Research Progress of Ceramic Matrix Composites Prepared by Improved Reactive Melt Infiltration through Ceramization of Porous Carbon Matrix

doi:10.15541/jim20230608

Abstract

Abstract:

Owing to the high strength/toughness and excellent anti-oxidation ability, continuous fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites have become the preferred candidates for high temperature structural materials in aerospace field. Reactive melt infiltration can achieve the large-scale, short-cycle and low-cost production of ceramic matrix composites, which has been widely considered to be one of the most promising technologies from a commercial perspective. However, the mechanical and anti-oxidation/ablation properties of obtained composites prepared by conventional reactive melt infiltration are not satisfactory due to the existence of residual carbon and corroded fibers. In order to address the problems, relevant researchers constructed porous carbon matrix to replace conventional densified structure to promote its ceramic transformation and the consumption of reactive melt, thus achieving the improved performance of ceramic matrix composites. This paper reviewed the research progress about the preparation of SiC ceramics, SiC/SiC composites, C/SiC composites, and ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix composites by porous carbon ceramization strategy. Besides, the superiority of the method was verified compared to conventional reactive melt infiltration. The development of preparation methods for porous carbon matrix was also summarized. Finally, in term of the requirements of basic theory and technology for advanced ceramic matrix composites, the prospect for the future development of improved reactive melt infiltration to prepared ceramic matrix composites was discussed.

Key words: ceramic matrix composite, reactive melt infiltration, porous carbon ceramization, review

CLC Number:

TM285

ZHAO Rida, TANG Sufang. Research Progress of Ceramic Matrix Composites Prepared by Improved Reactive Melt Infiltration through Ceramization of Porous Carbon Matrix[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2024, 39(6): 623-633.

Figures/Tables 12

Fig. 1 Typical morphologies of porous carbon for preparation of (a-d) SiC[24⇓⇓-27], (e) SiC/SiC[33], (f, g) C/SiC[31,39] and (h) C/SiC-ZrC[18]

Fig. 2 Schematic illustration of preparation for porous carbon by phase separation[49]

Table 1 Carbon sources, densities and median pore diameters of porous carbon, densities and Si content of obtained ceramics

Carbon source	Density of porous carbon/(g·cm^-3)	Median pore diameter of porous carbon/nm	Density of ceramic/ (g·cm^-3)	Si content/% (in mass)	Ref.
Furfuryl alcohol	/	1000	/	/	[25]
Furfuryl alcohol	0.86	1300	/	/	[26]
Furfuryl	0.74	2580	3.04	17.6	[49]
	0.65	1940	2.81	34.7
	0.58	670	3.01	/
	0.90	40	3.07	/
Phenol formaldehyde	0.79	2363	2.10	13.0	[43]
	0.79	1552	2.81	12.0
	0.74	1226	2.88	16.0
	0.74	642	2.91	14.0
	0.73	190	2.93	16.0
Phenol formaldehyde	0.72	39.9	2.92	20.0	[27]
	0.72	39.9	3.07	15.4
	0.79	28.8	3.08	12.2
	0.78	38.7	2.95	3.1
Phenol formaldehyde	0.90	20.1	2.90	3.6	[2]

Fig. 3 (a) Schematic illustration of ceramic layer generated during the RMI and (b) curves of preforms pore radius vs infiltration time[33]

Fig. 4 Schematic illustration of formation of porous resin obtained by Sol-Gel[34]

Fig. 5 XRD patterns of different C/SiC composites[39]

Fig. 6 (a) Schematic illustration of liquid Si infiltration in double-walled carbon nanotubes, (b) relationship between infiltration height (H) and infiltration time (t) for liquid Si infiltration, and (c) capillary infiltration behavior of liquid Si into a double-walled carbon nanotubes with an inner tube diameter of 2 nm[51]

Fig. 7 Microstructures of (a) interface and (b) matrix in the C/ZrC-C preform[54]

Fig. 8 (a, b) Microstructures and (c) pore size distribution curves of the porous C/C, and (d) cross-sectional micrograph of the C/C-SiC-(ZrxHf1-x)C[35]

Fig. 9 Cross-sectional morphologies of (a) C/SiC-HfC and (b, c) SiC-HfC matrix, and (d) grain diameter distribution of HfC and its mean diameter[18]

Fig. 10 Comparison of (a) flexural strength and (b) 2200 ℃ linear ablation rates of ceramic matrix composites obtained by conventional RMI and improved RMI through ceramization of porous carbon matrix[18,33⇓-35,39]

Table 2 Preparation methods of porous matrix in preform, median pore diameters and predominant pore size ranges of preform, and flexural strength of the obtained ceramic matrix composites

Preform	Preparation method of porous matrix	Median pore diameter/nm	Predominant pore size range/nm	Ceramic matrix composites	Flexural strength/MPa	Ref.
C/SiC-C	Phase separation	1800	500-10000	C/SiC-Si	/	[31]
SiC/BN_x/SiN_x/C	Phase separation	/	1000-4500	SiC/_BN_x_/SiN_x_/SiC-Si	/	[30]
C/B₄C-C	Sol-Gel	39800	25000-75000	C/ZrB₂-SiC-ZrC	231	[56]
C/B₄C-Al₂O₃-C	Sol-Gel	/	10-10000	C/B₄C-Al₂O₃-SiC-Si	300	[57]
C/ZrC-C	Carbothermal reduction	/	4-130000	C/ZrC-SiC-ZrSi₂	380	[54]
C/C	Phase separation	41.6	10-80	C/SiC	218	[39]
SiC/SiC-C	Phase separation	/	100-5000	SiC/SiC-Si	201	[33]
C/C	Phase separation	1300	100-5200	C/C-SiC-(Zr_xHf₁₋_x)C	/	[35]
SiC/SiC-C	Sol-Gel	/	500-10000	SiC/SiC-Si	809	[34]
C/C	Phase separation	/	10-130	C/SiC-ZrC	288	[2,18]
C/C	Phase separation	/	10-130	C/SiC-HfC	251	[2,18]

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