A processing method common to composite ceramics with very different ZrB2/SiC ratios was developed in order to exploit ZrB2–SiC laminates comprising alternate layers with different compositions for thermal protection systems of re-entry vehicles. Ceramic laminates were made using SiC, ZrB2 and composites with a SiC/ZrB2 ratio ranging from 100 vol.-%SiC to 100 vol.-%ZrB2. The preparation was performed by tape casting of a slurry, layer stacking, debinding and pressureless sintering. Boron and carbon proved to be suitable sintering aids for SiC laminates as well as for composite laminates containing SiC. In the case of composites with a ZrB2 matrix, the second phase of SiC acted as a sintering aid. This process obtains very similar densification for specimens with very different compositions (ranging from 100%SiC to 80ZrB2–20SiC). The stiffness of ZrB2–SiC laminates increased with the ZrB2 content increase, while the bending strength was not affected by the ZrB2/SiC ratio.
OpekaM. M., TalmyI. G. and ZaykoskiJ. A.: ‘Oxidation-based materials selection for 2000°C hypersonic aerosurfaces: theoretical considerations and historical experience’, J. Mater. Sci., 2004, 39, 5887–5904.
2.
LoehmanR., CorralE., DummH. P., KotulaP. and TandonR.: ‘Ultra high temperature ceramics for hypersonic vehicle applications’, Report no. SAND 1-46, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, USA, 2006.
3.
JustinJ. F. and JankowiakA.: ‘Ultra high temperature ceramics: densification, properties and thermal stability’, Onera J. Aerospace Lab., 2011, 3, 1–11.
4.
BehrensB. and MullerM.: ‘Technologies for thermal protection systems applied on reusable launcher’, Acta Astronaut., 2004, 55, 529–536.
5.
SavinoR., De Stefano FumoM., PaternaD. and SerpicoM.: ‘Aerothermodynamic study of UHTC-based thermal protection systems’, Aerosp. Sci. Technol., 2005, 9, 151–160.
6.
MuhlratzerA., HandrickK. and PfeifferH.: ‘Development of a new cost-effective ceramic composite for re-entry heat shield applications’, Acta Astronaut., 1998, 42, 533–540.
7.
LeleuF., WatillonP.-H., MoulinJ., LacombeA. and SoyrisA.: ‘The thermo-mechanical architecture and TPS configuration of the pre-X vehicle’, Acta Astronaut., 2005, 56, 453–464.
8.
PichonT., BarreteauF., SoyrisP. P., FoucaultA., ParenteauJ. M., PrelY. and GuedronS.: ‘CMC thermal protection system for future reusable launch vehicles: generic shingle technological maturation and tests’, Acta Astronaut., 2009, 65, 165–176.
9.
WangC. R., YangJ. M. and HoffmannW. P.: ‘Thermal stability of refractory carbide/boride composites’, Mater. Chem. Phys., 2002, 74, 272–281.
10.
MonteverdeF.: ‘The thermal stability in air of hot-pressed diboride matrix composites for uses at ultra-high temperatures’, Corros. Sci., 2005, 47, 2020–2033.
11.
FahrenholtzW. G. and HilmasG. E.: ‘Refractory diborides of zirconium and hafnium’, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 2007, 90, 1347–1364.
12.
TalmyI. G., ZaykoskiW. J. A. and MartinC. A.: ‘Flexural creep deformation of ZrB2/SiC ceramics in oxidizing atmosphere’, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 2008, 91, 1441–1447.
13.
LevineS. R., OpilaE. J., HalbigM. C., KiserJ. D., SinghM. and SalemJ. A.: ‘Evaluation of ultra-high temperature ceramics for aeropropulsion use’, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 2002, 22, 2757–2767.
14.
GuoS. Q.: ‘Densification of ZrB2-based composites and their mechanical and physical properties: a review’, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 2009, 29, 995–1011.
15.
MunroR. G.: ‘Material properties of a sintered α-SiC’, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data, 1997, 26, 1195–1203.
16.
