High resolution energy loss research: Si compounds and ceramics

Technical Report · Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5906387· OSTI ID:5906387

Carpenter, R W; Lin, S H

Our current investigation of the structure and chemistry of whisker/matrix interfaces and matrix grain boundaries in SiC whisker reinforced Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} composites has been completed. We examined these interfaces and boundaries in four composites whose starting materials and processing were identical except for the SiC whiskers themselves, which were from four different sources: American matrix, Nikkei, Huber and Tokai. Thus, differences in interfaces among the composites are attributable to differences in the whiskers. The results showed that oxygen-rich amorphous interfacial layers were discontinuous in all whisker/matrix interfaces and continuous in all matrix grain boundaries. Further, we used position-resolved high spatial resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy to show that the chemical interface width'' is much wider than the geometric or structural interface width'' at both types of interfaces in all four composites. The geometric interface widths were determined from high resolution transmission electron microscope images of edge-on interfaces.

• Research Organization: Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-87ER45305
• OSTI ID: 5906387
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/45305-5; ON: DE92006416
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360602* -- Other Materials-- Structure & Phase Studies
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ENERGY-LOSS SPECTROSCOPY
GRAIN BOUNDARIES
INTERFACES
MATERIALS
MICROSCOPY
MICROSTRUCTURE
NITRIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PNICTIDES
PROGRESS REPORT
SILICON CARBIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON NITRIDES
SPECTROSCOPY
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY