A technique for ultrahigh temperature oxidation studies of ZrB₂-SiC

A new oxidation method, high frequency induction heating, was introduced to investigate the rapid oxidation characteristics of ZrB₂-SiC at 1800 °C up to 50 min. A high temperature was achieved within 30 s by adjusting the current or voltage. According to the isothermal test at 1800 °C, the oxidation kinetics for the composite followed a para-linear law. The specific weight gains increased from 4.86 to 12.89 mg/cm² when the exposure time increased from 10 to 50 min. When exposure for 30 min, a thin outmost layer of SiO₂, a ZrO₂ layer and a thick SiC-depleted layer formed on the surface of specimens. The structural characteristic of oxidation layer obtained by high frequency induction heating was similar to those formed by standard oxidation furnace.