The influence of carbon fibre content on the mechanical behaviour of HfC/SiC composites was investigated up to 2100 °C for specimens containing 40 or 55 vol% fibres. Silicon carbide was added as a sintering aid during hot pressing. Increasing the fibre content made infiltration more difficult, which resulted in higher porosity in the specimen with 55 vol% fibres. The room temperature flexural strength ranged from 340 to 380 MPa, and it increased to more than 400 MPa at 1800 °C due to stress relaxation. Increasing temperature was accompanied by a decrease in the slope of the load-displacement curve, indicating a decrease in elastic modulus, but plastic deformation was not observed below 2100 °C. At 2100 °C, the specimen containing a higher fibre content underwent significant deformation due to low interfacial strength between the fibre plies, retaining a strength at the proportional limit of 290 MPa and an ultimate strength of 520 MPa.
- Ceramic-matrix composites (CMCs),
- Fibre-matrix interface,
- Hafnium carbide,
- High temperature mechanical properties,
- Ultra-high-temperature-ceramics (UHTCs)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/greg-hilmas/226/