Development and Application of Multi-phase Nitrides Bonded Silicon Carbide Lintel Blocks for Dry Quenching Furnaces

Multi-phase nitrides bonded silicon carbide lintel blocks were prepared using industrial SiC(SiC≥98 mass%,3-0.5,≤0.5 and≤0.044 mm),Si powder(Si≥98 mass%,≤0.044 mm),and SiO2 micropowder(SiO2≥96 mass%,d50=0.15 pm)as raw materials,and calcium lignosulfonate as the additive,batching,mixing,and molding on a vibration pressure molding machine,drying and then firing at 1420℃for 10 h in high-purity N2.The apparent porosity,the bulk density,the cold modulus of rupture,the hot modulus of rupture,and the linear expansion coefficient of the samples were tested.The phase composition and the microstructure of the samples at different nitriding depths(50,100,and 150 mm)were analyzed by XRD and SEM.The field application effects of the blocks were studied.The results show that:(1)the multi-phase nitrides bonded silicon carbide refractories can dynamically adjust their own phase composition and minimize structural and thermal stresses,improving the service life of key parts of dry quenching furnaces;(2)calcium lignosulfonate can improve the nitriding micro-environment of multi-phase nitrides bonded silicon carbide lintel blocks,successfully increasing the effective nitriding thickness of the blocks to 300 mm;(3)Sinosteel LI RR provides a unique concept in the design of materials and block types as well as the stable and scientific overall structure,promoting the industrialization process of dry quenching furnaces with long service life in China.

Predictive Modelling of Etching Process of Machinable Glass Ceramics, Boron Nitride, and Silicon Carbide

The present paper discusses the development of the first and second order model for predicting the chemical etching variables, namely, etching rate, surface roughness and accuracy of advanced ceramics. The first and second order etching rate, surface roughness and accuracy equations were developed using the Response Surface Method (RSM). The etching variables included etching temperature, etching duration, solution and solution concentration. The predictive models’ analyses were supported with the aid of the statistical software package – Design Expert (DE 7). The effects of the individual etching variables and interaction between these variables were also investigated. The study showed that predictive models successfully predicted the etching rate, surface roughness and accuracy readings recorded experimentally with 95% confident interval. The results obtained from the predictive models were also compared with Multilayer Perceptron Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Chemical Etching variables predictive by ANN were in good agreement with those with those obtained by RSM. This observation indicated the potential of ANN in predicting chemical etching variables thus eliminating the need for exhaustive chemical etching in optimization.

Preparation and properties of porous silicon carbide ceramics through coat-mix and composite additives process

The core-shell structure silicon-resin precursor powders were synthesized through coat-mix process and addition of Al2O3-SiO2-Y2O3 composite additives.A series of porous silicon carbide ceramics were produced after molding,carbonization and sintering.The phase,morphology,porosity,thermal conductivity,thermal expansion coefficient,and thermal shock resistance were analyzed.The results show that porous silicon carbide ceramics can be produced at low temperature.The grain size of porous silicon carbide ceramic is small,and the thermal conductivity is enhanced significantly.Composite additives also improve the thermal shock resistance of porous ceramics.The bending strength loss rate after 30 times of thermal shock test of the porous ceramics which were added Al2O3-SiO2-Y2O3 and sintered at 1 650 ℃ is only 6.5%.Moreover,the pore inside of the sample is smooth,and the pore size distribution is uniform.Composite additives make little effect on the thermal expansion coefficient of the porous silicon carbide ceramics.

Influence of pyrolysis temperature on structure and dielectric properties of polycarbosilane derived silicon carbide ceramic

β-SiC ceramic powders were obtained by pyrolyzing polycarbosilane in vacuum at 800-1200 °C. The β-SiC ceramic powders were characterized by TGA/DSC, XRD and Raman spectroscopy. The dielectric properties of β-SiC ceramic powders were investigated by measuring their complex permittivity by rectangle wave guide method in the frequency range of 8.2-18 GHz. The results show that both real part ε′ and imaginary part ε″ of complex permittivity increase with increasing pyrolysis temperature. The mechanism was proposed that order carbon formed at high temperature resulted in electron relaxation polarization and conductance loss, which contributes to the increase in complex permittivity.

