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Fiber damage and uniform interphase preparation are the main challenges in conventional short fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites. In this work, we develop a novel processing route in fabrication of short carbon fiber reinforced ZrB2-SiC composites (Csf/ZrB2-SiC) overcoming the above two issues. At first, Csf preforms with oriented designation and uniform PyC/SiC interphase are fabricated via direct ink writing (DIW) of short carbon fiber paste followed by chemical vapor infiltration. After that, ZrB2 and SiC are introduced into the preforms by slurry impregnation and reactive melt infiltration, respectively. Microstructure evolution and optimization of the composites during fabrication are investigated in detail. The as-fabricated Csf/ZrB2-SiC composites have a bulk density of 2.47 g/cm3, with uniform weak interphase and without serious fiber damage. Consequently, non-brittle fracture occurs in the Csf/ZrB2-SiC composites with widespread toughening mechanisms such as crack deflection and bridging, interphase debonding, and fiber pull-out. This work provides a new opportunity to the material design and selection of short fiber reinforced composites.


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Fabrication and microstructure evolution of Csf/ZrB2-SiC composites via direct ink writing and reactive melt infiltration

Show Author's information Jun LUa,b,cDewei NIa,b( )Chunjing LIAOa,bHaijun ZHOUa,bYoulin JIANGa,b,cBowen CHENa,b,cXuegang ZOUa,b,cFeiyan CAIa,b,cYusheng DINGa,b,d( )Shaoming DONGa,b( )
State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics & Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
Structural Ceramics and Composites Engineering Research Center, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310000, China

Abstract

Fiber damage and uniform interphase preparation are the main challenges in conventional short fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites. In this work, we develop a novel processing route in fabrication of short carbon fiber reinforced ZrB2-SiC composites (Csf/ZrB2-SiC) overcoming the above two issues. At first, Csf preforms with oriented designation and uniform PyC/SiC interphase are fabricated via direct ink writing (DIW) of short carbon fiber paste followed by chemical vapor infiltration. After that, ZrB2 and SiC are introduced into the preforms by slurry impregnation and reactive melt infiltration, respectively. Microstructure evolution and optimization of the composites during fabrication are investigated in detail. The as-fabricated Csf/ZrB2-SiC composites have a bulk density of 2.47 g/cm3, with uniform weak interphase and without serious fiber damage. Consequently, non-brittle fracture occurs in the Csf/ZrB2-SiC composites with widespread toughening mechanisms such as crack deflection and bridging, interphase debonding, and fiber pull-out. This work provides a new opportunity to the material design and selection of short fiber reinforced composites.

Keywords: ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs), orientation, short fiber reinforced composites, interphase

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Publication history
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Publication history

Received: 01 March 2021
Revised: 27 May 2021
Accepted: 26 June 2021
Published: 30 September 2021
Issue date: December 2021

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© The Author(s) 2021

Acknowledgements

The financial support from the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences, CAS (No. QYZDY-SSW-JSC031), the projects supported by State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology (No. 2021-KF-5), and State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University (No. KF2116) are greatly acknowledged.

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