Fabrication and characterization of a carbon fibre reinforced carbon–silicon carbide–titanium silicon carbide hybrid matrix composite

In order to reduce residual silicon in carbon fibre reinforced carbon–silicon carbide binary matrix composite fabricated by liquid silicon infiltration, the aqueous slurry of titanium carbide (TiC) powder was used for introducing TiC into porous carbon/carbon composite (C/C) by slurry infiltration. With increasing the infiltration times, the amount of TiC in C/C increased. During liquid silicon infiltration, silicon reacted with TiC and part of carbon matrix, leading to the formation of a carbon fibre reinforced carbon–silicon carbide–titanium silicon carbide hybrid matrix composite (C/C–SiC–Ti3SiC2). When liquid silicon was infiltrated into the C/C filled with 4 vol% TiC particles, the composite attained 21 vol% SiC and 4 vol% Ti3SiC2. The flexural strength of the composite was improved from 125 to 200 MPa and fracture toughness from 8 to 9 MPa m1/2. During flexural testing, Ti3SiC2 grains exhibited characteristics of delamination, deformation, kinking, layered fracture and intergranular cracking, beneficial to improving the mechanical properties of the composites.