Sintering and microstructure of silicon carbide ceramic with Y_3Al_5O_(12) added by sol-gel method

Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic with YAG (Y3Al5O12) additive added by sol-gel method was liquid-phase sintered at different sintering temperatures, and the sintering mechanism and microstructural characteristics of resulting silicon carbide ceramics were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and elemental distribution of surface (EDS). YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) phase formed before the sintering and its uniform distribution in the SiC/YAG composite powder decreased the sintering temperature and improved the densification of SiC ceramic. The suitable sintering temperature was 1860 °C with the specimen sintered at this temperature having superior sintering and mechanical properties, smaller crystal size and fewer microstructure defects. Three characteristics of improved toughness of SiC ceramic with YAG added by sol-gel method were microstructural densification, main-crack deflection and crystal ‘bridging’.

Preparation and Properties of Macroporous Silicon Nitride Ceramics by Gelcasting and Carbonthermal Reaction

Macroporous silicon nitride （Si3N4） ceramics with high strength, uniform structure and relatively high porosity were obtained by gelcasting and carbonthermal reaction in a two-step sintering technique. Microstructure and composition were investigated by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）. Open porosity, pore size distribution and basic mechanical performance were measured by Archimedes method, mercury intrusion porosimetry and three-point bending methods, respectively. SEM and TEM results revealed that pores were formed by elongated β-Si3N4. SADP measurement proved the formation of SiC particles. The SiC granules were beneficial for the formation of high ratio elongated β-Si3N4, and at proper amount, they also acted as reinforcement phase. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the mechanisms of the reactions were mainly associated with liquid-solid reaction and gas-liquid reaction.

Temperature Fluctuation Synthesis/Simultaneous Densification and Microstructure Control of Titanium Silicon Carbide (Ti_3SiC_2) Ceramics

A novel temperature fluctuation synthesis/simultaneous densification process was developed for the preparation of Ti3SiC2 bulk ceramics. In this process. Si is used as an in-situ liquid forming phase and it is favorable for both the solid-liquid synthesis and the densification of Ti3SiC2 rainies. The present work demonstrated that the temperature fluctuation synthesis/simultaneous densification process is one of the most effective and simple methods for the preparation of Ti3SiC2 bulk materials providing relatively low synthesis temperature. short reaction time; and simultaneous synthesis and densification. This work also showed the capability to control the microstructure, e.g., the preferred orientation, of the bulk Ti3SiC2 materials simply by applying the hot pressing pressure at different Stages of the temperature fluctuation process. And textured Ti3SiC2 bulk materials with {002} faces of laminated Ti3SiC2 grains normal to the hot pressing axis were prepared.

Picosecond Laser Machining of Deep Holes in Silicon Infiltrated Silicon Carbide Ceramics

Silicon infiltrated silicon carbide （Si-SiC） ceramics, as high hardness materials, are difficult to machine, especially drilling micro-holes. In this study, the interaction of picosecond laser pulses （1 ps at 1 030 nm） with Si-SiC ceramics was investigated. Variations of the diameter and depth of circular holes with the growth of the laser energy density were obtained. The results indicate that the increase of machining depth follows a nonlinear relation with the increasing of laser energy density, while the diameter has little change with that. Moreover, it is found that some debris and particles are deposited around and inside the holes and waviness is in the entrance and at walls of the holes after laser processing.

The Role of Nanodispersed Nitrides in the Sintering of Silicon Nitride Ceramics

The synthesis of ceramics based on silicon nitride using nanopowders of TiN and Si3N4 as additives was studied. The ceramic compositions were pressurelessly sintered under ni- trogen atmosphere at different temperatures （1550℃, 1650℃ and 1750℃） with a heating rate of 10℃/min and a holding time of 2 h. The nanodispersed nitrides （NDN） were produced by electric-arc plasma synthesis and characterized. The ceramic composites obtained with nanoparticles of 1wt% to 5wt% TiN and 20wt% Si3N4 were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, atom force microscopy （AFM） and energy-dispersive spectrometry （EDX）. The effect of the addition of nanodispersed powders on the mechanical properties and microstructure of Si3N4 ceramics was investigated.

