Fabrication of PyC/SiC Compound Coating on Carbon Fiber Preform and Its Effect on the Properties of Cf/Al Composite

PyC/SiC compound coating was deposited on carbon fiber preform by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process for improving the wettability and reducing the chemical reaction between molten aluminum alloy and carbon fibers. Cf/Al composites were fabricated through the extrusion directly following vacuum pressure infiltration process. Effects of coating deposition parameters on the quality of carbon fiber coating were studied, and the influences of the coating on the infiltration quality and the mechanical properties of composites were also investigated by means of the microstructural analysis and mechanical property tests. The results show that the deposition rate of the coating is mainly controlled by the deposition temperature, and the uniform thickness of PyC/SiC compound coating can be obtained by controlling the deposition temperature or deposition time. The coating on carbon fiber preform can improve the infiltration quality and mechanical properties greatly based on the suitable interface bonding strength and good wettability. The optimized PyC/SiC compound coating thicknesses are 0.068 µm (PyC coating) and 0.257 µm (SiC coating) for better improving the composite properties.