Outstanding mechanical and ablation resistance of C/C–ZrC–W composites prepared via slurry impregnation and reactive melt infiltration at 1500 ℃

To improve the mechanical properties and ablation resistance of Cf-reinforced ceramic-based materials, ZrC–W cermet composites (C/C–ZrC–W) were prepared in C/C preforms using slurries and low-temperature reactive melt infiltration, and their microstructure, formation mechanism, and mechanical and ablation properties were investigated. The obtained results revealed that the formation of C/C–ZrC–W composites involved the dissolution–precipitation and C diffusion processes. Owing to the precipitation of W nanoparticles in the ZrC phase and interdiffusion of W/ZrC, the fabricated C/C–ZrC–W composites exhibited superior mechanical properties with a flexural strength of 280.65 ± 12.84 MPa and fracture toughness of 13.87 ± 0.56 Mpa.m ^1/2. The formation of a Zr–W–O dense oxide layer resulted in the excellent ablation performance of the C/C–ZrC–W composites in oxyacetylene flame with a temperature of 2200 °C, and their mass ablation rate and linear ablation rate were 1.14 mg/s and 2.42 µm/s, respectively. The described method can be potentially used for preparing high-strength, high-toughness, and ablation-resistant materials at low temperatures.