Mirowave annealing of silicon nitride materials
- and others
Dense silicon nitride-based ceramics were microwave annealed to determine if microwave heating offers advantages over conventional heating for the enhancement of the high temperature creep resistance. Gas pressure sintered silicon nitride (GPS-SN) and sintered reaction-bonded silicon nitride (SRBSN) were heated in microwave or graphite element furnaces at 1150{degrees}C and 1600{degrees}C. Annealed materials were characterized for the room and high temperature flexural strengths, room temperature fracture toughness values, and high temperature creep properties. In addition, SEM analyses were performed to study grain growth and other microstructural changes. The results of this study showed that both types of furnace anneals at 1150{degrees}C lowered the room temperature strength and toughness values of both SRBSN and GPS-SN materials; however, the anneal treatments at 1600{degrees}C had little effect on the room temperature properties. Both the SRBSN and GPS-SN control and annealed samples had reduced high temperature fast fracture strengths, when compared to the room temperature strengths. Creep tests at 1200{degrees}C indicated that both the SRBSN and the GPS-SN materials that were annealed by microwave heating at I 150{degrees}C for 20 h showed enhanced creep resistance, when compared to unheated controls and conventionally heated materials. No qualitative differences were seen in the microstructures of the SRBSN and the GPS-SN materials which could account for the differences in the creep properties of the annealed materials. Additional experimental work is in progress to further understand the mechanisms for the enhanced creep properties of silicon nitride materials annealed by microwave heating.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-96OR22464
- OSTI ID:
- 516034
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970568-9; ON: DE97007783; TRN: 97:004922
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 99. annual meeting of the American Ceramic Society, Cincinnati, OH (United States), 4-7 May 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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