ISSN 0004-881X

Spark Plasma Sintering of X-Sialon

by G. C. Barris(1), Z. Shen(2) and M. Nygren(2)
(1) Industrial Research Ltd., P. O. Box 31 310, Lower Hutt, New Zealand.
(2) Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.

Abstract

The mechanical properties of X-sialon (generally accepted formula: Si12Al18O39N8) are not well characterised. In an investigation of this material, X-sialon powders with 0 and 1.5 wt% Y2O3 were sintered using spark plasma sintering (SPS), and the physical and mechanical properties of the sintered X-sialon were determined. SPS allows rapid and low-temperature sintering by applying a pulsed DC current through the sample. Dense X-sialon bodies (3.04 g cm-3) with unique microstructures and exceptional strengths (up to 719 MPa using the ball on ring method) were obtained by sintering at set temperatures of 1300 to 1460°C (estimated real temperatures of 1360 to 1600°C) for 0 to 5 minutes under an applied uniaxial pressure of 50 MPa. Vickers hardness (12.8 - 12.8 GPa) and toughness (1.8 - 2.0 MPa m½) measurements are in line with previously reported values

Full Paper (PDF) | Table of Contents