Flexural strength and wear resistance of C/C–SiC brake materials improved by introducing SiC ceramics into carbon fiber bundles

In this work, we adopted PIP technology to introduce SiC ceramics into the carbon fiber bundles of C/C–SiC composites. The obtained C/C–SiC composites containing PIP-SiC exhibited improved flexural strength. Meanwhile, the strength difference was reduced in in-plane and vertical directions. Fracture morphology revealed that the introduction of SiC into the fiber bundles broadened available toughening mechanism of the prepared composites. The braking performance of the materials was tested on an MM-1000 dynamometer. After braking at different speeds, we analyzed wear rates, variations in friction coefficient, and the morphological evolution of the friction surface. The results indicated that the introduction of SiC into the fiber bundles enhanced the abrasive resistance of local C/C regions, which yielded a significant reduction of the wear rates.