Prepress-assisted controllable preparation of SiC coating: A novel route to enhanced dynamic oxidation resistance

SiC coatings have been widely investigated under static oxidation conditions at 1500 °C owing to their excellent self-healing properties and cost-effectiveness. However, under oxidizing flame ablation, the protective performance of SiC coatings is compromised by thermal shock and airflow shear. As a highly designable method, the slurry dipping-carbonization (SDC) process serves as a competitive method for tailoring coating structures to respond to this challenge. In this work, a mechanical-modification strategy is designed to replace normal addictive-modification in the SDC process. This strategy optimizes gas release channels and enhances adhesion by modifying the microstructure after carbonization. By incorporating SiC whiskers and applying gaseous silicon infiltration (GSI), the resultant coating exhibited a low linear ablation rate of −6.7 × 10−6 mm/s, and its adhesion strength was improved by 21 % (before oxypropane ablation) and 23 % (after oxypropane ablation) compared with the unmodified coating. This study proposes a mechanical-assisted modification strategy of SiC coating and offers a valuable reference for protective coatings in the aerospace field.