Effects of dip-coated BN interphase on mechanical properties of SiCf/SiC composites prepared by CVI process

BN interphase was successfully synthesized on SiC fiber fabrics by dip-coating process using boric acid and urea as precursors under N-2 atmosphere. The morphology of BN interphase was observed by SEM, and the structure was characterized by XRD and FT-IR spectra. The SiCf/SiC composites with dip-coated BN interphase were fabricated by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) process, and the effects of BN interphase on the mechanical properties of composites were investigated. The results show that the SiC fibers are fully covered by BN interphase with smooth surface and turbostratic structure (t-BN), and the thickness is about 0.4 mu m. The flexural strengths of SiCf/SiC composites with and without BN interphase are about 180 and 95 MPa, respectively. Compared with the as-received SiCf/SiC composites, the composites with BN interphase exhibit an obvious toughened fracture behavior. From the microstructural analysis, it can be confirmed that the BN interphase plays a key part in protecting the fibers from chemical attack during matrix infiltration and weakening interfacial bonding, which can improve the mechanical properties of SiCf/SiC composites remarkably.