Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
There is a growing demand for advanced composites which can maintain their structural strength in high-temperature environments, particularly for aerospace applications. The use of graphite fiber/nickel metal matrix composites would be desirable if the deterioration of mechanical properties resulting from interdiffusion of carbon and nickel at temperatures in excess of 600°C could be avoided. The present research concerns an electrodeposited cobalt alloy coating containing 5-10.5 at-% tungsten, which was designed to serve as a diffusion barrier between graphite fibers and a nickel matrix. The resulting graphite/Co-W/Ni composite was tested under various time/temperature conditions, and the coating was shown to inhibit diffusion for up to 24 hr at 800°C. Annealed and unannealed coated fibers were analyzed by x-ray diffraction and by transmission electron microscopy The as-deposited coating was found to contain both h.c.p. and f.c.c. cobalt, whereas only f.c.c. was observed after annealing at 1100°C for 1.5 hours. WC was found at the coating/fiber interface.