Oxidation and ablation resistance of Fe₂O₃ modified ZrB₂–SiC–Si coating for carbon/carbon composites

To protect carbon/carbon composites against oxidation and ablation, a Fe₂O₃ modified ZrB₂–SiC–Si coating was prepared by a two-step pack cementation. The microstructure, oxidation and ablation resistance of the Fe₂O₃ modified ZrB₂–SiC–Si coating were studied. The results showed that the Fe₂O₃ modified ZrB₂–SiC–Si coating had good oxidation and ablation resistance, and could effectively protect the carbon/carbon composites from oxidation at 1773 K for 150 h and ablation at 2573 K for 60 s. The excellent oxidation and ablation resistance of the coating were mainly attributed to its dense and large amount of ZrB₂ in the coating.