In-field reparation of the damaged coatings for C/C composites

Protective coatings are critical to the successful application of the carbon/carbon (C/C) composites in the thermal protection systems of space vehicles. The damages of such coatings during installation and operation would threaten the safety of flight. In this contribution, an in-field technology based on a multilayer structure was developed to repair the damaged coatings of C/C composites. The multilayer structure contains a silicon buffer inner layer, a mullite heat-resistant middle layer and a borosilicate glass outer layer. The oxidation tests in air at 1300 °C and 1500 °C indicated that the weight loss of the repaired samples was greatly reduced compared with that of the damaged ones. The plasma wind tunnel tests for both repaired and damaged coatings further demonstrated that the multilayer structure could effectively protect the damaged composites from ablation in oxidation environments.