Effects of Pore-forming Agents on Properties of Silicon Carbide Porous Ceramics Prepared from Crystalline Silicon Cutting Waste

SiC powder was rapidly synthesized in an induction furnace with crystalline silicon cutting waste and active carbon as raw materials,and then SiC porous ceramics were prepared at 1600 t for 4 h with carbon embedded using the powder as raw material,the starch and the graphite as pore-forming agents.Effects of additions of different pore-forming agents on the phase composition,microstructures,physical properties,and cold crushing strength of the porous ceramics were investigated.The results show that the main crystalline phases of the synthetic powder areα-S iC(6H-SiC)andβ-SiC(3C-SiC).The phase composition of the porous ceramics includesα-S iC(6H-SiC),β-SiC(3C-SiC),FeSi,quartz and Si2N20.The apparent porosity and closed porosity of the porous ceramics prepared by adding starch are higher,and the cold compressive strength of the porous ceramics added with graphite is higher.As increasing the additions of the starch,the apparent porosity,closed porosity and linear shrinkage ratio of the porous ceramics increase,and the bulk density decreases correspondingly.When 20 mass%starch is added,the apparent porosity,closed porosity,linear shrinkage ratio and cold compressive strength are 57.05%,2.03%,5.10%and 10.20 MPa,respectively.

Steam Oxidation Resistance of Nitride Bonded Silicon Carbide Refractories for Waste Incinerators at Elevated Temperatures

Steam oxidation resistance of Si3N4 and Si2N2O as well as SiAlON bonded SiC refractories at 900℃was tested according to ASTM-C863.Phase composition and microstructure before and after oxidation were analyzed by XRD and SEM.The results show that Si3N4 and Si2N2O bonded SiC refractory presents better steam oxidation resistance than SiAlON bonded SiC.For Si3N4 and Si2N2O bonded SiC,the oxidation speed is higher with more pronounced volume expansion in the early 100 h;afterwards,the volume expansion slows down gradually and starts to level off after 300 h.It is considered that the high silica glass phase formed during the oxidation covers Si3N4 and Si2N2O,and SiC as a protective layer and fills the open pores.But for SiAlON bonded SiC,the volume expands gradually and constantly with the increasing oxidation duration even after 500 h,due to the continuous formation of mullite transformed from oxidation products and Al2O3 in SiAlON.

Microhardness and Biocompatibility of Silicon Nitride Ceramic Developed for Dental Applications

Silicon nitride (Si3N4) ceramic is an attractive material for dental applications, especially used as a dental core material, due to its unique properties including high fracture toughness, high strength, high wear resistance and non-cytotoxicity. In this study, the Si3N4 ceramic was fabricated by a non-pressure sintering technique at a relatively low sintering temperature of 1650℃ in nitrogen atmosphere. Borosilicate glass and 5 wt% ZrO2-added borosilicate glass were used for coating on the Si3N4 core surface because of their compatibility in thermal expansion, high chemical resistance and bio-inert. The specimens were then fired in electric tube furnace at 1100℃. The Vickers microhardness of borosilicate glass and 5 wt% ZrO2-added borosilicate glass veneering materials were measured and compared with the commercial dental veneer porcelain as a control (VITA VMK 95). The cytotoxicity of the Si3N4 ceramic and the veneering materials were tested by MTT assay, using human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) and periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPDLF). The results indicate that the Si3N4 ceramic and Si3N4 ceramic veneered with borosilicate glass or 5 wt% ZrO2-added borosilicate glass veneering materials tested in this study are not toxic to oral tissue and can be used to produce dental prostheses.

