Transverse Thermal Conductivity of Thin C/SiC Composites Fabricated by Slurry Infiltration and Pyrolysis

Abstract

Thin C/SiC composites were fabricated by infiltrating a woven carbon fiber fabric with a slurry of SiC powder and polymer precursor for SiC, followed by heat treatment for pyrolysis. The effects of heat treatment parameters on the crystallization of the polymer‐derived SiC, the composite microstructure, and the transverse thermal properties were assessed. Whereas composites heat‐treated at 1000°C were crack‐free and nearly fully dense, composites that were subjected to further multiple reinfiltration and heat treatment cycles at 1600°C developed porosity and cracking. However, the transverse thermal conductivity was increased significantly by the higher‐temperature heat treatment, to values higher than that of a composite with a chemical‐vapor‐infiltration SiC matrix and the same fiber reinforcement.