Synthesis of TiC–TiB2–SiC ceramic nanocomposites from cost-effective precursors

To meet the demand of advanced space exploration technologies, ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) have emerged as advanced materials for applications under extreme conditions. In particular, TiC–TiB 2 –SiC ceramic nanocomposites synthesized using the polymer-derived ceramic approach stand out as promising UHTCs. However, the complex synthesis procedures and high material costs associated with some of the precursors limit their practical scalability. In this study, TiC–TiB 2 –SiC ceramic nanocomposites were successfully prepared from a newly developed single-source precursor (named TBS ) using tetrabutyl titanate (Ti(OBu) 4 ), phenylboronic acid (PhB(OH) 2 ), and diphenyl dimethoxysilane (Ph 2 Si(OMe) 2 ) as common and inexpensive starting materials. Notably, the use of Ph 2 Si(OMe) 2 instead of costly starting materials for the synthesis of SiC-based ceramics has been rarely reported. The structural evolution during the polymer-to-ceramic conversion was studied via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and phase and chemical composition evolution were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD). In situ generated nanoscale TiC–TiB 2 –SiC multiphase ceramics were detected via XRD at annealing temperatures above 1300 °C. In the nanocomposites annealed at 1800 °C, the average grain sizes of TiC, TiB 2 , and β-SiC were 55, 35, and 63 nm, respectively. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis of the microstructures of the obtained ceramic nanocomposites further confirmed the formation of nanoscale TiC, TiB 2 , and β-SiC.