Evaluating Cure Environment Effect in the Formation of Silicon Oxycarbide Polymer Derived Ceramics

Polymer derived ceramics (PDCs) are an outstanding class of hightemperature matrix materials due to their excellent mechanical and chemical stability. In particular, polymeric precursors of silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) are of interest. The formation and phase development of an SiOC network is dictated by a range of processing parameters including temperatures, atmospheres, and molecular makeup. This study analyzed the effect of cure path and environment on the polymeric matrix of two siloxane preceramic polymers. The processability and polymerization behavior was explored by DSC and FTIR. The ceramization process and high temperature stability is analyzed after undergoing pyrolysis. This work demonstrates straightforward preceramic processing with traditional polymer techniques and contributes to the understanding of next generation polymer-derived ceramics for hypersonic applications. The goal of this research is to further the understanding of preceramic polymer cure protocols towards the development of high temperature hypersonic materials.