Progress in preparation and ablation resistance of ultra-high-temperature ceramics modified C/C composites for extreme environment

Abstract Carbon/carbon (C/C) composites have received considerable attention for one of the most promising materials in thermal-structural applications owing to their low density, excellent mechanical strength at high temperature, and superior thermal shock resistance. However, C/C composites are susceptible to destructive oxidation in atmospheric environment at high temperature. Matrix modification by adding ultra-high-temperature ceramics (UHTCs) into carbon substrate has been proved to be a favorable route to achieve the improved ablation resistance of C/C composites. In this work, the main fabrication approaches of UHTCs-modified C/C composites were summarized, including chemical vapor infiltration/deposition, precursor infiltration and pyrolysis, reactive melt infiltration, and slurry infiltration, and the advantages and drawbacks of each process were also briefly analyzed. In addition, anti-ablation properties of UHTCs-modified C/C composites under different ablation tests with different shape specimens were introduced. Finally, some likely future challenges and research directions in the development and application of these materials were presented.