Improved mechanical properties and high temperature oxidation resistance for SiCf/SiC composites by introducing Ti3SiC2

SiCf/SiC-Ti3SiC2 composites with different Ti3SiC2 contents were prepared by slurry impregnation and in-situ reaction in this study. Microstructure analysis showed that the matrix of the coposites was mainly composed of Ti3SiC2, SiC, TiSi2 and little amount of residual Si and C. The composites achieved the highest mechanical performance when the Ti3SiC2 content was the highest. The high-temperature oxidation results indicated that even after 100 h of oxidation at 1300°C, the bending strength of the composite material can still maintain 83% of its initial strength compared to other composites. This may be due to the formation of SiO2 and TiO2 oxide layers by partial oxidation of Ti3SiC2 in the matrix, which will protect the composite material from further oxidation.