Preparation and characterization of three-dimensional carbon fiber reinforced zirconium carbide composite by precursor infiltration and pyrolysis process

Three-dimensional carbon fiber reinforced zirconium carbide composite (3D C/ZrC) was fabricated for ultra high temperature applications by precursor infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) process using the mixture of zirconium butoxide (Zr(OC4H9)4) and divinylbenzene (DVB) as precursor of zirconium carbide. The micro-structural, mechanical and ablative properties of the 3D C/ZrC composite were studied. The flexural strength of the composite was 107.6 MPa, the elastic modulus was 28.8 GPa, and the fracture toughness was 7.03 MPa m1/2. The mass lose rate and linear recession rate of the 3D C/ZrC composite during oxyacetylene torch test was 0.012 g/s and -0.002 mm/s, respectively. The formation of ZrO2 melt on the surface of the composite contributed mainly the excellent ablative property.