LAUSR

Abstract A double-layer coating composed of MoSi2–SiO2–SiC/ZrB2–MoSi2–SiC was designed and successfully constructed by a novel combination of precursor pyrolysis assisted sintering and rapid sintering to improve the ablation resistance of SiOC ceramic modified carbon fiber needled felt preform composites (CSs). The ZrB2–MoSi2–SiC inner layer coating was in relatively uniform distribution in the zone of 0–3 mm from the surface of CSs through the slurry/precursor infiltration in vacuum and SiOC precursor pyrolysis assisted sintering, which played a predominant role in improving oxidation and ablation resistance and maintaining the morphology of CSs. The MoSi2–SiO2–SiC outer layer coating was prepared by the spray and rapid sintering to further protect CSs from high-temperature oxidation. The ablation resistance of CSs coated with double-layer coating was evaluated by an oxygen-acetylene ablation test under the temperature of 1600–1800 °C with different ablation time of 1000 and 1500 s. The results revealed that the mass recession rates increased with the rise of ablation temperature and extension of ablation time, ranging from 0.47 g/(m2·s) to 0.98 g/(m2·s) at 1600–1800 °C for 1000 s and from 0.72 g/(m2·s) to 0.86 g/(m2·s) for 1000–1500 s at 1700 °C, while the linear recession rates showed negative values at 1700 °C due to the formation of oxides, such as SiO2 and ZrO2. The ablation mechanism of the double-layer coating was analyzed and found that a SiO2–ZrO2–Mo4.8Si3C0.6 oxidation protection barrier would be formed during the ablation process to prevent the oxygen diffusion into the interior CSs, and this study provided a novel and effective way to fabricate high-temperature oxidation protective and ablation resistant coating.