Effects of heat treatment on the microstructures and properties of KD-I SiC fibres

AbstractFor the sake of exploring the relationship between the microstructures and properties of silicon carbide (SiC)-based fibres, KD-I SiC fibres were heat treated at increased temperatures from 800 to 1600°C in Ar for 1 h. The tensile strength and the electrical resistivity of the fibres were evaluated by the single fibre tensile test and the two-point method, respectively. An remarkable thermal stability of the KD-I SiC fibres is exhibited, 60% of their initial strength was well kept while their electrical resistivity can still remain 0·5–1·2 Ω·cm after thermal exposure at up to 1400°C. Based on their microstructure characterisation along with the tensile and electrical tests, it indicated that the crystallisation and the composition of KD-I SiC fibres are the dominating factors for their mechanical and electrical performance at high temperatures.Keywords: SiC fibresHeat treatmentMicrostructuresMechanical propertiesElectrical properties AcknowledgementsThis study is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51202291). The authors thank Mr Bing Li and Mr Shiyi Cao for valuable discussions.