Fibre-matrix interphases and interfaces in ceramic matrix composites processed by CVI

Abstract

The fibre-matrix (FM) interfacial zone plays a key role in the mechanical behaviour of Si-C(O)/SiC inverse composites fabricated by chemical vapour infiltration (CVI) from ex-polycarbosilane Si-C(O) fibres precoated with pyrocarbon or boron nitride. It consists not only of the C (or BN) main interphase, but also of very thin secondary interphases (i.e. carbon and silica) resulting from the decomposition of the metastable Si-C(O) fibres thought to occur during the fabrication of the fibres and/or the composites. The FM interfacial zone may play two complementary roles: (i) it provides low-energy microcrack propagation paths parallel to the fibre axis, and (ii) it may act as a compliant buffer for the relaxation of the residual thermal compression stresses on the interface. The FM bond strength is low or moderate when a quasi-continuous thin layer of anisotropic carbon is present between the fibre and the main interphase and when the fibre surface remains smooth. The mechanical behaviour in tension is non-brittle with a wide non-linear stress-strain domain when the FM bonding is low or moderate, and tends to become brittle when the bonding is too strong. Finally, the thickness (and presumably the microtexture) of the carbon main interphase plays an important role in the oxidation resistance of the material, a self-healing behaviour being observed at high temperatures with a thin interphase. Replacing carbon by BN and adding an external coating of SiC (or Si3N4) to the composite improves its oxidation resistance.