Properties of silicon carbide-reinforced graphite composites prepared by a reactive sintering method

Silicon carbide-reinforced graphite composites were prepared by hot-pressing mixtures of flake graphite and Si powder with various mass ratios under vacuum. The microstructure and phase compositions were characterized by SEM and XRD. Results indicated that SiC, resulting from the reaction between graphite and silicon, was uniformly dispersed in the graphite matrix. The bend strength of the composites increased from 112 to 206 MPa with increasing silicon content from 28.06 to 37.94 mass%. The oxidation resistance of the composites increased with their silicon content. The coefficient of friction of the composites remainedat a low constant value of about 0.1 when the Si content was below 31.46 mass%.