DC Electrical Conductivity of Silicon Carbide Ceramics and Composites for Flow Channel Insert Applications

High purity chemically vapor-deposited silicon carbide (SiC) and 2D continuous SiC fiber, chemically vapor-infiltrated SiC matrix composites with pyrocarbon interphases were examined for temperature dependent (RT to 800 C) electrical conductivity and the influence of neutron irradiation on it. In the 2D composites, trans-thickness electrical conductivity was dominated by bypass conduction via interphase network at relatively low temperatures, whereas conduction through SiC constituents dominated at higher temperatures. The Influence of neutron irradiation on electrical properties appeared very strong for SiC, resulting typically in by orders lower ambient conductivity and steeper temperature dependency. Through-thickness electrical conductivity of neutron-irradiated 2D SiC composites with thin PyC interphase will likely in the order of 10 S/m in the typical operating temperature range for flow channel inserts. Mechanisms of electrical conduction in the composites and irradiation-induced modification of electrical conductivity of the composites and their constituents are discussed.