Mechanical and ablation properties of laminated ZrB2-SiC/BN ceramics

Fully dense laminated ZrB2-SiC/BN ceramics were successfully prepared by tape casting and hot pressing, and the mechanical and ablation properties were investigated in detail. Compared with monolithic ZrB2-SiC ceramics, the flexural strength of laminated ZrB2-SiC/BN ceramics slightly decreased due to the introduction of the weak BN interlayer. However, the fracture toughness of laminated ZrB2-SiC/BN ceramics was significantly improved. The remarkable improvement of fracture toughness was mainly attributed to crack deflection and crack bifurcation. Under oxyacetylene torch environment, the laminated ZrB2-SiC/BN ceramics exhibited an excellent configurational stability compared with monolithic ZrB2-SiC ceramics due to the introduction of weak interlayer.