Key Parameters in the Manufacture of SiC-Based Composite Materials by Reactive Melt Infiltration

The manufacture of SiC-based composites is quite widespread, and currently different methods are employed for to produce them. The most efficient method, taking into account the cost/performance ratio, is reactive melt infiltration. It consists in infiltrating liquid silicon into a porous preform that must contain carbon, so that SiC is produced during infiltration. This chemical reaction is, in fact, the driving force of the process. In the present work, the synthesis of two SiC-based composite materials with very different applications and microstructures has been studied and optimized. In both cases, materials have been obtained with suitable properties for the selected applications. One of the materials studied is SiCp/Si for protection systems such as armor jackets, and the other one is Cf/SiC for use in braking systems. For the optimization, the dwell time and the atmosphere (Ar or primary vacuum) were used as variables. It has been found that in both preforms the optimum conditions are 1 hour dwell time and a vacuum atmosphere at 1450 °C. The effect of these parameters on microstructure and infiltration kinetics are discussed.

Key Parameters in the Manufacture of SiC-Based Composite Materials by Reactive Melt Infiltration

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma12152425 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (15) ◽

pp. 2425 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Mario Caccia ◽

Javier Narciso

Keyword(s):

Silicon Carbide ◽

Composite Materials ◽

Dwell Time ◽

Performance Ratio ◽

Vacuum Atmosphere ◽

Melt Infiltration ◽

Silicon Carbide Particles ◽

The Cost ◽

The manufacture of SiC-based composites is quite widespread, and currently different methods are employed to produce them. The most efficient method, taking into account the cost/performance ratio, is reactive melt infiltration. It consists in infiltrating liquid silicon into a porous preform that must contain carbon, so that SiC is produced during infiltration. In the present work, the synthesis of two SiC-based composite materials with very different applications and microstructures has been studied and optimized. In both cases, materials have been obtained with suitable properties for the selected applications. One of the materials studied is silicon carbide particles/silicon (SiCp/Si) for protection systems such as armor jackets, and the other one is carbon fiber/silicon carbide (Cf/SiC) for use in braking systems. For the optimization, the dwell time and the atmosphere (Ar or primary vacuum) were used as variables. It has been found that in both preforms, the optimum conditions are 1 h dwell time and a vacuum atmosphere at 1450 °C. The effect of these parameters on microstructure and infiltration kinetics are discussed.

Reactive melt infiltration as synthesis route for enhanced SiC/CoSi2 composite materials for advanced armor systems

Ceramics International ◽

10.1016/j.ceramint.2018.04.143 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 44 (11) ◽

pp. 13182-13190 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Mario Caccia ◽

Chongchen Xiang ◽

Javier Narciso ◽

Nikhil Gupta

Keyword(s):

Composite Materials ◽

Synthesis Route ◽

Melt Infiltration ◽

Roughing Milling with Ceramic Tools in Comparison with Sintered Carbide on Nickel-Based Alloys

Coatings ◽

10.3390/coatings11060734 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 734

Author(s):

Pablo Fernández-Lucio ◽

Octavio Pereira Neto ◽

Gaizka Gómez-Escudero ◽

Francisco Javier Amigo Fuertes ◽

Asier Fernández Valdivielso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cutting Speed ◽

High Volume ◽

Cemented Carbide ◽

Performance Ratio ◽

Cost Performance ◽

Ceramic Tools ◽

The Cost ◽

Engine Components ◽

Coated Carbide ◽

Milling Tools

Productivity in the manufacture of aircrafts components, especially engine components, must increase along with more sustainable conditions. Regarding machining, a solution is proposed to increase the cutting speed, but engines are made with very difficult-to-cut alloys. In this work, a comparison between two cutting tool materials, namely (a) cemented carbide and (b) SiAlON ceramics, for milling rough operations in Inconel® 718 in aged condition was carried out. Furthermore, both the influence of coatings in cemented carbide milling tools and the cutting speed in the ceramic tools were analysed. All tools were tested until the end of their useful life. The cost performance ratio was used to compare the productivity of the tested tools. Despite the results showing higher durability of the coated carbide tool, the ceramic tools presented a better behavior in terms of productivity at higher speed. Therefore, ceramic tools should be used for higher productivity demands, while coated carbide tools for low speed-high volume material removal.

