Synthesis of in situ reinforced silicon nitride composites

• Main Authors: LJILJANA ZIVKOVIC, ALEKSANDRA VUCKOVIC, SNEZANA BOSKOVIC
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Serbian Chemical Society 2004-01-01
• Series: Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society
• Subjects: b-Si3N4 seeds; additive; pressureless sintering; self-reinforced composites; densification; fracture toughness
• Online Access: http://www.shd.org.yu/HtDocs/SHD/Vol69/No1/V69-No1-08.pdf

The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of two different sintering additives (CeO2 and Y2O3 + Al2O3), sintering time and amount of b-Si3N4 seeds on the densification, mechanical properties and microstructure of self-reinforced Si3N4 based composites obtained by pressureless sintering. Preparation of b-Si3N4 seeds, also obtained by a pressureless sintering procedure, is described. Samples without seeds were prepared for comparison. The results imply that self-reinforced silicon nitride based composites with densities close to the theoretical values and with fracture toughness of 9.3 MPa m1/2 can be obtained using a presureless sintering procedure.