skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Equipment for investigation of cryogenic compaction of nanosize silicon nitride powders. 1993 report

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10158882· OSTI ID:10158882
; ; ;  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. National Inst. of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD (United States). Materials Science and Engineering Lab.
  2. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Washington, DC (United States)
  3. Rutgers-the State Univ., Newark, NJ (United States)

This paper describes a highly-specialized system for studies of time-dependent compaction of nanosize silicon nitride powders under a variety of atmospheres and at temperatures ranging from 77 to 1,000 K. The system incorporate`s a screw-driven press (10 ton capacity) with a piston-cylinder type die and can produce decylindrical powder compacts, 3 mm in diameter and approximately 1 mm in thickness, using pressures up to 3 GPa. The system is computer-controlled and permits accurate measurements of the sample volume, and, after appropriate calibration, can determine the rate and degree of densification of the compacting powder as pressure is applied. Frictional forces between the piston and the die are measured during the compaction process. For calibration of the system, powders with known volume-change accompanied by phase transition under pressure were studied, and good agreement with published results was demonstrated. Several Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} samples have been compacted and sintered at 1,300 to 1,600 C. A maximum random packing density of 64% has been obtained using liquid nitrogen as a lubricant medium at pressure lower than 2.5 GPa. Both green samples and sample sintered at temperatures to 1,500 C exhibited visual transparency under visible light.

Research Organization:
National Inst. of Standards and Technology (IMSE), Gaithersburg, MD (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AI05-92OR22041
OSTI ID:
10158882
Report Number(s):
DOE/OR/22041-T1; ON: DE94013593; BR: 820201000; TRN: AHC29413%%78
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: [1993]
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English