Carbon-bonded carbon fiber composites containing uniformly distributed silicon carbide

Carbon-bonded carbon fiber composites (CBCFs) containing SiC particles with uniform microstructure were produced using an innovative dispersion and flocculent approach. The mixed phenolic (Pf), SiC particles and chopped carbon fibers (Cf) were blended uniformly using polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a dispersant and polyacrylamide (PAM) as a flocculating agent. A homogeneous distribution of SiC particles coated CBCFs was obtained with the addition of 0.6 wt% PEI and 0.8 wt% PAM. The effect of PEI and PAM content on the microstructure, slurry dispersibility and stability of SiC-modified CBCFs was investigated. The compressive strength and compression modulus of the SiC-modified CBCFs were improved compared with unmodified CBCFs. This simple and versatile approach can be used to prepare large-scale and modified CBCFs.