Electrophoretic deposition of SiC nanowires onto carbon/carbon composites to improve the interface bonding of Ti–Ni–Si joint

• SiC nanowires were introduced in the interlayer of C/C composite joint by electrophoretic deposition.
• The appropriate thickness of SiC nanowire porous layer could resist the crack propagation effectively.
• The bonding strength of the joint was improved by introducing SiC nanowires at the interface.

In order to improve the bonding strength of the interface between carbon/carbon (C/C) composites and Ti–Ni–Si interlayer, SiC nanowires (NWs) were introduced in the interlayer as reinforcement materials. The SiC NW-reinforced joint was prepared by a two-step technique of electrophoretic deposition (EPD) and hot-pressing. The results show that a porous SiC nanowire layer could be obtained on the surface of C/C composites after EPD at room temperature. With the increase of EPD time, the average shear strength of the joint initially increases and then decreases. The shear strength of the joint with EPD for 30 s reaches a maximum value of 30.44 ± 2.28 MPa, which is 29% higher than that of the joint without SiC NWs. The improvement of the shear strength is primarily attributed to the toughening mechanism of SiC NWs by pull-out and bridging, which could play a positive role in extending the crack propagation path by consuming the applied load.

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