Properties of Cf/SiC composites modified by a boron- containing phase

Cf/SiC composites added with a self-healing boron-containing phase (Cf/SiC-B) was fabricated by slurry infiltration. The slurry was mixed with a boron-containing precursor and boron powders. By vacuum impregnation process, it can be well permeated into the fiber preforms and filled within the fiber intra-bundle zones. After heat treatment, the slurry was converted into B4C and SiC phases. It was found that the addition of the boron-containing phase led to a significant increase in the SiC matrix crystallinity. Compared with pyrolytic carbon (PyC) interphase, non-catastrophic failure was observed for the Cf/SiC-B composites with SiC interphase. Experimental results show that the oxidation resistance of Cf/SiC-B composites was improved, and that boron oxides formed during Cf/SiC-B composites’ exposure in air at 700 °C.