SiC-IrSi3 for high oxidation resistance

SiC is a material with excellent mechanical and thermal properties but with a high production cost. Obtaining SiC by reactive infiltration is an attractive method with a much lower cost than the traditional sintering process. However, the reactive infiltration process presents a serious problem, which is the high residual silicon content, which decreases its applicability. The replacement of silicon with silicides is a widely used alternative. The present investigation shows the good mechanical properties of the SiC-IrSi3 composite material obtained by reactive infiltration of SiC-C preforms with Ir-Si alloys. The thermomechanical analysis shows a high compatibility of silicide with SiC. The presence of the silicide shows a substantial improvement against the oxidation of the SiC-Si composites.