Effects of Oxidation and Hot Corrosion on the Erosion of Silicon Nitride

The effect of oxidation and hot corrosion on the solid particle erosion was investigated for hot-pressed silicon nitride using as-polished, pre-oxidized and pre-corroded specimens by molten sodium sulfates. Erosion tests were performed at 22, 500 and $900^{\circ}C$ using angular silicon carbide particles of mean diameter $100{\mu}m$. Experimental results show that solid particle erosion rate of silicon nitride increases with increasing temperature for as-polished or pre-oxidized specimens in consistent with the prediction of a theoretical model. Erosion rate of pre-oxidized specimens is lower than that of as-polished specimens at $22^{\circ}C$, but it is higher at $900^{\circ}C$. Lower erosion rate at $22^{\circ}C$ in the pre-oxidized specimens is attributed due to the blunting of surface flaws, and the higher erosion rate at $900^{\circ}C$ is due to brittle lateral cracking. Erosion rate of pre-corroded specimens decreases with increasing temperature. Less erosion at $900^{\circ}C$ than at $22^{\circ}C$ is associated with the liquid corrosion products sealing off pores at $900^{\circ}C$ and the absence of inter-granular crack propagation observed at $22^{\circ}C$.