Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Flaw-tolerance and R-curve behavior of liquid-phase-sintered silicon carbides with different microstructures

Journal Article · · Journal of the American Ceramic Society
; ;  [1]
  1. Korea Advanced Inst. of Science and Technology, Taejon (Korea, Republic of). Dept. of Ceramic Science and Engineering
{beta}-SiC powder containing 6 wt% Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and 4 wt% Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} as sintering additives was pressureless sintered at 2,000 C for 1 h (AYE-SiC) and 3 h (AYP-SiC). AYE-SiC consisted of an equiaxed grain structure and AYP-SiC exhibited a microstructure with platelike grains as a result of grain growth related to {beta} {yields} {alpha} phase transformation during sintering. R-curve behavior and flaw tolerance for these silicon carbides were evaluated by the indentation-strength technique. For comparison, the R-curve behavior of conventional sintered, boron- and carbon-doped SiC (SS-SiC) was evaluated. AYE-SiC and AYP-SiC exhibited rising R-curve behavior with toughening exponents of m = 0.042 and m = 0.135, respectively. AYP-SiC exhibited better flaw tolerance and more sharply rising R-curve behavior than AYE-SiC. The more sharply rising R-curve behavior and the better flaw tolerance of AYP-SiC were attributed mainly to grain bridging of crack faces by platelike grains. Because of the high degree of transgranular fracture, SS-SiC exhibited a flat R-curve despite a microstructural feature with platelike grains.
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
182643
Journal Information:
Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Journal Name: Journal of the American Ceramic Society Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 78; ISSN 0002-7820; ISSN JACTAW
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English