SiCw-Al2O3-epoxy Composites with Enhanced 3D Interlocking Skeleton

Nacre's 3D interlocking skeleton was replicated in the novel SiCw-Al2O3-epoxy composites. The 3D skeleton architecture consists of trans-lamellar ceramic columns and bridges between parallel ceramic lamellae. The ceramic columns or bridges are composed of SiC whiskers with Al2O3 coating, showing a core shell structure. During the fracture of the composites, Al2O3 shells of the SiCw-Al2O3 columns or bridges break and fall off, while their SiC-whisker cores play important roles in strengthening and toughening for the composites by whisker pull-out and bridging respectively. The strength and toughness of the 6 wt.% SiCw-Al2O3-epoxy composites with the 3D interlocking skeleton are 181 MPa and 0.56 MJ/m(3) respectively, which are 51% and 93% higher than those of the conventional lamellar Al2O3-epoxy composite respectively. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.