Experimental investigation of laser surface processing of flexure silicon nitride ceramic

A continuous wave carbon dioxide (CO2) laser (λ=10.6μm) was employed to treat the surface of Si3N4 MOR (modulus of rupture) bars. The effects of the CO2 laser process on physical and mechanical properties of ground Si3N4 samples were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis shows that the area occupied by cavities and fracture is decreased by about 49.4% after laser treatments. Cross-sectional metallography results indicate that the secondary YSiAlON phase in the Si3N4 ceramic is softened/melted and flowed into the defects. Four-point bending tests show that the flexural strength of the treated samples is improved to 10.9%. Fractographic analysis show that the fracture origins move from the surface to subsurface. It is concluded that laser surface processing have significant effects on fracture behavior of flexure Si3N4 ceramic.

Experimental Research on Residual Stress in Surface of Silicon Nitride Ceramic Balls

The influence of the residual stress in surface of ceramic balls on the fatigue life is large, because the life of silicon nitride ball bearings is more sensitive to the load acted on the bearings than the life of all-steel ball bearings. In this paper, the influence of thermal stress produced in sintering and mechanical stress formed in lapping process on residual stress in surface of silicon nitride ceramic balls was discussed. The residual compress stress will be formed in the surface of silicon nitride ceramic balls after sintering. The residual tensile stress will be formed in surface of silicon nitride ceramic balls in lapping process, and the size of abrasive particle is smaller, such trend is stronger. In this paper the residual stress was measured by the xylometric measurement in which the material in surface was peeled with lapping. The distribution of residual stress in surface can be calculated with the variation in specific volume. The technological parameter with which the material was peeled by lapping was given, for minimizing the extra influence of the residual stress forming in peeling on the original residual stress in surface, the abrasive particle size would not be too small and the load impressed would not be too large. Some experimental researches on residual stress in surface of silicon nitride ceramic balls were made. The surface of silicon nitride ceramic balls presented residual compressive stress after sintering and the influence of the ball size on the residual stress is feeble. It is expected that the size of ball blank is same for achieving the same residual compressive stress in surface on balls after final machining. In lapping process, the surface of silicon nitride ceramic balls presented residual tensile stress, the larger the load which is impressed on single ball, the larger the amplitude of residual tensile stress is; the smaller the abrasive particle, the stronger the trend of plastic deformation is and the larger the amplitude of residual tensile stress is.

RESEARCH ON EROSION OF SILICON CARBIDE CERAMIC BLADE

In this paper, three linds of silicon carbide ceramic materials are chosen to perform the tests of material erosive wear. The relationship of ambient parameters, abrasive property and target property is studied in these experiments. Some main factors affecting erosive wear rate are determined by analysis of testing results, step wise regression analysis is completed according to the nondimensional quantities obtained by dimensional analysis. Relative hardness (partide to target Hp/Ht and erosion factor (Hpd1/2/Kic) are put for-ward to evaluate erosion property.

Preparation of silicon carbide nitride films on Si substrate by pulsed high-energy density plasma

Thin films of silicon carbide nitride （SiCN） were prepared on （111） oriented silicon substrates by pulsed high-energy density plasma （PHEDP）. The evolution of the chemical bonding states between silicon, nitrogen and carbon was investigated as a function of discharge voltage using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. With an increase in discharge voltage both the C 1s and N 1s spectra shift to lower binding energy due to the formation of C--Si and N--Si bonds. The Si--C--N bonds were observed in the deconvolved C ls and N ls spectra. The X-ray diffractometer （XRD） results show that there were no crystals in the films. The thickness of the films was approximately 1-2 μm with scanning electron microscopy （SEM）.

Silicon Nitride Bonded Silicon Carbide Bricks YB/T 4035-2007

1 Scope This standard specifies the definition, classifica- tion, technical requirements, test methods, quality appraisal procedures, packing, marking, transportation, storage, and quality certificate of silicon nitride bonded silicon carbide bricks.

