Fabrication of C/SiC composites by an electrodeposition/sintering method and the control of the properties

Carbon fibre reinforced SiC matrix composites (C/SiC composites) were fabricated using an electrodeposition/sintering method and the control of properties such as flexural strength, Young's modulus and thermal expansion coefficient was investigated in order to fabricate C/SiC-based functionally gradient materials. By means of choosing the condition of electrodeposition and sintering, C/SiC composites with volume fraction of fibre (V-f) ranging from 45 to 78% were fabricated. Maximum flexural strength and Young's modulus were 185 MPa and 47.5 GPa with V-f of 75%, but both properties decreased with the decrease in V-f. Conversely, the thermal expansion coefficient increased with the decrease in V-f; the value varied from 0.2 to 2.75 x 10(-6) K-1.