A hybrid graphite powder PFC@G for reserving higher carbon content of self-lubrication graphite/SiC composites by RMI

The appropriate carbon content is indispensable for the application of self-lubricating graphite/SiC composites. However, it is a big challenge to retain high carbon content in the reaction-formed graphite/SiC composites because of drastic consumption of carbon by violent reaction with liquid silicon. In this study, a hybrid powder constructed by graphite particles (G) and glassy carbon derived from phenolic resin (PFC) was used as carbon sources, or PFC@G for short, to reserve higher content of carbon in the reaction-formed composites. The weight ratio of phenolic resin to graphite particles was adjusted to obtain an appropriate PFC@G with dense microstructure and close-grained surface. Compared with the graphite/SiC composites only using raw graphite particles as carbon sources, the carbon content of the composites fabricated with compact and large PFC@G has obviously increased (up to 172%). In particular, the carbon content of the composites fabricated with the weight ratio = 0.8 reached a high value of 44.26 vol.%, which exhibited outstanding self-lubrication properties among the four kinds of the composites. The mechanism of reserving higher content of carbon in the graphite/SiC composites by constructing PFC@G is investigated, revealing that a continuous SiC layer formed on the surface of the larger size PFC@G and most closely packed graphite particles inside of PFC@G were insulate from liquid silicon by the layer.