Research progress on mechanism and kinetics of C/C-SiC composites prepared by reactive melt infiltration

The infiltration behavior of silicon into porous carbon/carbon composite during the reactive melt infiltration and the reaction mechanism and kinetics of Si/C were reviewed. The effects of density, surface tension, viscosity and reactive wetting angle of liquid Si on infiltration ability were analyzed. The Washburn equation and its improved models were introduced, and the relationship between the growth rate of SiC, the infiltration time and the infiltration depth were obtained. Two major mechanisms of the reactions between liquid silicon and solid carbon, namely the solution-precipitation process and diffusion-reaction mechanism, are summarized respectively. The conclusion is that the reaction occurred at different interfaces and in different reaction stages is controlled by multiple mechanisms.