GulbrasenE. A. and JanssonS. A.: ‘The high-temperature oxidation, reduction and volatilization reactions of silicon and silicon carbide’, Oxid. Met., 1972, 4, 181–201.
17.
UpadhyaK., YangJ. M. and HoffmanW. P.: ‘Materials for ultrahigh temperature structural applications’, Am. Ceram. Soc. Bull., 1997, 76, 51–56.
18.
BullJ. D., RaskyD. J. and KarikaJ. C.: ‘Stability characterization of diboride composites under high velocity atmospheric conditions’, Proc. Simultaneous Convening of the 3rd Int. SAMPE Metals Conf. and the 24th Int. SAMPE Technical Conf., Toronto, Ont., Canada, October 1992, Part 1, 1092–1106. Publisher information: Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering.
19.
BiaminoS., LiedtkeV., BadiniC., EuchbergerG., Huertas OlivaresI., PaveseM. and FinoP.: ‘Multilayer SiC for thermal protection system of space vehicles: manufacturing and testing under simulated re-entry conditions’, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 2008, 28, 2791–2800.
20.
BadiniC., LiedtkeV., EuchbergerG., CelascoE., BiaminoS., MarchisioS., PaveseM. and FinoP.: ‘Self passivating behavior of multilayer SiC under simulated atmospheric re-entry conditions’, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 2012, 32, 4435–4445.
21.
MonteverdeF. and SavinoR.: ‘Stability of ultra-high-temperature ZrB2–SiC ceramics under simulated atmospheric re-entry conditions’, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 2007, 27, 4797–4805.
22.
ChamberlainA. L., FahrenholtzW. G. and HilmasG. E.: ‘Pressureless sintering of zirconium diboride’, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 2006, 89, 450–456.
23.
TelleR., SiglL. S. and TakagiK.: ‘Boride-based hard materials’, in ‘Handbook of ceramic hard materials’, (ed. R. Riedel), 802–945; 2000, Weinheim, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH.
24.
ChamberlainA. L., FahrenholtzW. G. and HilmasG. E.: ‘High-strength zirconium diboride-based ceramics’, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 2004, 87, 1170–1172.
25.
FahrenholtzW. G., HilmasG. E., ZhangS. C. and ZhuS.: ‘Pressureless sintering of zirconium diboride: particle size and additive effects’, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 2008, 91, 1398–1404.
26.
KhanraA. K. and GodkhindiM. M.: ‘Effect of Ni additives on pressureless sintering of SHS ZrB2’, Adv. Appl. Ceram., 2005, 104, 273–276.
27.
MishraS. H. and DasS. K.: ‘Sintering and microstructural behavior of SHS produced zirconium diboride powder with the addition of C and TiC’, Mater. Lett., 2005, 59, 3467–3470.
28.
ZhuS., FahrenholtzW. G., HilmasG. E. and ZhangS. C.: ‘Pressureless sintering of carbon-coated zirconium diboride powders’, Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2007, A459, 167–171.
29.
MedriV., PinascoP., SansonA., RoncariE., GuicciardiS. and BellosiA.: ‘ZrB2-based laminates produced by tape casting’, Int. J. Appl. Ceram. Technol., 2012, 9, 349–357.
30.
SonberJ. K. and SuriA. K.: ‘Synthesis and consolidation of zirconium diboride: review’, Adv. Appl. Ceram., 2011, 110, 321–334.
31.
ZhangH., YanY., HuangZ., LiuX. and JiangD.: ‘Properties of ZrB2–SiC ceramics by pressureless sintering’, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 2009, 92, 1599–1602.
32.
ZhangH., YanY., HuangZ., LiuX. and JiangD.: ‘Pressureless sintering of ZrB2–SiC ceramics: the effect of B4C content’, Scr. Mater., 2009, 60, 559–562.
33.
ZouJ., ZhangG.-J, KanY.-M and WangP.-L: ‘Pressureless densification of ZrB2–SiC composites with vanadium carbide’, Scr. Mater., 2008, 59, 309–312.
34.
