Focused Ion Beam-Prepared Transmission Electron Microscopy Examination of Atmospheric Chemical Vapor-Infiltrated Silicon Carbide Morphology

Silicon carbide (SiC)-based ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are utilized for their refractory properties in the aerospace industry. The composition and structure of these materials are crucial to maintaining the strength, toughness, oxidation, and creep resistances that are desired of silicon carbide. This work analyzes the chemical composition of the matrix in batches of SiC/SiC (silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide matrix) minicomposites that are processed by chemical vapor infiltration of the BN interphase and SiC matrix on single Hi-Nicalon Type S fiber tows using a range of processing parameters. The analysis was performed here to investigate the potential causes of variation in matrix tensile strength in the various batches of minicomposites. Six different morphologies present in the silicon carbide matrix were observed: smooth, nodular, rough nodular, bumpy, nucleated, and plate-like. It was found that high-matrix tensile strength minicomposite batches contained solely the smooth morphology, while low-matrix tensile strength minicomposite batches contained a variety of other morphologies. FIB/TEM was used to study the atomic and crystal character of each individual morphology. Smooth SiC is oriented by the (111) planes and is primarily SiC, while the other morphologies are randomly oriented and contain significant oxygen. These results match the tensile strength tests, which pointed to smooth SiC as the strongest matrix material.