Corrosion protection of SiC-based ceramics with CVD mullite coatings

SiC based ceramics have been identified as the leading candidate materials for elevated temperature applications in harsh oxidation/corrosion environments. It has been established that a protective coating can be effectively used to avoid problems with excessive oxidation and hot corrosion. However, to date, no coating configuration has been developed that can withstand the rigorous requirements imposed by such applications. Chemical vapor deposited (CVD) mullite coatings due to their desirable properties of toughness, corrosion resistance, and good coefficient of thermal expansion match with SiC are being developed as a potential solution. Formation of mullite on ceramic substrates via chemical vapor deposition was investigated. Thermodynamic calculations performed on the AlCl{sub 3}- SiCl{sub 4}-CO{sub 2}-H{sub 2} system were used to construct equilibrium CVD phase diagrams. Through process optimization, crystalline CVD mullite coatings have been successfully grown on SiC and Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} substrates. Results from the thermodynamic analysis, process optimization, and effect of various process parameters on deposition rate and coating morphology are discussed