Effect of SiC on the anti-ablation resistance and flexural strength of (Hf-Ta-Zr)C-C/C composites

Recently, much attention has been drawn to the development of high temperature resistance of carbon-based composites due to their increasing demand in various applications. Herein, (Hf-Ta-Zr)C single-phase solid solution and SiC ceramic were incorporated into C/C by polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP), forming (Hf-Ta-Zr)C-SiC-C/C composites. The findings reveal that the high yield of polycarbosilane facilitate enhanced compactness and interfacial debonding between the solid solution ceramic and the matrix. Notably, the composites with a mass ratio of (Hf-Ta-Zr)C: SiC= 3:1 exhibit a pseudo-plastic fracture model with flexural strength of 280.71 ± 7.52 MPa and modulus of 38.92 ± 3.62 GPa. Furthermore, the mass and linear ablation rates with only 0.328 mg/s and − 0.067 µm/s, respectively, are attributed to the sufficient healing defects such as cracks and pores within the inner layer by SiO₂, along with enhanced adhesion of the Hf-Ta-Zr-O layer. This research contributes to the development of a rational design strategy for fabricating thermal structure components intended for ultra-high temperature environments.