Improvement of Strength and Oxidation Resistance for SiC/graphite Composites by SiC coating

SiC/graphite composites with exelent machinable properties and thermal shock behaviour were successfully fabricated by pressureless sintering at 1700°C in nitrogen atmosphere. A dipping infiltration process was applied to improve the strength and oxidation resistance of the composites. Dense SiC coating was covered on the composites' surface by heat-treating at 1400°C in nitrogen atmosphere with dipping infiltration of silica sol and phenolic resin solutions. The flexural strength of the SiC coated composites were improved from 60 MPa to 140 MPa obviously, and the weight loss of the SiC coated composites was reduced more than 20 % comparing with the uncoated composites by oxidation resistance testing at 1000 °C for 24 h in air. SEM micrographs shows that SiC coating was surrounded the surface of pores and XRD pattern revealed that the new layer was SiC.