Preparation of SiC Porous Ceramics by Crystalline Silicon Cutting Waste

SiC porous ceramics were prepared at 1 400 ℃ for4 h with crystalline silicon cutting waste and activated carbon as main starting materials and NH4HCO3 as the pore-forming agent. Effects of NH4HCO3 additions( 0,20%,30%,40%,by mass) on the phase composition,microstructure,sintering properties,cold compressive strength and thermal shock resistance of as-prepared Si C porous ceramics were investigated. The results show that:( 1) addition of NH4HCO3 remarkably influences the apparent porosity and cold compressive strength of specimens. The apparent porosity achieves its maximum value( 63. 40%) when 40% NH4HCO3 is added,while the minimum cold compressive strength is 4. 77 MPa;( 2) the specimen with 40% NH4HCO3 has the best thermal shock resistance. The thermal cycling times between1 000 ℃ to room temperature reach 62;( 3) the addition of NH4HCO3 does not remarkably affect the phase composition of the specimens;( 4) the specimens include a large number of SiC particles and a small amount of SiC whiskers.

Application of Reaction-Bonded Silicon Carbide in Manufacturing of Spacecraft Combustion Chamber

Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics is a good structural ceramics material, which have a lot of excellent properties such as superior high-temperature strength up to a temperature of 1 350 ℃, chemical stability, good resistance to thermal shock and high abrasion resistance. The silicon carbide ceramics material has so far been used widely for manufacturing various components such as heat exchangers, rolls, rockets combustion chamber. Sintering of ceramics structural parts have many technological method, the reaction-bonded is one of important sintering technology of ceramics structural parts. The preparation of reaction-bonded silicon carbide (RBSC) is based on a reaction sintering process, whereby a compacted body of α-SiC and carbon (graphite) powders is heated in contact with liquid silicon or gas silicon, which impregnates the body, converting the carbon (graphite) to β-SiC which bonds the original alpha grain. This process is characterized by low temperature and a short time sintering, and being appropriate to the preparation of large size and complex-shaped components, and so on. Besides, during compacting process of reaction sintering, it can maintain a stable dimension of ceramics parts. Therefore, the method of reaction-bonded silicon carbide ceramics has been identified as a technology suitable for producing complicated and highly exact dimensions’ ceramics parts. In this paper, the method of reaction-bonded silicon carbide was applied to the manufacturing of a complex-shaped spacecraft combustion chamber of SiC ceramics. SiC and carbon powder of 4～30 μm were chosen as the raw materials, green compacts containing appropriate wt.% carbon were formed using the mold press method, sintering was performed in a graphite electric furnace under an argon atmosphere. It was introduced in detail that the technological parameters and technological flow of reaction sintering silicon carbide ceramics. At the same time, physical and mechanical experiments such as bending strength, coefficient of thermal expansion, coefficient of thermal conductivity, gastight property, heat resisting property etc. have been carried out. The results demonstrated that spacecraft combustion chamber made from reaction sintering of silicon carbide ceramics is feasible and the results of experiment is satisfactory. The strength of high-temperature structural parts made by reaction sintered SiC varied with silicon content; Under the this article testing condition, the optimum silicon content is 10.5% for the part investigated. The method of reaction sintered SiC ceramics is suitable for manufacturing of complicated spacecraft parts with a working temperature of 1 500 ℃.

Synthesis of SiC Whiskers from Silicon Nitride in Argon Atmosphere

SiC whiskers were synthesized by carbothermal reduction of silicon nitride, α-Si3N4 and β-Si3N4 powders were used as silicon sources, and graphite, active carbon and black carbon as carbon sources, as well as boron oxide as catalyst. The synthesized SiC whiskers were characterized by XRD and SEM. The results showed that the synthesizing temperature should be above 1716 K; the decomposition of Si3N4 was the limited step in the synthesis of SiC whiskers; and catalyst not only offered the liquid condition, but also restricted the growth of SiC whiskers along one dimension. LS mechanism seems to explain well the growth of SiC whiskers.