Evaluation of microstructure, mechanical and thermal properties of SiC/SiC composites

SiC/SiC composites have been considered one of the most attractive materials for high temperature structural applications. The fabrication processes for SiC/SiC composites are typically divided into four types; chemical vapor infiltration (CVI), precursor impregnation and pyrolysis (PIP), hot pressing (HP) and reaction sintering (RS) method. In this work, the microstructures of SiC/SiC composites were evaluated using mercury intrusion method and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation. Effect of fabrication process on the microstructures was investigated, and the relationships between microstructural features and some properties, such as bending strength, Young's modulus, thermal conductivity and thermal shock resistance, were discussed.