Open AccessAblation-resistant carbide Zr0.8Ti0.2C0.74B0.26 for oxidizing environments up to 3,000 °C
Author(s) -
Yi Zeng,
Dini Wang,
Xiang Xiong,
Xun Zhang,
Philip J. Withers,
Wei Sun,
Matthew A. Smith,
Mingwen Bai,
Ping Xiao
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
nature communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.559
H-Index - 365
ISSN - 2041-1723
DOI - 10.1038/ncomms15836
Subject(s) - materials science , ceramic , boron carbide , carbide , oxidizing agent , coating , composite material , ablation , space shuttle thermal protection system , chemical engineering , thermal protection , chemistry , organic chemistry , engineering , aerospace engineering
Ultra-high temperature ceramics are desirable for applications in the hypersonic vehicle, rockets, re-entry spacecraft and defence sectors, but few materials can currently satisfy the associated high temperature ablation requirements. Here we design and fabricate a carbide (Zr 0.8 Ti 0.2 C 0.74 B 0.26 ) coating by reactive melt infiltration and pack cementation onto a C/C composite. It displays superior ablation resistance at temperatures from 2,000–3,000 °C, compared to existing ultra-high temperature ceramics (for example, a rate of material loss over 12 times better than conventional zirconium carbide at 2,500 °C). The carbide is a substitutional solid solution of Zr–Ti containing carbon vacancies that are randomly occupied by boron atoms. The sealing ability of the ceramic’s oxides, slow oxygen diffusion and a dense and gradient distribution of ceramic result in much slower loss of protective oxide layers formed during ablation than other ceramic systems, leading to the superior ablation resistance.