Effect of SiC on the Oxidation Resistance Performance of C/ZrC Composite Prepared by Polymer Infiltration and Pyrolysis Process

Stitched carbon fiber cloth reinforced zirconium carbide composite (C/ZrC) was prepared by polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) process. C/ZrC-SiC composite was obtained by further introduction of SiC with PIP process in order to improve anti-oxidation property. The results show that 1.9vol% SiC addition improves the mechanical and anti-oxidation properties of C/ZrC composite. The flexural strength of C/ZrC is 247.9MPa, while that of C/ZrC-SiC is 273.1MPa. After oxidation in a muffle furnace at 1200 C for 30 minutes, the mass loss rate was reduced from 30.6% (C/ZrC) to 20.1% (C/ZrC-SiC), and the flexural strength and elastic modulus of C/ZrC were 56.7MPa and 5.7GPa, respectively, while those of C/ZrC-SiC were 122.9MPa and 17.2GPa, respectively.