Quantitative Investigation of the Creep Resistance of Different SiC Fibers after Annealing at High Temperature

doi:10.15541/jim20250498

Abstract

Abstract: SiC fibers exhibit exceptional high-temperature stability and mechanical properties, making them a crucial reinforcement in advanced ceramic matrix composites for the reusable launch vehicles. The composition and microstructure of different types of SiC fibers vary significantly, which directly influence their high-temperature creep resistance. However, the underlying microstructural mechanisms by which heat treatment influences creep performance remain unclear. This work presents a comparative analysis of the creep behaviors of Shincolon-Ⅱ (F-1), KD-S (F-2) and KD-SA (F-3) SiC fibers. The results reveal that the superior creep resistance of F-3 is attributed to its near-stoichiometric composition and highly crystalline microstructure, while the better performance of F-2 compared to F-1 is mainly due to its lower content of free carbon and higher degree of structural ordering. High-temperature heat treatment in argon can generally improve their creep resistance. After heat treatment at 1900 ℃ for 1 h, the stress relaxation parameter (m) increases by more than 10 times for F-1 and F-2, and by approximately 5 times for F-3, compared to that of the as-received fibers tested at 1500 ℃. The mechanisms by which heat treatment enhances creep resistance differ for the different fibers. For F-1 and F-2, the dominant factors are grain growth and carbon graphitization, whereas for F-3, the improvement relies primarily on the stabilization of grain boundaries by Al compounds and graphitized carbon, along with structural densification. The findings of this work provide theoretical foundation for improving the creep resistance of SiC fibers and optimizing their comprehensive mechanical performance.

Key words: SiC fiber, creep resistance, heat treatment, microstructure, ceramic matrix composite

CLC Number:

TQ343

ZHOU Xue, LIU Zhe, REN Yan, YU Jinshan, YANG Tianyue, ZHAO Zhong qian, WANG Honglei, ZHOU Xingui, GOU Yanzi. Quantitative Investigation of the Creep Resistance of Different SiC Fibers after Annealing at High Temperature[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, DOI: 10.15541/jim20250498.

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