Strength Degradation Flaws in the Liquid-Phase-Sintered SiC Based Ceramics

Abstract

The effect of the heat treatment on the fracture toughness and flexural strength of the silicon carbide – silicon nitride composites prepared by liquid-phase-sintering was investigated. The results were compared to those obtained for a reference silicon carbide material, prepared by the same fabrication route. The fracture toughness increased from 3.19 to 5.15 MPa.m1/2 due to the toughening mechanisms (crack deflection, mechanical interlocking, crack branching) occurring in the heat treated materials during the crack propagation. However, the flexural strength decreased after the heat treatment of the experimental materials. The strength of the investigated materials was degraded by the presence of processing flaws mainly in the form of pores, clusters of pores, and SiC agglomerates.

CHARACTERISTICS OF FRACTURE ORIGINS IN SiC BASED CERAMICS

“…Kašiarová [15] identified two types of technological initiating flaws (agglomerates of large SiC grains and agglomerates of free carbon) in Si 3 N 4 -SiC nanocomposites. We observed in our previous work [16] that the fracture origins of SiC+Si 3 N 4 composites are defects mainly in the form clusters of pores and SiC and Si 3 N 4 agglomerates. After eliminating of these defects by proper technological route significant strength improvement can be expected.…”