The microstructure and oxidation behaviour of the pure AlON ceramics and 8
wt.% SiC-AlON composite were investigated at 700-1500?C. With increasing
oxidation temperature, the surface morphology of two ceramics showed a
change from acicular to flaky-like and then to granular features. With the
addition of nanosized SiC particles, the oxidation resistance of the
ceramics was remarkably enhanced above 1100?C. This is attributed to the
formation of a dense oxide layer composed of Al2O3, SiO2 and mullite, which
could cover the whole matrix and suppress further penetration of oxygen. Due
to the dense oxide layer, the oxidation kinetics of the 8 wt.% SiC-AlON
composites conformed to a parabolic law, while that of the pure AlON
conformed to a linear law. After oxidation at 1500 ?C for 40 h, the weight
gain of the 8 wt.% SiC-AlON composites was 3.07mg/cm2, which was only 22.5%
of that of the pure AlON.