Formation of ZrC ablation protective coatings on carbon material by tungsten inert gas cladding technique

Continuous, uniform, crack-free ZrC protective coatings have been deposited by a novel tungsten inert gas cladding technique on graphitic carbon substrates through the reaction of graphitic carbon with ZrO2. The phase composition, microstructure, and ablation performance have been researched. Cross-section morphology revealed that an excellent bond was formed at the coating/substrate interface. Ablation loss tests showed samples coated by tungsten inert gas cladding technique substantially increased the ablation resistance. Compared with uncoated samples, the mass loss rate decreased by 68.5% for the coated sample with a ZrO2:C mole ratio of 1:1.2.