SiC nanowire-toughened MoSi2-SiC coating to protect carbon/carbon composites against oxidation

To protect carbon/carbon (C/C) composites against oxidation, a SiC nanowire-toughened MoSi2-SiC coating was prepared on them using a two-step technique of chemical vapor deposition and pack cementation. SiC nanowires obtained by chemical vapor deposition were distributed random-orientedly on C/C substrates and MoSi2-SiC was filled in the holes of SiC nanowire layer to form a dense coating. After introduction of SiC nanowires, the size of the cracks in MoSi2-SiC coating decreased from 18 +/- 2.3 to 6 +/- 1.7 mu m, and the weight loss of the coated C/C samples decreased from 4.53% to 1.78%-after oxidation in air at 1500 degrees C for 110 h. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.