Fabrication Technology of Silicon Carbide Precursor Makes Progress

Silicon carbide (SiC) fiber is a kind of high-performance ceramic fiber after carbon fiber that has high strength, high modulus, resistance to chemical corrosion, high temperature resistance, oxidation resistance, resistance to creep and other properties. In the aspect of applications, SiC fiber and ceramic substrate have good compatibility, which are reinforcements of important high performance ceramic matrix composites.

At present, SiC fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites have been applied in heat resistant parts of aerospace engine, thermal protection materials of reusable vehicles, hypersonic propulsion system, nuclear reactor materials, etc. In addition, it also has application value in the heating rods of high temperature sintering furnace, metallurgy pyrocarbon set, high speed brake discs, hot end components of gas turbine, high temperature gas filtration, heat exchanger, etc.

Preparation methods of SiC fibers are: organic precursor reforming process, chemical vapor deposition process, activated carbon fiber reforming process and super fine powder sintering process, etc. Organic precursor body reforming process is based on organic polymer as precursor body, from organics to inorganic ceramic materials. Compared with other methods, using organic precursor reforming process to produce SiC fiber has significant advantages: A, through molecular design, it can control the composition of organic precursor body, thereby gaining SiC fibers with different functions or improving the performance of SiC fiber; B, It is easy to shape, and suitable to produce fine diameter continuous SiC fiber; C, It has higher production efficiency and lower cost.

SiC organic precursor is one of the key factors that affect preparation technology and properties of SiC fiber and SiC fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites. In 2015, the team has achieved the following results: successfully produce polysilane (PMS); successfully synthesize carbon silane (PCS); Solve fabrication technology of some liquid hyperbranched poly carbon silane (LHBPCS).