Preparation, structural evolution, and performance of heat-resistant organosilicon polymer adhesives for joining SiC ceramics

There is an urgent need for heat-resistant adhesives with high bonding strength in order to able to fabricate large and complex SiC components for aeronautical and astronautical applications. In this study, heat-resistant organic adhesives prepared using an organosilicon polymer and inorganic additives (B4C and SiO2) were used successfully to bond SiC ceramics. The prepared adhesives were characterised through shear strength tests as well as using thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-diffraction analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The adhesives exhibited high room-temperature shear strengths (greater than 15 MPa) after being subjected to heat treatments at 200-1200 degrees C. Further, the high-temperature shear strengths of the adhesives at 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 degrees C were 10.5, 10.1, 7.7, 8.6, and 8.4 MPa, respectively. The high performance of the adhesives indicated that they should be suitable for joining SiC-based materials for use in high-temperature applications.