Dense Reaction Infiltrated Silicon/Silicon Carbide Ceramics Derived from Wood based Composites

A carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic with increased fracture toughness was developed by performing a liquid silicon infiltration of fiber reinforced carbon materials by the German Aerospace Center. The systematic fabrication of the potential of wood based composites (SiSiC) as precursors for dense reaction infiltrated silicon carbide ceramics was also demonstrated. Bulk density and resin content were the two important parameters for the fabrication of the wood based composites for their use as SiSiC precursors. The phase composition of the ceramic was determined by the bulk density, structure and infiltration behavior of the preforms.