Papers by Keyword: SiC/SiC

Abstract: Fiber coatings for BN/SiC-and BN/Si₃N₄-bilayer systems were developed for the use in SiC/SiC composites. All coatings were produced with high process velocities of 500 m/h by a continuous roll-to-roll dip-coating process. The fiber surface was fully covered with a homogeneous coating and without fiber bridging. Tensile tests of fiber bundles were used to examine potential degradation of the fiber properties due to the application of the coatings. The coated fiber bundles showed a reduction of the maximum tensile load to 90.0 % for the BN/Si₃N₄ and to 86.7 % for the BN/SiC coating in comparison to the fiber bundle in the as-received state. A thermal treatment of the coated fiber bundles up to 1650 °C led to no reduction of their maximum tensile load. SiC/SiC composites were fabricated by polymer infiltration and pyrolysis. The flexural strength and strain of composites with BN/SiC fiber coating were improved to 467 MPa and 0.42 % in comparison to the composites without fiber coating. The composites with BN/SiC coating showed toughened fracture behavior with fiber pull-out effects.

Abstract: A two dimensional silicon carbide fiber reinforced SiC matrix (2D SiC/SiC) composite fabricated by precursor infiltration pyrolysis (PIP) process used a liquid SiC ceramic precursor was obtained. Two key properties including matrix cracking stress and thermal residual stress were investigated for this PIP 2D SiC/SiC composites. Three methods were applied to determine the matrix cracking stress in order to obtained a trusted value, and the value of matrix cracking stress for SiC/SiC composite was 75±4 MPa. The thermal residual stress of the composites was calculated by linear regression line according to the loading-unloading-reloading stress-strain curve of the 2D SiC/SiC composite, and the result showed that the value of thermal residual stress of SiC matrix in composite was 20MPa, which means the PIP SiC matrix in the 2D SiC/SiC composite was under the compressive stress when the composite cooling down from the fabrication temperature to the room temperature.

Abstract: Liquid Silicon Infiltration (LSI) is a technique to manufacture non-oxide ceramic matrix composites such as C/C-SiC or SiC/SiC. In the beginning of this three-step process, fiber preforms are shaped and impregnated with phenolic resins. After curing, the preforms are pyrolyzed to convert the polymer matrix to a porous carbon matrix. This porosity is then used to infiltrate liquid silicon by capillary forces. Simultaneously, an exothermic reaction of silicon and carbon creates a silicon carbide matrix. Generally the liquid silicon reacts with any carbon and even with SiC present in the form of fibers, fiber coatings or matrix. Therefore, especially the fibers must be protected from Si attack effectively. The morphology of silicon carbide was observed to be heavily driven by Ostwald ripening. This can be suppressed by the addition of boron to the melt. The initially formed SiC crystals in C/C-SiC composites are hereby prevented from grain coarsening, resulting in almost completely preserved C/C blocks. For the manufacture of SiC/SiC composites, the silicon boron alloys allow an effective preservation of the nanocrystalline SiC-fibers. Thus, the use of Si based B containing alloys helps effectively to moderate and control the aggressive reaction during LSI process.

Abstract: SiC/SiC ceramics consist of silicon carbide fibres embedded in a silicon carbide matrix. As an alternative to classic CVI and PIP routes, Liquid Silicon Infiltration (LSI) was chosen as a technique with short process times to obtain composites with low porosity. Silicon carbide composites show good thermal shock resistance, a low coefficient of thermal expansion and excellent physical and chemical stability at elevated temperatures and are therefore regarded as promising candidates for various applications in jet engines and in power engineering. To build up the matrix, different phenolic resin based carbon precursors were infiltrated in fibre preforms and thermally cured, pyrolysed and siliconized. The aim is to obtain a high carbon yield during pyrolysis and to control the pore morphology in a way that the following liquid silicon infiltration leads to a complete reaction of the carbon matrix with silicon to SiC. The siliconization behaviour and conversion into SiC in dependence of pore morphology and chosen precursor is analysed.At the same time a functional fibre coating has to be developed which protects the fibres from liquid silicon and simultaneously provides a weak fibre matrix bonding. A LPCVD-SiN_x fibre coating has been chosen and is investigated in fibre composites especially in terms of protection and reactivity in different atmospheres during pyrolysis and siliconization.

Abstract: Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) comprise a fiber reinforcement embedded in a ceramic matrix, the two main constituents being bonded through an interphase, which is a thin layer of a compliant material with a low shear stress, arresting and deflecting the matrix microcracks formed under load. Non-oxide CMCs, such as C/C ; C/SiC or SiC/SiC, are fabricated from a suitable precursor of the matrix, following a gaseous (CVI-process), a liquid (PIP and RMI processes) or a slurry (SI-HPS) routes. Each of these routes is briefly depicted focusing on fundamental aspects and its advantages and drawbacks discussed. Possible extensions of the processes to new composites are suggested. Finally, a comparison of these techniques, in terms of processability and composites properties is presented.