J. Mater. Sci. Technol. ›› 2022, Vol. 96: 31-68.DOI: 10.1016/j.jmst.2021.03.076

• Invited Review • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Micro/nano multiscale reinforcing strategies toward extreme high-temperature applications: Take carbon/carbon composites and their coatings as the examples

Qiangang Fua,*,1(), Pei Zhanga,1(), Lei Zhuanga(), Lei Zhoua(), Jiaping Zhanga(), Jie Wangb(), Xianghui Houc(), Ralf Riedela,d(), Hejun Lia,*()   

  1. aState Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Fiber Reinforced Light Composite Materials, Carbon/Carbon Composites Research Center, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
    bSchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
    cFaculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
    dInstitut für Materialwissenschaft, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Otto-Berndt-Straße 3, Darmstadt D-64287, Germany
  • Received:2021-01-24 Revised:2021-03-22 Accepted:2021-03-22 Published:2022-01-10 Online:2022-01-05
  • Contact: Qiangang Fu,Pei Zhang,Lei Zhuang,Lei Zhou,Jiaping Zhang,Jie Wang,Xianghui Hou,Ralf Riedel,Hejun Li
  • About author:lihejun@nwpu.edu.cn (H. Li).
    ralf.riedel@tu-darmstadt.de (R. Riedel),
    Xianghui.Hou@nottingham.ac.uk (X. Hou),
    wjie_no1@sjtu.edu.cn (J. Wang),
    zhangjiaping@nwpu.edu.cn (J. Zhang),
    18710832501@163.com (L. Zhou),
    313173104@qq.com (L. Zhuang),
    zhangpei89@mail.nwpu.edu.cn (P. Zhang),
    *E-mail addresses: fuqiangang@nwpu.edu.cn (Q. Fu),
    Qian-gang Fu is the principal professor and the director of Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Fiber Reinforced Light Com- posite Materials, at NWPU, Xi’an. He is mainly engaged in high-temperature oxidation/ablation resistant carbon- based composites, as well as carbon and SiC nanoma- terials for almost 20 years.The main academic achieve- ments includes: the influence rules of the multi-phase in- laid coating structure on the releasing and redistributing of thermal stress in the coating were disclosed, and the oxidation protective property of the coating was made a breakthrough; the strengthening-toughening mechanism of several kinds of SiC nanowires were discovered, and the application of nanowires for anti-oxidation and anti- abrasion coatings was exploited; the synergetic design idea of expand effect from boride oxidation and gradient transition structure was put forward, and the abil- ity for the coating with a wide temperature-range oxidation protection and self- seal anti-ablation was realized. He undertakes more than 10 projects including 6 projects of National Natural Science Foundation of China. He was awarded the first prize of Education Ministry Natural Science, the second prize of State Nature Sci- ence, the first prize of Shaanxi Province Science and Technology and the first prize of Education Ministry Technical Invention. His-doctor thesis was appraised by the National Hundred Excellent Doctor Thesis. He has published 42 patent applications, 2 book chapters, more than 300 papers with over 6831 citations and an H-index of 44 (Scopus). He is a referee of about 20 international scientific journals. He has been invited to give more than 20 Keynote Lectures and Invited Talks in interna- tional conferences and universities, and serve as Session Chair. He also serves in the Editorial Committee of Journal of Materials Science & Technology, Science China Technological Sciences, Journal of Inorganic Materials, Journal of Solid Rocket Technol- ogy, Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China, The Scientific World Journal, Journal of Composites, Materials China , and other journals.
    Prof. He-junLi, academician of Chinese Academy of Engi- neering, academician of Asian Pacific Academy of Materi- als, winner of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, director of the innovation group of Na- tional Natural Science Foundation of China, deputy direc- tor of the Science and Technology on Thermostructural Composite Materials Laboratory, has engaged in compos- ite materials area for almost 30 years and mainly focuses on the development of low cost and high performance carbon/carbon composites as well as the technology of oxidation resistant coatings. He has won one second prize of National Natural Science Award, two second prizes of National Technology Invention (ranking the first and the second), one first prize and one second prizes of National Teaching Achievement, six first prizes of provincial and ministerial science and technology, and one Na- tional Defense Innovation Team Award. He has authorized more than 150 invention patents, published more than 600 SCI papers and 3 teaching material or mono- graphs. More than 140 postgraduates were cultivated, among whom more than 30 were promoted to professors or researchers, one student’s paper was awarded as the top 100 national excellent papers, and 8 students were awarded as the provin- cial or first-level academy excellent doctoral dissertation. He has won the hon- orary titles of "Most Beautiful Science and Technology Worker in China", "National Model Teacher", "the 16th China Carbon Outstanding Achievement Award", "Young and Middle-Aged Expert with Outstanding Contributions to Science and Technology Industry of National Defense", etc. He serves as the executive director of Chinese Materials Research Society, member of the materials department of the Science and Technology Committee of the Ministry of Education, member of the expert re- view group of the materials department of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, vice chairman of Society of Materials Research, Composite Materials and Nano Materials in Shaanxi province, review expert of Science and Technology Award in Shaanxi, and vice chairman of the academic committee of Northwestern Poly- technical University. He also serves in the Editorial Committee of Journal of Materi- als Science & Technology, SCIENCE CHINA Materials, Journal of Aeronautics, Carbon Letters, Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China, New Carbon Materials, Rare Metal Materials and Engineering, Materials China, and other journals.First author contact:1These authors are contributed equally for this work.

Abstract:

Carbon fiber reinforced carbon composites (C/Cs), are the most promising high-temperature materials and could be widely applied in aerospace and nucleation fields, owing to their superior performances. However, C/Cs are very susceptible to destructive oxidation and thus fail at elevated temperatures. Though matrix modification and coating technologies with Si-based and ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) are valid to enhance the oxidation/ablation resistance of C/Cs, it's not sufficient to satisfy the increasing practical applications, due to the inherent brittleness of ceramics, mismatch issues between coatings and C/C substrates, and the fact that carbonaceous matrices are easily prone to high-temperature oxidation. To effectively solve the aforementioned problems, micro/nano multiscale reinforcing strategies have been developed for C/Cs and/or the coatings over the past two decades, to fabricate C/Cs with high strength and excellent high-temperature stability. This review is to systematically summarize the most recent major and important advancements in some micro/nano multiscale strategies, including nanoparticles, nanowires, carbon nanotubes/fibers, whiskers, graphene, ceramic fibers and hybrid micro/nano structures, for C/Cs and/or the coatings, to achieve high-temperature oxidation/ablation-resistant C/Cs. Finally, this review is concluded with an outlook of major unsolved problems, challenges to be met and future research advice for C/Cs with excellent comprehensive mechanical-thermal performance. It's hoped that a better understanding of this review will be of high scientific and industrial interest, since it provides unusual and feasible new ideas to develop potential and practical C/Cs with improved high-temperature mechanical and oxidation/ablation-resistant properties.

Key words: Carbon/carbon composites, Micro/nano multiscale reinforcing strategies, Oxidation, Ablation, Erosion, Hybrid structures