A method of forming a composite article may generally comprise forming a mixture of (i) a reactant gas stream comprising hydrogen and methyltrichlorosilane and (ii) solid silicon carbide particles; heating a carbon substrate in the reactor; heating the mixture of the reactant gas stream and solid silicon carbide particles to decompose the methyltrichlorosilane to produce silicon carbide material without causing the solid silicon carbide particles to react and injecting the heated mixture into the reactor; co-depositing the silicon carbide material and the solid silicon carbide particles onto the heated carbon substrate in the reactor to produce a CVD matrix comprising the silicon carbide material and the solid silicon carbide particles by chemical vapor deposition on the heated carbon substrate; post-treating the carbon substrate having the CVD matrix coating in a furnace; and cooling and removing the carbon substrate from the CVD matrix to form the transparent composite article.