A microstructural study of carbon–carbon composites impregnated with SiC filaments

Porous multidirectional carbon/carbon composite obtained by pulse chemical vapour infiltration (PCVI) was impregnated with silicon carbide (SiC) derived from pyrolysis of polymethylsiloxane resin (PMS). The impregnation process was made to improve oxidation resistance and mechanical properties of MD C/C composite. The resin was used as a source of silicon carbide component of the composite forming after heat treatment above 1000 °C. During this process SiC thin filaments were formed inside the porous carbon phase. The aim of this work was to investigate the structure and microstructure of the constituents of carbon composite obtained after pyrolysis of SiC PMS precursor. Microscopic observations revealed that during careful heat treatment of crosslinked polymethylsiloxane resin up to 1700 °C, the filaments (diameter 200–400 nm) crystallized within porous carbon phase. The filaments were randomly oriented on the composite surface and inside the pores. FTIR spectra and XRD analysis of the modified C/C composite showed that filaments had silicon carbide structure with the crystallite size of silicon carbide phase of about 45 nm. The Raman spectra revealed that the composite contains two carbon components distinctly differing in their structural order, and SiC filaments present nanocrystalline structure.