Role of H2 and Ar as the diluent gas in continuous hot-wire CVD synthesis of SiC fiber

Abstract

W-core SiC fiber was synthesized with CH3SiCl3 as the precursor by continuous hot-wire CVD approach. Using H2 and Ar as the diluent gas, the temperature profile and the production of atomic hydrogen (H) in high-speed deposition process were studied by computational flow dynamics (CFD) simulation, and the growth kinetics and microstructure of the deposit were systematically investigated. H2 significantly increases the H production, which reduces the formation of amorphous phase and structural defects (e.g. stacking faults and twins) during SiC growth. Ar could establish a steep thermal gradient in reactor, which enhances the deposit’s surface quality. The mean tensile strength of SiC fiber reaches its peak value (3.15 GPa) with H2 at 1200 sccm, and a high Weibull modulus (14.7) is achieved with Ar at 1600 sccm. These findings indicate H2 is crucial to promote the mechanical performance of SiC fiber, while Ar is beneficial to improving its uniformity.