3C-SiC Nanowires In-Situ Modified Carbon/Carbon Composites and Their Effect on Mechanical and Thermal Properties

An in-situ, catalyst-free method for synthesizing 3C-SiC ceramic nanowires (SiCNWs) inside carbon–carbon (C/C) composites was successfully achieved. Obtained samples in different stages were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Raman scattering spectroscopy. Results demonstrated that the combination of sol-gel impregnation and carbothermal reduction was an efficient method for in-situ SiCNW synthesis, inside C/C composites. Thermal properties and mechanical behaviors—including out-of-plane and in-plane compressive strengths, as well as interlaminar shear strength (ILLS) of SiCNW modified C/C composites—were investigated. By introducing SiCNWs, the initial oxidation temperature of C/C was increased remarkably. Meanwhile, out-of-plane and in-plane compressive strengths, as well as interlaminar shear strength (ILLS) of C/C composites were increased by 249.3%, 109.2%, and 190.0%, respectively. This significant improvement resulted from simultaneous reinforcement between the fiber/matrix (F/M) and matrix/matrix (M/M) interfaces, based on analysis of the fracture mechanism.