Development of High Strength SiC Ceramics Reinforced by Beta Si₃N₄ Rod-Like Crystals

Abstract:

Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics have excellent properties such as high thermal conductivity, heat resistance and high hardness. However, their low strengths due to the low fracture toughness make it difficult to produce SiC ceramics with large size and complicated shapes. The purpose of this study is to fabricate SiC/Si₃N₄ composite materials (SiC > Si₃N₄) reinforced by β-Si₃N₄ rod-like crystals (whiskers) in order to improve the mechanical properties of SiC ceramics. In this work, following two methods for fabricating SiC/Si₃N₄ composites have been developed. Method Ⅰ: porous β-Si₃N₄ with porosity more than 50 % was infiltrated by phenolic resin, heat-treated in N₂ atmosphere to convert phenolic resin to carbon, and finally infiltrated by molten Si into the porous β-Si₃N₄-carbon composites (reaction bonding). Method Ⅱ: hot-pressing the powder mixture of SiC and the β-Si₃N₄ whiskers with sintering additive. The microstructures and mechanical properties of SiC/Si₃N₄ composites fabricated by two methods were investigated.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 1150)
• Pages: 103-112
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-Xp0VRn
• Online since: June 2025
• Authors: Naru Shinohara, Mikito Kitayama*
• Keywords: Rod-Like Crystals, SiC/Si₃N₄ Composites, Silicon Carbide, β-Silicon Nitride

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