Aerothermal behaviour of a SiC fibre-reinforced ZrB2 sharp component in supersonic regime

The aerothermal behaviour of a SiC fibre-reinforced ZrB2 composite machined in a sharp-shaped component with a tip curvature radius of 0.1 mm was investigated using an arc-jet facility. The specimen underwent 4 thermal cycles and the emissivity was evaluated in the temperature range 1000–1700 °C. The temperature profile along the specimen was calculated through computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modelling. The microstructural evolution was compared to a typical ZrB2 composite containing the same amount of SiC in particulate form, which underwent similar aerodynamic conditions.