Improvement of ablation resistance of C/C–SiC–ZrC composites by synergistic modification strategy with graphene and mullite

Synergistic modification strategy of graphene and mullite was used to introduce mullite and graphene into C/C–SiC–ZrC composites by chemical liquid-vapor deposition to improve ablation resistance. The ablation resistance and behaviors were comparatively studied under a heat flux of 2.38 MW/m² for 100 s. Results showed that the appropriate content mullite modified C/C–SiC–ZrC composites has better ablation resistance due to the sufficient SiO₂, Al₂O₃, and ZrSiO₄ as healing agents and oxygen barrier and the synergistic effect with ZrO₂ to form a denser and more stable oxide layer with the mass and linear ablation rates of 0.69 mg/s and −0.93 μm/s, respectively. The introduction of graphene improves the heat-force distribution, and as a high heat transfer medium and reinforcing phase, reduces the thermal concentration, cracking, and spalling of the oxide layer and further improves the ablation resistance, with mass ablation rate and linear ablation rate of −0.34 mg/s and −0.89 μm/s, respectively.