Work

High-temperature structural evolution and strength retention of SiC grain stabilized Si–C–B–N fibres

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: High-temperature–resistant ceramic fibres are key reinforcements in accident-tolerant ceramic matrix composites designed to survive harsh environments. SiC grain stabilized Si–C–B–N fibres with thermal endurances up to 2100 °C under nitrogen have been developed by our group. In this work, the high-temperature evolution of the Si–C–B–N fibres with layered surfaces is investigated in an argon environment. Without the assistance of nitrogen, carbothermal reduction reactions occur between 1500 and 1700 °C, generating significant defects that degrade the fibre strength from 1.79 to 0.91 GPa. The metastable SiCxNy phase is eliminated, which makes the fibre more stable. After heat treatment at 1800 °C, surface healing and densification occur, restoring the strength to 1.53 GPa. The U-shaped retention curve of tensile strength suggests that the SiC grains and layered surfaces played key roles in the microstructural evolution. Benefiting from the optimized microstructure stabilization, the fibre strength is maintained at approximately 1.5 GPa throughout the 1500–1700 °C range, in argon atmosphere. This work provides a controllable heat treatment for high-temperature–resistant Si–C–B–N fibres, which can be applied to the other Si-C-B-N multinary ceramics also.

Source: Journal of Materials Research and Technology

DOI: 10.1016/j.jmrt.2026.02.039

Authors: Jiawei Huang, Changwei Shao, Xin Long, Jiaqi Ren

Institution: National University of Defense Technology

Language: English

Topic: Advanced ceramic materials synthesis

Subfield: Ceramics and Composites

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,640

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Hunan Provincial Science and Technology Department