Preparation and characterization of SiC/C/SiC composites by hybrid wet/vapour processing

In this work the preparation of ceramic matrix composites with improved mechanical properties and reduced process time and cost has been investigated. A combination of liquid and vapour infiltration processes has been developed for producing SiC(fibers)/C/SiC composites. 2D-woven Nicalon fibers were coated with pyrolitic carbon and stacked to form flat panel preforms. Chemical vapour infiltration was achieved using methyltrichlorosilane (MTS) as SiC precursor in a hot wall reactor under isothermal (1050°C) and isobaric (20torr) conditions. The solution infiltration was achieved using polycarbosilane (PCS) as SiC precursor along with laser formed SiC nanopowders. Pyrolysis was performed in inert atmosphere up to 1100°C. Various combinations of the two routes were tested in order to optimise the composite properties. A short vapour infiltration run was used to form a uniform SiC deposit on the fibers that were subsequently filled by several cycles of liquid infiltration/pyrolysis. CVI was also effective to fill the submicron porosity resulting from PCS to SiC transformation. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is presented for the description of the morphology of the composites. Mercury porosimetry along with SEM, was used to evaluate the infiltration yield and the quality of the deposit in the various steps of the process. The mechanical behavior of the composites was investigated by flexural tests. Fibers push-in by microindentation measurements were performed to characterize the fiber/matrix interface and to investigate how it is affected by the pyrocarbon coating on the fibers. On the basis of the obtained results, a preparative process for SiC/SiC composites can be optimized by the proper use of both liquid and vapour infiltration. Reaxys Database Information |