Microstructures and ablation resistance of ZrC coating for SiC-coated carbon/carbon composites prepared by supersonic plasma spraying

To improve ablation resistance of silicon carbide (SiC)-coated carbon/carbon (C/C) composites, in this study, zirconium carbide (ZrC) coating was prepared on the surface of SiC-coated C/C composites by supersonic plasma spraying. The coating exhibits dense structure, and a good bonding with substrate. The oxyacetylene ablation results show that the ZrC coating greatly improved the ablation resistance of SiCcoated C/C composites. After ablation for 30 s in oxyacetylene flame, the linear ablation rate is only 0.9 × 10 ^-3 mm/s, and the weight is increased by 2.0 × 10 ^-3 g/s. The excellent ablation resistance is mainly attributed to the formation of a dense and continuous zirconia (ZrO ₂) layer during the oxidation of the ZrC coating.