Effect of Heat Treatment on Silicon Carbide Based Joining Materials for Fusion Energy

Two general approaches to obtaining silicon carbide-based joint materials were used. The first method relies on reactions between silicon and carbon to form silicon carbide, or to bond silicon carbide powders together. The second method consists of pyrolysing a polycarbosilane polymer to yield an amorphous, covalently bonded material. In order to assess the long-term durability of the joint materials, various heat treatments were performed and the effects on the mechanical properties of the joints were measured. Although the joints derived from the polycarbosilane polymer were not the strongest, the value of strength measured was not affected by heat treatment. On the other hand, the value of the strength of the reaction-based joints was affected by heat treatment, indicating the presence of residual stresses or unreacted material subsequent to processing. Further investigation of reaction-based joining should consist of detailed microscopic studies; however, continued study of joints derived from polymers is also warranted.