Oxidation and Mechanical Properties of SiC/SiC-MoSi2-ZrB2 Coating for Carbon/Carbon Composites

To improve oxidation resistance of carbon/carbon (C/C) composites, a SiC/SiC-MoSi2-ZrB2 double-layer ceramic coating was prepared on C/C composites by two-step pack cementation. The phase compositions and microstructures of as-prepared multilayer coating were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The oxidation resistance at 1773 K and the effect of thermal shock between 1773 K and room temperature on mechanical performance of coated specimens were investigated. The results show that the SiC/SiC-MoSi2-ZrB2 coating exhibits dense structure and is composed of SiC, Si, MoSi2 and ZrB2. It can protect C/C composites from oxidation at 1773 K for more than 510 h with weight loss of 0.5%. The excellent anti-oxidation performance of the coating is due to the formation of SiO2-ZrSiO4 complex glassy film. The coating can also endure the thermal shocks between 1773 K and room temperature for 20 times with residual flexural strength of 86.1%.