• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.32 no.12
• /
• pp.1417-1423
• /
• 1995

α/β sialon based composites containing silicon nitride whisker and silicon carbide platelet were fabricated by hot pressing. Effect of the reinforcing agents on the α to β phase transformation of the sialon as well as on the mechanical properties was investigated. Silicon nitride whisker and silicon carbide platelet promoted the phse transformation. TEM/EDS analysis revealed that the grain containing the whisker had 'core-rim' structure; core being high purity Si3N4 whisker and rim being β-sialon. Flexural strength of the composite decreased with the reinforcement addition which, on the other hand, improved fracture toughness of it. High temperature strength was measured at 1300℃ to be about 130 MPa lower than that measured at RT for the whisker reinforced composites.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.40-44
• /
• 2010

Laser assisted machining (LAM) has been researched in order to machine the silicon nitride ceramics economically and effectively. LAM is an effective machining method by local heating of the cutting part to the softening temperature of the silicon nitride using laser beam. When silicon nitride ceramics is heated using a laser beam, the surface of silicon nitride ceramic is softened, oxidized and decomposed. And then surface hardness is decreased. Through machining in low viscosity and hardness conditions, silicon nitride was machined effectively and the life span of tool was increased. The plastic deformation was occurred due to softening of amorphous YSiAlON above $ 1,000^{\circ}C$. Transgranular fracture of ${\beta}-Si_3N_4$ was occurred when YSiAlON was not softened, but mostly intergranular fracture was occurred by the plastic deformation of softened YSiAlON.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.49 no.4
• /
• pp.337-341
• /
• 2012

Mechanochemical processing (MCP) involves several high-energy collisions of powder particles with the milling media and results in the increased reactivity/sinterability of powder. The present paper shows results of mechanochemical processing (MCP) of silicon nitride powder mixture with the relevant sintering additives. The effects of MCP were studied by structural changes of powder particles themselves as well as by the resulting sintering/densification ability. It has been found that MCP significantly enhances reactivity and sinterability of the resultant material: silicon nitride ceramics could be pressureless sintered at $1500^{\circ}C$. Nevertheless, a degree of a silicon nitride crystal lattice and powder particle destruction (amorphization) as detected by XRD studies, is limited by the specific threshold. If that value is crossed then particle's surface damage effects are prevailing thus severe evaporation overdominates mass transport at elevated temperature. It is discussed that the cross-solid interaction between particles of various chemical composition, triggered by many different factors during mechanochemical processing, including a short-range diffusion in silicon nitride particles after collisions with other types of particles plays more important role in enhanced reactivity of tested compositions than amorphization of the crystal lattice itself. Controlled deagglomeration of $Si_3N_4$ particles during the course of high-energy milling was also considered.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.561-569
• /
• 1988

Mixtures of very small amounts of additive, carbon and silica(about 0.46${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$) which synthesized by the hydrolysis of ethyl silicate, the molar ratio of SiO2/C was fixed to 1/10, was nitrided at 145$0^{\circ}C$. It was considered that the optimum amount of additive to promote the nitridation reaction was below 2.0wt%. By the addition of additive, the nitridation reaction was promoted and formation of $\beta$-Si3N4 was promoted at 145$0^{\circ}C$ for 1hour, but, the nitridation reaction was decreased and the ratio of $\alpha$/$\beta$ of Si3N4, was increased at 145$0^{\circ}C$ for 5 hours. The crystal phase was $\alpha$ phase and the nitridation reaction was promoted and the particle size of silicon nitride was become smaller by the addition of $\alpha$-Si3N4, but silicon nitride of whisker-like form was produced by the addition of transition elements. There was a difference in the lattice constants of $\alpha$-Si3N4, but no difference in its of $\beta$-Si3N4 according to kinds of added substance and reaction time.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.61-67
• /
• 2005

