Outstanding mechanical and ablation resistance of C/C-ZrC-W composites prepared via slurry impregnation and reactive melt infiltration at 1500 C

To improve the mechanical properties and ablation resistance of Cf-reinforced ceramic-based materials, ZrC-W cermet composites (C/C-ZrC-W) were prepared in C/C preforms using slurries and low-temperature reactive melt infiltration, and their microstructure, formation mechanism, and mechanical and ablation properties were investigated. The obtained results revealed that the formation of C/C-ZrC-W composites involved the dis-solution-precipitation and C diffusion processes. Owing to the precipitation of W nanoparticles in the ZrC phase and interdiffusion of W/ZrC, the fabricated C/C-ZrC-W composites exhibited superior mechanical properties with a flexural strength of 280.65 +/- 12.84 MPa and fracture toughness of 13.87 +/- 0.56 Mpa.m1/2. The formation of a Zr-W-O dense oxide layer resulted in the excellent ablation performance of the C/C-ZrC-W composites in oxyacetylene flame with a temperature of 2200 degrees C, and their mass ablation rate and linear ablation rate were 1.14 mg/s and 2.42 mu m/s, respectively. The described method can be potentially used for preparing high-strength, high-toughness, and ablation-resistant materials at low temperatures.