Reaction forming of silicon carbide ceramic using phenolic resin derived porous carbon preform

SiC ceramics were prepared with porous carbon preforms derived from phenolic resin by a reaction-forming method. The effects of the structure of the preform pores and the infiltration process on the properties of SiC ceramics were investigated, and components with complex shapes were fabricated by combining this process with stereolithography (SLA). Dense SiC ceramics were obtained from carbon preforms with high apparent porosities, but SiC ceramics with many macrodefects resulted from a carbon preform with an apparent porosity of 39%. The infiltration of molten silicon into the preform pore channel was accelerated under vacuum pressure, resulting in an increase in the depth of the Si infiltration. The growth of SiC was predominantly controlled by carbon diffusion at the last stage of the reaction. The extended grain growth caused the SiC grains to coalesce and some free Si was enveloped in the SiC grains. SiC components with complex geometries were fabricated by combining reaction forming with SLA. The geometry was controlled by SLA.