Oxidation behavior of spark plasma sintered ZrC–SiC composites obtained from the polymer-derived ceramics route

ZrCm/SiCp composites were elaborated using the polymer derived ceramics route and the spark plasma sintering process. The results of mechanical and microstructural characterization of composites were undertaken, and indicated an improvement by adding the SiC phase. The oxidation resistance of composites was evaluated at very high temperatures, and a better behavior was observed whatever the SiC content compared to ZrC monoliths. By adjusting the composition of the final composite, two main ranges of stability were determined as a function of the heat treatment.