Abstract
In order to expand the fields of application and to improve the performance of graphite (Cg), it is necessary to reduce its permeability towards of oxygen and to limit its reactivity and especially its oxidation. It is, therefore, essential to protect it from the environment through the use of ceramic coatings. Adhesion between ceramic coatings and graphite is controlled by the mechanical stresses in the coatings and the thermodynamic work of adhesion. Different metal-graphite systems were examined which showed that the adhesion particularly depended on the thermal expansion coefficient mismatch between the two materials and on metal carbide stability. Thus, the role of the addition on the graphite surface of elements such as Cr, Mo, Al, Si, O on the adhesion of metals or ceramics to graphite has been identified.
