Enhancing high temperature bearing capacity and oxidation resistance for Ni-coated carbon fibers reinforced composites via insitu ceramization and catalytic graphitization

Carbon fiber reinforced ceramizable phenolic resin composites (CF/CPR) have been widely used in the field of thermal protection materials. However, the industrial application of the CF/CPR is restricted by its easy oxidation failure at oxidizing environment. In this work, a series of Ni-coated carbon fiber reinforced ceramizable composites modified with AlB 2 and SiC were prepared. The thermal stability, phase evolution and anti-oxidation mechanism of the composites were investigated. The flexural strength and residual weight yield of obtained ceramizable composite after 15 min' static ablation at 1400 °C was 62.3 MPa and 84.0 %, increased by 154.2 % and 51.0 % compared to those of the composite without ceramic fillers. The excellent oxidation resistance and high temperature bearing capacity of the composites can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the multiphase ceramic protective layer and catalytic graphitization of the Ni phase. This work may provide great application prospects in thermal protection materials for hypersonic vehicles under harsh environments.