SiC coatings are first and foremost used for the protection of materials which are exposed to particularly aggressive chemical influences. The silicon carbide coatings also increase the impact strength in addition to the chemical resistance and, moreover, they also serve the purpose of protection against oxidation for the graphite materials. With thicknesses of the layers of between 80 and 120 µm even critical graphite components can be sealed. Typical fields of application for SiC coatings are surface sealing in semiconductor technology and coating of satellite mirrors.

Coating with SiC can be affected by means of different technologies the selection of which is based on the properties to be achieved and the thickness of the coating. Coating of graphite components or components made of CFC is usually affected with the help of chemical vapour deposition (CVD). In this process, layers with the highest possible purity and with a high cristallinity can be produced. Highly oriented layers are also possible by means of this. A (partial) impregnation of the porous graphite materials or of the CFC components is possible in this way. Volatile organosilicon compounds such as methyltrichlorsilane are used as precursors in this process. Depending on the respective source material and the management of the processes (pressure and partial pressures, temperature, etc.) the thickness of the coating and the properties of the coating can be tailored optimally to the respective application.