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U.S. Department of Energy
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The role of additives in the densification of nitrogen ceramics. Annual report no. 2 (final)

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6527745

Densification of silicon nitride by either hot-pressing or pressureless sintering requires an additive which reacts with the surface silica and some of the nitride to give an oxynitride liquid that promotes shrinkage and, at the same time, the phase transformation from alpha to beta. Silicon nitride is densified by hot-pressing with scandia additive but theoretical density is not achieved by pressureless sintering. The kinetics of densification are interpreted in terms of a Kingery model with a slope of one-third for the solution-precipitation stage indicating that solution of alpha or precipitation of beta is rate-controlling. Sintering with equal weights of scandia and alumina gives improved densities. An important advantage over beta yttrium sialon is that the quaternary scandium oxynitride and glassy grain boundary phases do not undergo catastrophic oxidation at 1000 C.

Research Organization:
Newcastle upon Tyne Univ. (UK)
OSTI ID:
6527745
Report Number(s):
AD-A-116581/0
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English