SiAlC ceramics from a new polyaluminocarbosilane: Synthesis,structure and oxidation behaviors

SiAlC ceramics were prepared with a new polyaluminocarbosilane (PACS-N01) which was synthesized using methylaluminoxane (MAO) and liquid hyperbranched polycarbosilane (LPCS), and had a quite high ceramic yield (around 82.7%) at 900 °C in argon after curing. The obtained SiAlC ceramics consisted of β-SiC as major building units, small amounts of α-SiC and Al-containing phases with Al–O and Al–C bonds, and stayed partially amorphous till 1600 °C. Oxidation behaviors of SiAlC ceramics and SiC ceramics prepared through the same procedure were studied in the air at 1200 °C for different times. Dense oxide scales free of pores were formed on the surface of both samples. Measurements of oxide scale thickness revealed that the oxidation followed parabolic reaction kinetics and that the oxidation rate constant was apparently smaller for SiAlC than that for SiC. Besides, –Al–O–Si– network structure could be formed in SiAlC's oxide scale, which was supposed to block the pathway of oxygen diffusion and thus lowered the oxidation rates.