Effect of temperature gradient on the erosion behavior of SiC coating for carbon/carbon composites in a combustion environment

SiC coating with a thickness of 50-70 µm was prepared on the surface of C/C composites by in-situ reaction method. The SiC coated C/C composites were then tested in a wind tunnel where a temperature gradient from 200 to 1600 °C could be obtained to investigate their erosion behavior. The results of wind tunnel test indicated that the service life of C/C composites was prolonged from 0.5 to 44 h after applying the SiC coating. After the wind tunnel test, three typical oxidation morphologies, including glassy SiO2 layer, porous SiO2 layer and clusters of honeycomb-like SiO2 grains, were found on the SiC coated C/C composites. With the decrease of oxidation temperature, the amount of glassy SiO2 declined and the thermal stress increased, which induced the cracking followed by the degradation of the SiC coating.