Oxidation behaviors of C/SiC-ZrC composites in a CH₄ combustion gas environment

Three different C/SiC composites were fabricated by polymer infiltration and pyrolysis(PIP), slurry infiltration(SI) combined with PIP and chemical vapor infiltration(CVI). ZrC coatings were prepared by chemical vapor deposition(CVD) on C/SiC to form C/SiC-ZrC composites. The oxidation behaviors of the C/SiC-ZrC composites were investigated in a CH₄ combustion gas environment. The results indicate that the surfaces of the C/SiC-ZrC composites fabricated by PIP and SI+PIP are severely oxidized with mass loss higher than 12% after oxidation at 1800°C for 30 min. The C/SiC-ZrC composites fabricated by CVI exhibit the best oxidation resistance with a mass loss of 6.9%.