Synthesis of β-Si3N4 particles from α-Si3N4 particles

This report describes an investigation of the synthesis of β-Si₃N₄ particles from α-Si₃N₄ particles. The β fraction of Si₃N₄ particles was found to depend on temperature, heating time, and the type of crucibles in which the Si₃N₄ particles were heated. When Si₃N₄ particles were heated in a crucible made of carbon, most α-Si₃N₄ particles converted to β-Si₃N₄ after heating at 2000°C for 90 min in an atmosphere of N₂ of 9 kgf/cm². The morphology of the resulting β-Si₃N₄ particles appeared as a whisker shape. When Si₃N₄ particles were heated in a crucible made of boron nitride, most α-Si₃N₄ particles converted to β-Si₃N₄ after heating at 2000°C for 480min in an atmosphere of N₂ of 9kgf/cm². The resulting morphology was equiaxed. It is suspected that the transformation occurs via the gas phase and is affected by the partial pressure of oxygen in the atmosphere.     

Effect of large β-Si3N4 particles on the thermal conductivity of β-Si3N4 ceramics

Mean-field micromechanics model, the rule of mixture is applied to the prediction of the thermal conductivity of sintered β-Si₃N₄, considering that the microstructure of β-Si₃N₄ is composed of a uniform matrix phase (which contains grain boundaries and small grains of Si₃N₄) and the purified large grains (⩾2 μm in diameter) of Si₃N₄. Experimental results and theoretical calculations showed that the thermal conductivity of Si₃N₄ is controlled by the amount of the purified large grains of Si₃N₄. The present study demonstrates that the high thermal conductivity of β-Si₃N₄ can be explained by the precipitation of high purity grains of β-Si₃N₄ from liquid phase.     

Effect of the addition of β-Si3N4 nuclei on the thermal conductivity of β-Si3N4 ceramics

Various microstructures of β-Si₃N₄ were fabricated, with or without the addition of β-Si₃N₄ seed particles to high-purity β-Si₃N₄ powder, using Yb₂O₃ and ZrO₂ as sintering additives, by gas-pressure sintering at 1950 °C for 16 h. The thermal conductivity of the specimen without seeds was 140 W·(m·K)⁻¹, and the specimen exhibited a bimodal microstructure with abnormally grown grains. The thermal conductivity of the specimen with 24 vol.% seed addition was 143 W·(m·K)⁻¹, and this specimen had the bimodal microstructure with finer grain size than that without the seeded material, but maintained the same amount of large grains (⩾2 μm in diameter) as in the specimen without the seeds. This finding indicates that the thermal conductivity of β-Si₃N₄ is controlled by the amount of reprecipitated large grains, rather than by the grain size of the β-Si₃N₄.     

Effect of Si3N4 on Resistance of Magnesia Based Castable

The magnesia based curable specimens with different Si3N4 contents were casted using sintered magnesite （w（MgO）=95%） as starting material, SiO2 micro-powder as binder, 0.3%, 4% and 5% β-Si3N4 powder replacing the equal addition of magnesia powder respectively. The slag resistance test was carried out at 1550℃ for 3h using Baosteel tundish slag and static crucible method. The result indicates that： introducing Si3N4 could obviously improve the slag resistance of MgO based castable, which increased with increasing Si3N4. Dense SiO2 sintered layer formed on the surface of magnesia based castable because of the oxidation of Si3N4 addition, which can prevent the further slag penetration. In the deep inner of castable, the partial-pressure of oxygen was very low, so Si3N4 can exist stably. Meanwhile in reducing atmosphere, Si3N4 was hard to be sintered, which resulted in the loose interior structure of MgO based castable.     

Effect of the residual phases in β-Si3N4 seed on the mechanical properties of self-reinforced Si3N4 ceramics

In this work, the self-reinforced silicon nitride ceramics with crystal seed of β-Si₃N₄ particles were investigated. Firstly, the seeds were prepared by heating of α-Si₃N₄ powder with Yb₂O₃ and MgO, respectively. Then the self-reinforced silicon nitride ceramics were obtained by HP-sintering of α-Si₃N₄ powder, Yb₂O₃ and the as-prepared seeds which were not treated with acid and/or alkali solution. The results indicated that the introduction of seed with Yb₂O₃ could obviously increase the toughness and room temperature strength of the ceramics. Furthermore, its high temperature strength (1200 °C) could nearly keep higher value as the one of room temperature measured from unreinforced ceramic. However, the seed with MgO abruptly decrease the high temperature strength of the ceramics. The SEM and TEM characterization showed that the rod-like seed particle could favor the toughness and the presence of the Mg promote the formation of crystalline secondary phase.     

