Preform architectures effect on laser ablative behavior of C/SiC–Ti3SiC2 composites

In this work, the effect of preform architecture on the ablative behavior of C/SiC–Ti 3 SiC 2 composites is investigated. Two-dimensional laminated (2D) and three-dimensional needled (3DN) architectures are fabricated and subjected to laser ablation experiments and characterization. A phenomenological multi-scale ablation model is established for the first time to quantitatively investigate the ablative behavior of C/SiC composites with different preform architectures. The results demonstrate that the proposed multi-scale numerical model can accurately predict the ablative behavior of composites with different preform architectures, including ablation depth, ablation roughness, and underlying mechanisms. Moreover, the study reveals that the preform architecture significantly influences the ablative behavior. The 3DN composite demonstrates greater ablation resistance compared to the 2D composite under identical constituent compositions when the laser power density is in the range of 1909.8–2546.4 W/cm 2 , exhibiting lower ablation depth and smoother surface topography. Multi-scale mechanistic analysis further reveals the synergistic mechanisms of the 3DN architecture in terms of thermal diffusion and structural bridging. This work provides new insights into structure-performance relationships in ceramic matrix composites and offers a predictive framework for tailoring ablation performance through architectural design. • The ablative behavior of the 3DN C/SiC–Ti 3 SiC 2 composite compared to the 2D composite is discussed. • A phenomenological multi-scale ablation model is established for the 3DN C/SiC–Ti 3 SiC 2 composite. • The mesoscale ablation roughness of 3DN C/SiC–Ti 3 SiC 2 composite is reconstruction. • The effect of preform architecture on the ablation mechanism of 2D and 3DN C/SiC–Ti 3 SiC 2 composites is analyzed.