Abstract
In this work, SiC coatings varying in content were prepared on carbon-fiber-reinforced silicon-carbide composite (C/SiC) substrates in order to study the effect of free silicon on oxidation resistance. The coatings were formed in a vacuum atmosphere by means of pack cementation using a powder mixture ranging in content as follows: 20-50 wt% SiC, 20-60 wt% Si, 7-12 wt% graphite, and 6-10 wt% Al2O3. Coating surface and cross-sectional morphologies were examined using SEM, EDS, and semiquantitative XRD analysis and oxidation resistance was determined by cyclic oxidation testing in air at 1300 °C. The results show that cracks and voids decrease with increasing free silicon content and that coatings with an appropriate amount of free silicon have better oxidation resistance than those with no free silicon at all. However, further increases in silicon content were found to be detrimental to oxidation behavior for a number of reasons that are discussed.
