Oxidation resistance of carborane-containing polymer coatings for carbon–carbon composites at low and medium temperatures

Abstract A novel oxidation resistant thermoset polymer (MSCB) with excellent thermo-oxidative stability and good solubility was designed and synthesized. To prevent C/C composites from oxidation, a series of MSCB polymer-based coatings were prepared by precursor infiltration and thermal-curing at 300 ℃. The oxidation behaviour of the MSCB-, MSCB/TiO 2 -, MSCB/ZrO 2 - and MSCB/SiC-coated C/C composites was studied. The improved oxidation resistance of the C/C composites was attributed to the good adhesion of the coatings and the formation of a borosilicate protective layer on the surface of the coatings, which was confirmed by the results of TGA, SEM, XPS, and XRD analyses.