Investigation of Fiber-Reinforced Ultra-High Temperature Ceramic Matrix Composites

Author(s):

Anindya Ghoshal, Nesredin Kedir, Christina Hoffman, Robert Slapikas, and Michael Ammendola

Abstract:

Ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix composites (UHTCMCs) have been a recent topic of interest as candidate materials for aerospace applications. The ultra-high temperature ceramic matrix can provide appreciable thermochemical protection at temperatures beyond 2000 °C, while the ceramic matrix composite architecture enables graceful mechanical failure through enhanced toughening mechanisms. Development of UHTCMCs is ongoing, with current research focused on addressing the manufacturing challenges of densifying weave reinforcement architectures without undesirable fiber-matrix reactions. This work investigates UHTCMC samples fabricated by particulate slurry infiltration (SI) and chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). 2D and 3D C_f/ZrB₂-SiC samples are fabricated by SI while 3D C_f/HfC-SiC samples are synthesized of CVI. SI samples did not see matrix infiltration through the thickness of the sample, and the slurry instead densified as a coating on the surface of the carbon fiber preform. Slurry-coated surfaces still demonstrated good ablation resistance under an oxyacetylene torch environment up to 2000 °C. By comparison, CVI samples experienced matrix inflation through the thickness of the preform, but they failed under ablation testing at 1300 °C because the matrix-to-fiber ratio was low.