Effect of Compositional Parameters on the Characteristics of C-SiC-$B_4C$ Composites

Carbon-ceramic composites refer to a special class of carbon based materials which cover the main drawbacks of carbon, particularly its proneness to air oxidation, while essentially retaining its outstanding properties. In the present paper, the authors report the results of a systematic study made towards the development of C-SiC-$B_4C$ composites, which involves the effects of compositional parameters, namely, carbon-to-ceramic and ceramic-to-ceramic ratios, on the oxidation behaviour as well as other characteristics of these composites. The C-SiC-$B_4C$ composites, heat-treated to $1400^{\circ}C$, have shown that their oxidation behaviour at temperatures of 800~$1200^{\circ}C$ depends jointly on the total ceramic content and the SiC : $B_4C$ ratio. Good compositions of C-SiC-$B_4C$ composites exhibiting zero weight loss in air at temperatures of 800~$1200^{\circ}C$ for periods of 4~9 h, have been identified. Composites with these compositions undergo a weight gain or a maximum weight loss of less than 3% during the establishment of a protective layer at the surface of carbon in a period of 1~6 h. Significant improvement in the strength of C-SiC-$B_4C$ composites has been observed which increases with an increase in the total ceramic content and also with an increase in the SiC : $B_4C$ ratio.