Mechanical Properties and Oxidation Behaviour of Electroconductive Ceramic Composites

International audienceDense electroconductive ceramic-ceramic composites silicon carbide-hafnium diboride (SiC-HfB2) and silicon carbide-hafnium carbide (SiC-HfC) were obtained by Hot Pressing (HP). In view of the results, the high performance composite grade SiC-HfB2 has also been elaborated by Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP). For 25 mol % HfC or HfB2 content, the resistivity was low enough to allow electrodischarged machining (EDM). The mechanical and thermal properties as well as the wear and oxidation behaviours were evaluated and compared. The electroconductive boride composite (75-25 mol% SiC-HfB2) exhibits high mechanical properties. The benefit of the diboride phase's presence is also noticed in fluent oxygen, up to 1450°C. The SiC-HfB2 composite is as resistant as silicon carbide. This behaviour may be related to the formation of a borosilicate based oxide layer containing hafnium phases, which plays the role of a coating and which limits the B2O3 evaporation

Oxidation behaviour of a hot isostatically pressed silicon nitride material

The oxidation behaviour of a dense silicon nitride material containing the minimum amount of additives was studied. A silicon nitride powder was hot isostatically pressed in the presence of 0.5 wt% Y2O3 and 0.025 wt%Al2O3. The dense material obtained was oxidized for 24 hours, in an oxygen atmosphere within the temperature range 1475-1650°C. The high oxidation resistance of this material may be related to the low amount of sintering aid initially introduced and consequently to the composition of the grain boundary phase. According to the temperature, the apparent activation energies for the oxidation processes, ranged from 355 to 680 kJ/mol

The effect of extreme temperature in an oxidising atmosphere on dense tantalum carbide (TaC)

This study describes the microstructure development as dense tantalum carbide (TaC), which is subjected to extreme temperature environments (3,000 A degrees C) in the presence of oxygen. These are conditions that structural materials are expected to experience in hypersonic aero-propulsion applications. The conditions produce molten oxide which may provide a temporary resistance to rapid oxidation and may go some way to repair thermal shock cracks, however, at the same time the liquid is observed to attack the dense ceramic both chemically and mechanically. A reaction mechanism is suggested which involves dissolution of TaC in the oxide melt and a two step oxidation; first the reaction of TaC with oxygen to form Ta(O,C) and TaO (x) , resulting in dissolved dissociated carbon, followed by the reaction of dissolved carbon with oxygen to produce gas. This microstructural analysis of one of the candidate ultra-high temperature ceramic materials for hypersonic flight provides new insight into the mechanism of TaC oxidation and the role of the liquid oxide layer in acting not only as a protective layer to further oxidation, as is commonly reported, but also as a dynamic component that promotes erosion of the TaC surface and is a source of further oxygenation of the TaC surface. If the formation of the liquid phase can be better controlled and the reaction of the liquid phase with the matrix be slowed and stabilised, then the formation of a liquid phase at the surface of TaC may provide a key to designing materials that can withstand the rigours of hypersonic flight

Nanomaterials, Nanoparticles, and Nanostructures

n/

Zirconium Carbide Oxidation: Maltese Cross Formation and Interface Characterization

Oxidation of dense hot-pressed ZrC specimens from 1073 to 1473 K was investigated using an in situ technique: HT-ESEM. Cuboid specimens were monitored on the surface and on edges and corners during oxidation in order to understand the influence of crack formation and propagation on the Maltese cross shape development of the oxide. The oxidation mechanism comprised three steps: (1) delamination of sample edges, (2) crack formation at corners and (3) crack propagation towards the inner core and formation of microcracks parallel to the interface that increase the accessible surface area followed by a drastic volume expansion. The microcrack pattern is found to be repetitive as if a cyclic debonding of the interface occurred. Characterization of the interface by TEM and HRTEM reveale