Abstract
Several engineering components made of carbon-based heat-resistant composites are subjected to severe erosive wear. In view of the above, the solid particle erosion behavior of two and four dimensionally reinforced carbon/carbon (C/C) composites as well as that of carbon/phenolic (C/P) composite has been characterized at the ambient temperature. The investigated C/C composites have been produced through a liquid-phase infiltration method followed by hot isostatic pressing, while the C/P composite prepegs have been cured inside an autoclave. The erosion rates of these composites have been determined for two different impact angles and two different impact velocities using silica sand with average particle diameter of 200 μm. The morphologies of as-received and eroded surfaces of test specimens have been examined with the help of scanning electron microscopy to understand the mechanism of material removal. The erosion response, erosion efficiency, and erosion micromechanisms of these composites have been studied in detail. While the erosion resistance of the C/P composite is found to be superior to that of the investigated C/C composites, the four dimensionally reinforced C/C composite have shown the highest erosion efficiency. All the composites have exhibited a semi-ductile erosion response. Their mechanical properties have little correlation with the erosion rates.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors are grateful to the director of the Advanced Systems Laboratory for giving permission to publish this article.
Review led by David Burris