Carbon fiber reinforced ceramics based on reactive melt infiltration processes

Abstract

Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) represent a class of non-brittle refractory materials for harsh and extreme environments in aerospace and other applications. The quasi-ductility of these structural materials depends on the quality of the interface between the matrix and the fiber surface. In this study, a manufacture route is described where in contrast to most other processes no additional fiber coating is used to adjust the fiber/matrix interfaces in order to obtain damage tolerance and fracture toughness. Adapted microstructures of uncoated carbon fiber preforms were developed to permit the rapid infiltration of molten alloys and the subsequent reaction with the carbon matrix. Furthermore, any direct reaction between the melt and fibers was minimized. Using pure silicon as the reactive melt, C/SiC composites were manufactured with an aim of employing the resulting composite for friction applications. This paper describes the formation of the microstructure inside the C/C preform and resulting C/C-SiC composite, in addition to the MAX phases.