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Journal of Advanced Ceramics 2024, 13(2): 207-219 https://doi.org/10.26599/JAC.2024.9220842
Research Article | Open Access | Issue | Published: 08 March 2024

ZrB2–SiC ceramics toughened with oriented paper-derived graphite for a sustainable approach

Show Author's Information Luca Zoli,  Francesca Servadei( ),  Simone Failla,  Matteo Mor,  Antonio Vinci,  Pietro Galizia,  Diletta Sciti
CNR-ISSMC, Institute of Science, Technology and Sustainability for Ceramics, Faenza I-48018, Italy
Keywords:
microstructure, toughness, sustainability, borides, paper-derived graphite
Cite this article:
Zoli L, Servadei F, Failla S, et al. ZrB2–SiC ceramics toughened with oriented paper-derived graphite for a sustainable approach. Journal of Advanced Ceramics, 2024, 13(2): 207-219. https://doi.org/10.26599/JAC.2024.9220842
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Abstract Full text About this article

Carbon fibre-reinforced ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) are considered a class of promising materials for several applications, the most appealing ones being in the aerospace sector. Reinforcement is necessary to overcome the brittleness and low thermal shock resistance of ceramics and is often provided through the addition of carbon fibres or other carbon-based phases, such as nanotubes, graphene, and graphite. The present work is focused on the toughening of UHTCs through incorporation of 30−50 vol% thin, ordered graphite layers from conventional filter paper followed by hot pressing sintering. Cellulose filter paper was selected because it undergoes thermolysis with no melting stage forming a strong carbonaceous residue that can be used as toughener. Microstructure and mechanical properties of toughened composites were compared to those of other materials reinforced with short carbon fibres and the effect of different distribution of graphite was studied. Addition of graphite allowed toughness to be increased from 3−4 MPa·m1/2 (for un-reinforced materials) to 5.1−5.5 MPa·m1/2, similar to results obtained with short fibre reinforcement. The high-temperature properties, such as strength and toughness as well as oxidation resistance at 1500 ℃, were also examined.


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ZrB2–SiC ceramics toughened with oriented paper-derived graphite for a sustainable approach

Show Author's information Luca Zoli, Francesca Servadei( ), Simone Failla, Matteo Mor, Antonio Vinci, Pietro Galizia, Diletta Sciti
CNR-ISSMC, Institute of Science, Technology and Sustainability for Ceramics, Faenza I-48018, Italy

Abstract

Carbon fibre-reinforced ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) are considered a class of promising materials for several applications, the most appealing ones being in the aerospace sector. Reinforcement is necessary to overcome the brittleness and low thermal shock resistance of ceramics and is often provided through the addition of carbon fibres or other carbon-based phases, such as nanotubes, graphene, and graphite. The present work is focused on the toughening of UHTCs through incorporation of 30−50 vol% thin, ordered graphite layers from conventional filter paper followed by hot pressing sintering. Cellulose filter paper was selected because it undergoes thermolysis with no melting stage forming a strong carbonaceous residue that can be used as toughener. Microstructure and mechanical properties of toughened composites were compared to those of other materials reinforced with short carbon fibres and the effect of different distribution of graphite was studied. Addition of graphite allowed toughness to be increased from 3−4 MPa·m1/2 (for un-reinforced materials) to 5.1−5.5 MPa·m1/2, similar to results obtained with short fibre reinforcement. The high-temperature properties, such as strength and toughness as well as oxidation resistance at 1500 ℃, were also examined.

Keywords: microstructure, toughness, sustainability, borides, paper-derived graphite

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Publication history
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Publication history

Received: 07 August 2023
Revised: 01 November 2023
Accepted: 12 December 2023
Published: 08 March 2024
Issue date: February 2024

Copyright

© The Author(s) 2024.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

Authors gratefully acknowledge C. Capiani for XRD analysis and C. Melandri for mechanical tests. This work was supported by project CARBOSPACE “Ultra-refractory ceramic composites for Aerospace Defense Transport Energy”; project ECOSISTER (National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 04 Component 2 Investment 1.5 – NextGenerationEU, Call for tender n. 3277 dated 30/12/2021, Award Number: 0001052 dated 23/06/2022); project INFINITE “Liquid phase sintering of C fiber reinforced ultra-high temperature ceramics composites”.

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This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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