Light weight and high strength 2D plain-woven carbon fiber fabric-reinforced SiC matrix composites: A short process prepared by filling nano-SiC

C/C-SiC composites were prepared via the reactive melt infiltration (RMI) technique through an efficient process. Initially, the C/C preforms with higher open porosity after carbonization was prepared by modifying the bonding strength between the carbon fibers and the resin matrix through carbon fibers surface pre-treatment. Then, the nano-SiC slurries were impregnated into the C/C preforms to optimize its pore structure prior to the RMI process. The effects of various surface treatment methods and nano-SiC solid loading on the open porosity, bulk density, and flexure strength of the composites were then investigated. The results indicated that the open porosity of C/C preforms prepared using carbon fibers treated in an argon atmosphere at 800 °C reached 19.78 %, which favored liquid silicon infiltration. The open porosity of C/C-SiC composites prepared after RMI initially decreased with the increasing of nano-SiC solid loading in the slurry, and then increased. More importantly, the residual silicon content in C/C-SiC composites reached the minimum value when the content of nano-SiC in the slurry was 4 wt%. Accordingly, the achieved samples exhibited excellent flexure strength of 216 MPa at a relatively low bulk density of 1.94 g/cm³.