Si3N4／Si3N4陶瓷连接的研究进展

本文综述了Ｓｉ３Ｎ４／Ｓｉ３Ｎ４陶瓷连接的研究现状，论述不同连接工艺对接头强度的影响。     

Si3N4／Si3N4陶瓷连接的研究进展

连接技术是Ｓｉ３Ｎ４陶瓷实用过程中必须解决的难题之一。本文综述了Ｓｉ３Ｎ４／Ｓｉ３Ｎ４陶瓷连接的研究现状以及不同连接工艺对连接强度的影响。     

β-Si3N4及添加β-Si3N4的α-Si3N4的气氛加压烧结

介绍了β－Ｓｉ３Ｎ４及添加β－Ｓｉ３Ｎ４的α－Ｓｉ３Ｎ４的气氛加压烧结,β－Ｓｉ３Ｎ４在ＧＰＳ中具有低于α－Ｓｉ３Ｎ４的烧结活性而且陶瓷显微结构更容易调节,由ＧＰＳβ－Ｓｉ３Ｎ４制备的陶瓷材料晶粒比较均匀,具有较高的力学性能,尤其是高的韦泊模数,添加于α－Ｓｉ３Ｎ４中的β－Ｓｉ３Ｎ４对陶瓷材料显微结构具有明显的调控作用。     

Si3N4/Si3N4扩散连接的力学性能研究

采用热压法进行氮化硅陶瓷材料的扩散连接.结果表明:在1520℃,15MPa,60min条件下,氮化硅连接体的最高强度为448.6MPa,超过母材强度;平均连接强度为401.5MPa,为母材强度的96%.     

Thermal shock resistance of Si3N4 and Si3N4–SiC ceramics with rare-earth oxide sintering additives

The influence of various rare-earth oxide additives and the addition of SiC nanoparticles on the thermal shock resistance of the Si₃N₄ based materials was investigated. The location of SiC particles inside the Si₃N₄ grains contributed to a higher level of residual stresses, which caused a failure at the lower temperature difference compared to the composites with a preferential location of the SiC at the grain boundaries. A critical temperature difference increased with an increasing ionic radius of RE³⁺ for both the composites and the monoliths. The critical temperature difference for the composite (580 °C) and the monolith (680 °C) sintered with La₂O₃ was significantly higher compared to the composite and the monolith doped with Lu₂O₃ (430 °C). A good agreement was found between the results of the critical temperature difference estimated by the indentation quench test and that obtained by the strength retention method.     

Effect of β-Si3N4 starting powder size on elongated grain growth in β-Si3N4 ceramics

The microstructural evolution of pressureless sintered silicon nitride ceramics prepared from different particle sizes of β-Si₃N₄ as starting powders, has been investigated. When the specimen prepared from as-received β-powder of 0.66 μm in average size, was sintered at 1850°C, equiaxed β-Si₃N₄ grains were observed. As the size of the initial β-powder went down to 0.26 μm, however, the growth of elongated grains was enhanced, which resulted in a whisker-like microstructure similar to that made from α-starting powder. When the sintering temperature was increased to 2000°C, the elongated grains were also developed even in the specimen made from 0.66 μm β-powder. The observed results were discussed with relation to the two dimensional nucleation and growth theory for faceted crystals. In addition, fracture toughness of the specimen consisting of elongated grains, which was prepared from finer powders, increased.     

Effect of α-Si3N4 initial powder size on the microstructural evolution and phase transformation during sintering of Si3N4 ceramics

By using the Si₃N₄ ceramic specimens prepared with fine and coarse α-Si₃N₄ powders, respectively, the phase transformation from α- to β-Si₃N₄ and concurrent microstructural evolution during sintering were monitored. For the compact prepared with fine powder, the α/β transformation was completed much earlier than the coarse powder. The higher fraction of pre-existing β-grains in fine powder and its higher reactivity compared to those of coarse one are likely to cause a rapid phase transformation. The growth rate of β-Si₃N₄ grains at the expense of α-Si₃N₄ during phase transformation stage was quite significant while that after they impinge each other was very limited. As a result, the specimens prepared with coarse and fine initial α-Si₃N₄ powders resulted in coarse and fine grained β-Si₃N₄ ceramics, respectively. The specimen prepared with mixture of fine and coarse α-Si₃N₄ powders exhibited the microstructure containing a few elongated large grains and showed an increased value of fracture toughness.     