In this study a new growing method of silicon nitride whiskers in the inside of large pores made intentionally during the sintering was conducted. Pore size, pore vol%, and nitrogen pressure were used as experimental variables. Silicon nitride whiskers were well grown in the inside of pores with low pore vol% range from 14 to 27 but not grown with high pore vol% such as 39 and 50. On the other hand, pore size and nitrogen pressure did not have any influence on the whisker growth. Therefore the most important factor to grow silicon nitride whisker in the inside of large pores during sintering was to make pores isolated or closed.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.42 no.8 s.279
• /
• pp.525-531
• /
• 2005

Tailoring the microstructure and the composition of silicon nitride ceramics can have profound effects on their properties. Here it is shown that the grain growth behavior, in particular its anisotropy, is a function of the specific additives, which allow one to tune the microstructure from one consisting of more equiaxed grains to one with very elongated grains. Recent studies are discussed that provide an understanding of the atomic level processes by which these additives influence grain shapes. Next the microstructural (and compositional) parameters are discussed that can be used to modify the thermal conductivity, as well as fracture toughness of silicon nitride ceramics. As a result of the open <0001> channels in $\beta-Si_3N_4$, the c-axis conductivity can be exceptionally high. Thus, the formation of elongated c-axis grains, particularly when aligned can result in conductivity values approaching those of AlN ceramics. In addition, the controlled formation of elongated grains can also be used to significantly enhance the fracture toughness. At the same time, both properties are shown to be affected by the composition of the densification additives. Utilizing such understanding, one will be able to tailor the ceramics to achieve the properties desired for specific applications.

• Tribology and Lubricants
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.28-35
• /
• 1989

The wear tests of ceramic materials in dry rolling contact were carried out at room temperature to investigate their macroscopic wear characteristics. Both point contact and line cootact were adapted in the wear tests of them. Ceramic materials used in these tests were silicon nitride, silicon carbide, cermet of TiN and TiC, titania, and alumina. The wear test of the bearing steel was carried out to compare to the wear test results of the ceramic materials. The results showed that the wear rate of silicon nitride was smaller than any other ceramic materials and bearing steel. In the steady wear, the wear volume of ceramic materials increases linearly with the rolling distance. It was also found from the experimental results that fracture toughness and surface roughness dominate the wear process of ceramic materials in dry rolling contact.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.299-303
• /
• 2016

Prompt gamma activation analysis using a thermal neutron-guided beam at Japan Atomic Energy Agency JRR-3M was applied for the precise determination of Si in silicon nitride ceramic reference materials [Japan Ceramic Reference Material (JCRM) R 003]. In this study, the standard addition method coupled with internal standard was used for the nondestructive determination of Si in the sample. Cadmium was used as internal standard to obtain the linear calibration curves and to compensate for the neutron beam variability. The analytical result of determining Si in JCRM R 003 silicon nitride fine powder ceramic reference materials using prompt gamma activation analysis was in good agreement with that obtained by classical gravimetric analysis. The relative expanded measurement uncertainty (k = 2) associated with the determined value was 2.4%.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.44 no.6 s.301
• /
• pp.338-342
• /
• 2007

Porous silicon nitride ceramics were prepared by SHS (Self-Propagating High Temperature Synthesis) from silicon powder, silicon nitride powder and pore-forming precursor. The microstructure, porosity and the flexural strength of the porous silicon nitride ceramics were varied according to the Si/Si3N4 ratio, size and amount of the pore-forming precursors. Some sample exhibited as high flexural strength as $162{\pm}24\;MPa$. The high strength is considered to result from the fine pore size and the strong bonding amoung the silicon nitride particles.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.48 no.5
• /
• pp.354-359
• /
• 2011

Silicon nitride ceramics were prepared by microwave gas phase reaction sintering. By this method higher density specimens were obtained for short time and at low temperature, compared than ones by conventional pressureless sintering, even though sintering behaviors showed same trend, the relative density of sintered body inverse-exponentially increases with sintering temperature and/or holding time. And grain size of ${\beta}$-phase of the microwave sintered body is bigger than one of the conventional pressureless sintered one. Also they showed good bending strengths and thermal shock resistances.