SiC-Si-ZrSiO₄ multiphase oxidation protective coating for carbon/carbon composites

In order to improve the anti-oxidation property of carbon/carbon (C/C) composites, a novel SiC-Si-ZrSiO₄ multiphase oxidation protective coating was produced on the surface of C/SiC coated carbon/carbon composites by a pack cementation technique. The phase composition and microstructure of the as-prepared coatings were characterized by XRD (X-ray diffraction), SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and EDS (energy dispersive spectroscopy). Oxidation behavior of the multiphase coated C/C composites was also investigated. It showed that the as-prepared coating characterized by excellent oxidation resistance and thermal shock resistance could effectively protect C/C composites from oxidation at 1773 K for 57 h in air and endure the thermal cycle between 1773 K and room temperature for 12 times, whereas the corresponding weight loss is only 1.47%. The excellent oxidation protective ability of the SiC-Si-ZrSiO₄ coating could be attributed to the C/SiC gradient inner layer and the multiphase microstructure of the coating.