Coatings made of silicon carbide and boron carbide become established as a special oxidation protection coating system for carbon fibre ceramics and graphite. By means of alternating chemical gas vapour deposition multiple layer coatings with a laminar structure can be produced. In this process different organometallic compounds are used as precursors.

The nose cap for the NASA space shuttle is one of the most popular examples of oxidation protection with the help of SiC/B4C coating. The high thermal and mechanical stability of these materials is demonstrated by their extraordinary durability: The CFC composites coated with SiC/B4C can withstand up to 120 re-entries into the atmosphere of the earth!