Abstract
A novel porous carbon material called rice bran carbon (RBC) was mixed with a submicron SiC powder and consolidated by a pulse electric current sintering (PECS) method to prepare SiC/RBC composite ceramics. The mechanical and tribological properties of the SiC/RBC composites were evaluated and compared with those of a monolithic SiC, a monolithic RBC bulk material and a SiC/graphite composite. The SiC/RBC composites not only had superior fracture strength, but also showed low friction coefficients and high wear resistance in sliding tests under dry conditions. Compared with the conventional SiC/graphite composite, the SiC/RBC composites showed higher mechanical strength, lower friction coefficients and better wear resistance.