W-ZrC composites prepared by reactive melt infiltration of Zr2Cu alloy into binder jet 3D printed WC preforms

International Journal of Refractory Metals and Hard Materials ◽

10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2020.105411 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 94 ◽

pp. 105411

Author(s):

Rina K. Mudanyi ◽

Corson L. Cramer ◽

Amy M. Elliott ◽

Kinga A. Unocic ◽

Qianying Guo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Melt Infiltration ◽

3D Printed ◽

Preparation of ZrB2 based composites by reactive melt infiltration at relative low temperature

Materials Letters ◽

10.1016/j.matlet.2011.06.070 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 65 (19-20) ◽

pp. 2910-2912 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Shouming Zhang ◽

Song Wang ◽

Wei Li ◽

Yulin Zhu ◽

Zhaohui Chen

Keyword(s):

Low Temperature ◽

Melt Infiltration ◽

C/SiC–ZrB2–ZrC composites fabricated by reactive melt infiltration with ZrSi2 alloy

Ceramics International ◽

10.1016/j.ceramint.2012.05.035 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 38 (8) ◽

pp. 6541-6548 ◽

Cited By ~ 62

Author(s):

Huilong Pi ◽

Shangwu Fan ◽

Yiguang Wang

Keyword(s):

Melt Infiltration ◽

Comparative ablation behaviors of C/SiC-HfC composites prepared by reactive melt infiltration and precursor infiltration and pyrolysis routes

Ceramics International ◽

10.1016/j.ceramint.2017.08.175 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 43 (18) ◽

pp. 16114-16120 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Liuyang Duan ◽

Xing Zhao ◽

Yiguang Wang

Keyword(s):

Melt Infiltration ◽

Fabrication of C/C–SiC–ZrB2 Ultra-High Temperature Composites through Liquid–Solid Chemical Reaction

Crystals ◽

10.3390/cryst11111352 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 1352

Author(s):

Qian Sun ◽

Huifeng Zhang ◽

Chuanbing Huang ◽

Weigang Zhang

Keyword(s):

High Temperature ◽

Ceramic Composites ◽

Dense Matrix ◽

Ablation Resistance ◽

The Matrix ◽

Melt Infiltration ◽

Reactive Melt ◽

Diffusion Precipitation ◽

Ultra High Temperature

In this paper, we aimed to improve the oxidation and ablation resistance of carbon fiber-reinforced carbon (CFC) composites at temperatures above 2000 °C. C/C–SiC–ZrB2 ultra-high temperature ceramic composites were fabricated through a complicated liquid–solid reactive process combining slurry infiltration (SI) and reactive melt infiltration (RMI). A liquid Si–Zr10 eutectic alloy was introduced, at 1600 °C, into porous CFC composites containing two kinds of boride particles (B4C and ZrB2, respectively) to form a SiC–ZrB2 matrix. The effects and mechanism of the introduced B4C and ZrB2 particles on the formation reaction and microstructure of the final C/C–SiC–ZrB2 composites were investigated in detail. It was found that the composite obtained from a C/C–B4C preform displayed a porous and loose structure, and the formed SiC–ZrB2 matrix distributed heterogeneously in the composite due to the asynchronous generation of the SiC and ZrB2 ceramics. However, the C/C–SiC–ZrB2 composite, prepared from a C/C–ZrB2 preform, showed a very dense matrix between the fiber bundles, and elongated plate-like ZrB2 ceramics appeared in the matrix, which were derived from the dissolution–diffusion–precipitation mechanism of the ZrB2 clusters. The latter composite exhibited a relatively higher ZrB2 content (9.51%) and bulk density (2.82 g/cm3), along with lower open porosity (3.43%), which endowed this novel composite with good mechanical properties, including pseudo-plastic fracture behavior.