Abstract: A commercially available alpha silicon carbide coated carbon 12k fiber tow was subjected to rigorous inspection and testing. The pyrolized polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber had gone through a conversion process that resulted in a thin layer of SiC forming on the exterior of the fiber. The fibers? surface was characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Powdered x-ray diffraction (XRD) examined the bulk material …