Oxidation and ablation resistance of Fe2O3 modified ZrB2–SiC–Si coating for carbon/carbon composites

To protect carbon/carbon composites against oxidation and ablation, a Fe2O3 modified ZrB2–SiC–Si coating was prepared by a two-step pack cementation. The microstructure, oxidation and ablation resistance of the Fe2O3 modified ZrB2–SiC–Si coating were studied. The results showed that the Fe2O3 modified ZrB2–SiC–Si coating had good oxidation and ablation resistance, and could effectively protect the carbon/carbon composites from oxidation at 1773 K for 150 h and ablation at 2573 K for 60 s. The excellent oxidation and ablation resistance of the coating were mainly attributed to its dense and large amount of ZrB2 in the coating.