MonteverdeF., GuicciardiS. and BellosiA.: ‘Advances in microstructure and mechanical properties of zirconium diboride based ceramics’, Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2003, A346, 310–319.
35.
ScitiD., BrachM. and BellosiA.: ‘Long-term oxidation behaviour and mechanical strength degradation of a pressureless sintered ZrB2–MoSi2 ceramic’, Scr. Mater., 2005, 53, 1297–1302.
36.
MonteverdeF.: ‘Beneficial effects of an ultra-fine α-SiC incorporation on the sinterability and mechanical properties of ZrB2’, Appl. Phys. A, 2006, 82A, 329–337.
37.
FahrenholtzW. G., HilmasG. E., ChamberlainA. L. and ZimmermannJ. W.: ‘Processing and characterization of ZrB2-based ultra-high temperature monolithic and fibrous monolithic ceramics’, J. Mater. Sci., 2004, 39, 5951–5957.
38.
ZhuS., FahrenholtzW. G. and HilmasG. E.: ‘Influence of silicon carbide particle size on the microstructure and mechanical properties of zirconium diboride-silicon carbide ceramics’, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 2007, 27, 2077–2083.
39.
ZhouP., HuP., ZhangX. and HanW.: ‘Laminated ZrB2–SiC ceramic with improved strength and toughness’, Scr. Mater., 2001, 64, 276–279.
40.
ReynaudC., ThevenotF. and ChartierT.: ‘Processing and microstructure of SiC laminar composites’, Int. J. Refract. Met. Hard Mater., 2001, 19, 425–435.
41.
BadiniC., FinoP., OrtonaA. and AmelioC.: ‘High temperature oxidation of multilayered SiC processed by tape casting and sintering’, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 2002, 22, 2071–2079.
42.
CleggW. J., KendallK., AlfordN. M. N., ButtonT. W. and BirchallJ.: ‘A simple way to make tough ceramics’, Nature, 1990, 347, 455–457.
43.
CleggW. J.: ‘The fabrication and failure of laminar ceramic composites’, Acta Metall. Mater., 1992, 40, 3085–3093.
44.
BiaminoS., AntoniniA., PaveseM., FinoP. and BadiniC.: ‘MoSi2 laminate processed by tape casting: microstructure and mechanical properties’ investigation’, Intermetallics, 2008, 16, 758–768.
45.
LuZ., JiangD., ZhangJ. and LinQ.: ‘Aqueous tape casting of zirconium diboride’, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 2009, 92, 2212–2217.
46.
LuZ., JiangD., ZhangJ. and LinQ.: ‘Processing and properties of ZrB2–SiC composites obtained by aqueous tape casting and hot pressing’, Ceram. Int., 2011, 37, 293–301.
47.
WilliamsP. A., SakidjaR., PerepezkoJ. H. and RittP.: ‘Oxidation of ZrB2–SiC ultra-high temperature composites over a wide range of SiC content’, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 2012, 32, 3875–3883.
48.
GaschM. J., EllerbyD. T. and JohnsonS. M.: ‘Ultra high temperature ceramic composites’, in ‘Handbook of ceramic composites’, (ed. N. P. Bansal), 211; 2005, Boston, MA, Kluwer Academic Publishers.
49.
CutlerR. A.: ‘Engineering properties of borides’, in ‘Engineered materials handbook: ceramics and glasses’, (ed. SchneiderS J, ed), Vol. 4, 798; 1991, Columbus, OH, ASM International.
50.
ShafferB.: “Engineering properties of carbides, in ‘Engineered materials handbook: ceramics and glasses’, (ed. SchneiderS J, ed), Vol. 4, ‘Engineering properties of carbides’, 808; 1991, Columbus, OH, ASM International.
51.
OrlovskayaA., StadelmannR., LugovyM., SubbotinV., SubhashG., NeubertM., AnezirisC. G., GrauleT. and KueblerJ.: ‘Mechanical properties of ZrB2–SiC ceramic composites: room temperature instantaneous behaviour’, Adv. Appl. Ceram.2013, 112, 9–16.
