The results show that, after oxidation treatments, interfacial properties between CF and non-polar polyarylacetylene （PAA） resin are remarkably modified by removing weak surface layers and increasing fiber surface roughness. Coating treatment by high char phenolic resin solution after oxidation makes interface of CF/PAA composites to be upgraded and the interfacial properties further bettered.