Synergistic enhancement of mechanical properties in silicon carbide composites reinforced with carbon fiber–silicon carbide nanowires

Abstract This study investigates the synergistic reinforcement effects of carbon fibers (Cf) and silicon carbide nanowires (SiC nw ) on the mechanical properties of SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) fabricated via reactive melt infiltration. C f –SiC nw /SiC composites were prepared by incorporating SiC nw into carbon fiber nonwoven fabrics using a slurry impregnation technique prior to matrix densification. The reinforcement system significantly enhanced mechanical properties through multi‐scale synergistic effects. Compared to conventional C f /SiC composites without nanowire reinforcement, the optimized composites showed a 24.4% increase in flexural strength (from 327.5 to 407.5 MPa) and a 41.4% improvement in fracture toughness (from 4.13 to 5.84 MPa m 1/2 ). This performance enhancement is attributed to the combined energy dissipation mechanisms of fiber pull‐out and nanowire pull‐out effects, which together establish a multi‐level collaborative reinforcement system. Unlike previous methods of in situ growth for SiC nw incorporation into porous carbon preforms, this work highlights the effectiveness of the slurry impregnation approach in achieving uniform nanowire distribution and demonstrates its potential for optimizing mechanical performance in CMCs.