Silicon carbide/pyrolytic carbon (SiC/PyC) composite materials with excellent performance of self-lubrication and wear resistance were prepared on SiC substrates by electromagnetic-field-assisted chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). The composition and microstructure of the SiC/PyC materials were investigated in detail by XRD, SEM and EDS, etc. The effects of the deposition temperature on the section features and wear resistance of the SiC/PyC were studied. The results show that the PyC layers were deposited onto SiC substrates spontaneously at a lower deposition temperature. The SiC substrates deposited with PyC can significantly reduce the wear rate of the self-dual composite materials under dry sliding condition. The wear tests suggest that the SiC/PyC composite materials own a better wear resistance property when the deposition temperature is 800 °C, and the wear rate is about 64.6% of that without the deposition of PyC.
Novel headstand pyrocarbon cones (HPCs) with hollow structure were developed on the surfaces of pyrocarbon layers of the carbon/carbon (C/C) composites at 650-750 °C by the electromagnetic-field-assisted chemical vapor deposition in the absence of catalysts. The fine microstructures of the HPCs were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the textural features of the HPCs directly transfer from turbostratic structure in roots to a well-ordered high texture in stems. And the degree of high texture ordering decreases gradually from the stem to the tail of the HPCs. The formation mechanism of the HPCs was inferred as the comprehensive effect of polarization induction on electromagnetic fields and particle-filler property under disruptive discharge.