Peterson Glenn R, Carr Ryan E, Marinero Ernesto E
School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Materials (Basel). 2023 Sep 11;16(18):6158. doi: 10.3390/ma16186158.
At ultra-high temperatures, resilient, durable, stable material choices are limited. While Carbon/Carbon (C/C) composites (carbon fibers and carbon matrix phases) are currently the materials of choice, zirconium carbide (ZrC) provides an option in hypersonic environments and specifically in wing leading edge (WLE) applications. ZrC also offers an ultra-high melting point (3825 K), robust mechanical properties, better thermal conductivity, and potentially better chemical stability and oxidation resistance than C/C composites. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms behind ZrC mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties and evaluate: (a) mechanical properties: flexure strength, fracture toughness, and elastic modulus; (b) thermal properties: coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), thermal conductivity, and melting temperature; (c) chemical properties: thermodynamic stability and reaction kinetics of oxidation. For WLE applications, ZrC physical properties require further improvements. We note that materials or processing solutions to increase its relative density through sintering aids can have deleterious effects on oxidation resistance. Therefore, improvements of key ZrC properties for WLE applications must not compromise other functional properties. We suggest that C/C-ZrC composites offer an engineering solution to reduce density (weight) for aerospace applications, improve fracture toughness and the mechanical response, while addressing chemical stability and stoichiometric concerns. Recommendations for future work are also given.
在超高温环境下，具有弹性、耐用且稳定的材料选择十分有限。虽然碳/碳（C/C）复合材料（碳纤维和碳基体相）是目前的首选材料，但碳化锆（ZrC）在高超声速环境中，特别是在机翼前缘（WLE）应用方面提供了一种选择。ZrC还具有超高熔点（3825 K）、强大的机械性能、更好的热导率，并且与C/C复合材料相比，可能具有更好的化学稳定性和抗氧化性。在本综述中，我们讨论了ZrC机械、热和化学性能背后的机制，并评估：（a）机械性能：弯曲强度、断裂韧性和弹性模量；（b）热性能：热膨胀系数（CTE）、热导率和熔点；（c）化学性能：氧化的热力学稳定性和反应动力学。对于WLE应用，ZrC的物理性能需要进一步改进。我们注意到，通过烧结助剂提高其相对密度的材料或加工解决方案可能会对抗氧化性产生有害影响。因此，改善ZrC在WLE应用中的关键性能绝不能损害其他功能特性。我们建议C/C-ZrC复合材料为航空航天应用提供了一种工程解决方案，以降低密度（重量），提高断裂韧性和机械响应，同时解决化学稳定性和化学计量问题。还给出了未来工作的建议。
