Low-cost preparation and frictional behaviour of a three-dimensional needled carbon/silicon carbide composite

A low-cost carbon/silicon carbide (C/SiC) composite was manufactured by phenolic resin impregnation-pyrolysis combined with liquid silicon infiltration. The carbon fiber preform was prepared by three-dimensional needling. A carbon/carbon composite with a density of 1.22 g/cm(3) after only one impregnation-pyrolysis cycle was achieved by using hot-pressing curing. The density of the final C/SiC was 2.10 g/cm(3) with a porosity of 4.50% and SiC-content of 45.73%. The C/SiC composite had a high thermal conductivity of 48.72 W/(m K) perpendicular to the friction surface and demonstrated good friction and wear properties. The static and average dynamic friction coefficients were 0.68 and 0.32 (at a braking velocity of 28 m/s). The weight wear rates of the rotating disk and stationary disk were respectively 7.71 and 5.60 mg/cycle with linear wear rates, 1.67 and 1.22 mu m/cycle, at a braking velocity of 28 m/s. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.