α-Si3N4与γ-Si3N4、α-Si3N4混合粉体超高压烧结的比较研究

以Y2O3-Al2O3-La2O3体系作烧结助剂,在5．4～5．7GPa、1620-1770K的高温高压条件下进行了α-Si3N4与γ-Si3N4、α-Si3N4粉体的烧结研究,并探讨了烧结温度及压力对烧结体性能的影响。实验结果表明：α-Si3N4、γ-Si3N4完全相变为β-Si3N4;在相同的烧结条件下,α-SigN4比γ-Si3N4、α-Si3N4混合粉体烧结试样的相对密度、维氏硬度高。α-Si3N4与γ-Si3N4、α-Si3N4混合粉体烧结试样的最高相对密度与维氏硬度分别为98．78％、21．87GPa和98．71％、21．76GPa。烧结体由相互交错的长柱状β—Si3N4晶粒组成．显微结构均匀。     

Properties of Si3N4–TiN composites fabricated by spark plasma sintering by using a mixture of Si3N4 and Ti powders

Si₃N₄–TiN composites were successfully fabricated via planetary ball milling of 70 mass% Si₃N₄ and 30 mass% Ti powders, followed by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1250–1350 °C. The sintering mechanism for SPS was a hybrid of dissolution–reprecipitation and viscous flow. The electrical resistivity decreased with increasing sintering temperature up to a minimum at 1250 °C and then increased with the increasing sintering temperature. The composites prepared by SPS at 1250–1350 °C could be easily machined by electrical discharge machining. Composite prepared by SPS at 1300 °C showed a high hardness (17.78 GPa) and a good machinability.     

Effect of lattice impurities on the thermal conductivity of β-Si3N4

Effect of impurities in the crystal lattice and microstructure on the thermal conductivity of sintered Si₃N₄ was investigated by the use of high-purity β-Si₃N₄ powder. The sintered materials were fabricated by gas pressure sintering at 1900 °C for 8 and 48 h with addition of 8 wt.% Y₂O₃ and 1 wt.% HFO₂. A chemical analysis was performed on the loose Si₃N₄ grains taken from sintered materials after the chemical treatment. Aluminum was not removed from Si₃N₄ grains, which originated from the raw powder of Si₃N₄. The coarse grains had fewer impurities than the fine grains. Oxygen was the major impurity in the grains, and gradually decreased during grain growth. The thermal conductivity increased from 88 Wm⁻¹ K⁻¹ (8 h) to 120 Wm⁻¹ K⁻¹ (48 h) as the impurities in the crystal lattice decreased. Purification by grain growth thus improved the thermal conductivity, but changing grain boundary phases might also influence the thermal conductivity.     

Effect of lattice defects on the thermal conductivity of β-Si3N4

Two types of β-Si₃N₄ were sintered at 1900 °C one for 8 h and the other for 36 h by using Yb₂O₃ and ZrO₂ as sintering additives. The latter specimen was further annealed at 1700 °C for 100 h to promote grain growth. The microstructures of the sintered materials were investigated by SEM, TEM, and EDS. The thermal conductivities of the specimens were 110 and 150 Wm⁻¹K⁻¹, respectively. The sintered material which possessed 110 Wm⁻¹K⁻¹ had numerous small precipitates that consisted of Yb, O and N elements and internal dislocations in the β-Si₃N₄ grains. In the sintered material with 150 Wm⁻¹K⁻¹ neither precipitates nor dislocations were observed in the grains. The microscopic evidence indicates that the improvement in the thermal conductivity of the β-Si₃N₄ was attributable to the reduction of internal defects of the β-Si₃N₄ grains with sintering and annealing time as the grains grew.     

Investigation on The Properties of Fe-Si3N4 Bonded SiC Composite

The mechanical properties of pressureless sintering Fe-Si3N4 bonded SiC and Si3N4 bonded SiC with same manufacture process have been compared in this paper.The oxidizing mechanism of Fe-Si3 N4 bonded SiC ceramic matrix composite has been investigated especially through TG-DSC (thermo gravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimeter) experiment. During oxidation procedure the main reaction is the oxidation of SiC and Si3 N4, SiO2 which form protecting film to prevent further oxidizing. And residual iron in the samples become Fe2O3 and Fe3O4, the oxidation kinetics at 1100 - 1300℃ of Fe-Si3N4 bonded SiC has been studied especially. The weight gain per unit area at initial stage changes according to beeline rule, in the middle according to conic, and in the last oxidation period follows parabola rule,     

Si3N4含量对Si3N4-SiC材料腐蚀性能的影响

利用Si3N4—SiC材料在冰晶石静态融盐电解质中的腐蚀实验研究材料的腐蚀性能,对腐蚀增重率进行记录分析,Si3N4的含量是影响材料腐蚀性能的重要因素,根据实验测定得出Si3N4的含量越高,Si3N4-SiC材料腐蚀程度越严重。