Microstructure and properties of a new structure-function integrated C/C-SiC brake material

A creatively structure-function integrated C/C-SiC brake material, fabricated by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) and liquid silicon infiltration (LSI), consisted of frictional function layer, stress relaxed layer and mechanical layer. The mechanical layer guaranteed high load-carrying capability, and the stress relaxed layer could effectively alleviate the thermal mismatch between the mechanical layer and the frictional function layer during the fabrication process. The frictional function layer exhibited excellent friction performance, mechanical and thermal properties. Due to the lower usage of carbon fibers as well as the elimination of “crusting” during the fabrication process, the production costs were effectively reduced. The fluctuation range of coefficient of friction (CoF) was as low as 0.03, and the mass and linear wear rate were less than 19.0 mg/cycle and 2.2 μm/(side·cycle) at 28 m/s, respectively. These results showed that the structure-function integrated C/C–SiC were promising candidates for high-performance and low-cost friction composites.