Reactive Spark Plasma Sintering of Si₃N₄ Based Composites

Abstract

Si3N4 based composites containing different amounts of SiC and SiAlON were produced by reactive spark plasma sintering of Si3N4, SiO2 and C black. Y2O3 and AlN were added as sintering additives. The SPS process was carried out at sintering temperature of 1650 0C for 5 min with uniaxial pressure of 40 MPa in a nitrogen atmosphere.The mechanic properties and morphology of Si3N4 ceramic composite were determined. Microstructures of the sintered samples were observed by SEM images and phase compositions were analysed by XRD.

Progress of Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) Method, Systems, Ceramics Applications and Industrialization

“…To comply with the SPS size effect and shape effect, it requires enlargement management know-how to attain dense and homogeneous SPS sintered materials. Although SPS research and development on other categories of materials both of ceramics and metals were not discussed in this paper, such as transparent ceramics [75][76][77][78], MMC/FRC/FRM [79][80][81][82], CNT/CNF various composite materials [83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93], thermo-electric semiconductors of SiGe, Bi 2 Te 3 , FeSi 2 , CoSb 3 , MnSi 2, Mg 2 Si, MgFe 2 O 4 systems for clean energy generation [94][95][96][97][98], nuclear materials [99], Nd-Fe-B, Sm 2 Co 17 and ferrite for magnetic materials [100,101], MgB 2 superconducting materials [102], PbTiO 3 dielectric materials [103], lithium battery [104], shape memory alloys, solid cell materials, glassy metals, and optically functional materials, nevertheless, they are promising candidates for industrial SPS applications. Ceramicceramic solid-phase SPS bonding processing is also attractive for industries.…”