Thermal expansion and P-V-T equation of state of cubic silicon nitride

We performed in-situ X-ray diffraction measurements of polycrystalline cubic silicon nitride samples at high temperatures under atmospheric pressure and at simultaneous high-pressure-temperature conditions. In air, cubic silicon nitride survives metastably up to 1733 K without oxidation. The temperature dependence of the thermal expansion coefficient was determined to be α(T) = a1 + a2T – a3T−2 where a1 = 1.34(6) × 10−5 K−1, a2 = 5.06(44) × 10−9 K−2, and a3 = 0.20(10) K. Using all the experimental data obtained under atmospheric and high pressures, a complete set of parameters of the high-temperature third-order Birch Murnaghan equation of state was obtained: K300,0 = 303(5) GPa, K′300,0 = 5.1(8), and (∂KT,0/∂T)P = –0.017(1) GPa K−1, where K0, K′0, and (∂KT,0/∂T)P are the isothermal bulk modulus, its pressure derivative, and its temperature derivative, respectively. These parameters are necessary to calculate the equilibrium phase boundary between the β and cubic phases in silicon nitride

Microstructural effects on hardness and optical transparency of birefringent aluminosilicate nanoceramics

Transparent nanoceramics, synthesized at extreme conditions of high pressure and temperature, are new classes of materials highly attractive for photonic applications, such as optical windows, which require additional increased hardness and toughness. In this study, mechanical properties of transparent polycrystalline nanoceramics consisting of triclinic Al$_2$SiO$_5$ kyanite (~91.4 vol%) and trigonal Al$_2$O$_3$ corundum (~8.6 vol%) fabricated at high pressure (10 GPa) and temperature (1200‐1400°C) were investigated. It is already known that the optical transparency of kyanite‐based nanoceramics increases with decreasing average grain size. The present study shows that the hardness of these ceramics increases with decreasing grain sizes down to ~70 nm according to the Hall‐Petch strengthening. This grain size seems to mark a transition range where an inverse Hall‐Petch effect is indicated due to signs of a moderate hardness decrease at a smaller grain size of ~35 nm. The observed hardness‐grain size relation can fairly be described by an existing composite model, which considers the crystals to be harder than the noncrystalline grain boundaries. Within the range of average grain sizes examined, the kyanite habit changes from more equant to more columnar. This behavior is associated with the observed strong crack deflection by the columnar kyanite grains with aspect (length to diameter) ratios ranging from ~2 to 10 and may positively affect the fracture toughness

Synthesis of Al2O3/SiO2Al_{2}O_{3}/SiO_{2} Nano-Nano Composite Ceramics under High Pressure and Its Inverse Hall-Petch Behavior

We report the synthesis of alumina/stishovite nano-nano composite ceramics through a pressure-induced dissociation in Al2SiO5 at a pressure of 15.6 GPa and temperatures of 1300°C-1900°C. Stishovite is a high-pressure polymorph of silica and the hardest known oxide at ambient conditions. The grain size of the composites increases with synthesis temperature from ~15 to ~750 nm. The composite is harder than alumina and the hardness increases with reducing grain size down to ~80 nm following a Hall–Petch relation. The maximum hardness with grain size of 81 nm is 23 ± 1 GPa. A softening with reducing grain size was observed below this grain size down to ~15 nm, which is known as inverse Hall–Petch behavior. The grain size dependence of the hardness might be explained by a composite model with a softer grain-boundary phase

Synthesis of Al 2

We report the synthesis of alumina/stishovite nano-nano composite ceramics through a pressure-induced dissociation in Al2SiO5 at a pressure of 15.6 GPa and temperatures of 1300°C-1900°C. Stishovite is a high-pressure polymorph of silica and the hardest known oxide at ambient conditions. The grain size of the composites increases with synthesis temperature from ~15 to ~750 nm. The composite is harder than alumina and the hardness increases with reducing grain size down to ~80 nm following a Hall–Petch relation. The maximum hardness with grain size of 81 nm is 23 ± 1 GPa. A softening with reducing grain size was observed below this grain size down to ~15 nm, which is known as inverse Hall–Petch behavior. The grain size dependence of the hardness might be explained by a composite model with a softer grain-boundary phase

Transparent polycrystalline nanoceramics consisting of triclinic Al2SiO5\mathrm{Al_{2}SiO_{5}} kyanite and Al2O3\mathrm{Al_{2}O_{3}} corundum

Transparent polycrystalline nanoceramics consisting of triclinic Al$_2$SiO$_5$ kyanite (91.4 vol%) and Al$_2$O$_3$ corundum (8.6 vol%) were fabricated at 10 GPa and 1200‐1400°C. These materials were obtained by direct conversion from Al$_2$O$_3$‐SiO$_2$ glasses fabricated using the aerodynamic levitation technique. The material obtained at 10 GPa and 1200°C shows the highest optical transparency with a real in‐line transmission value of 78% at a wavelength of 645 nm and a sample‐thickness of 0.8 mm. This sample shows equigranular texture with an average grain size of 34 ± 13 nm. The optical transparency increases with decreasing mean grain size of the constituent phases. The relationship between real in‐line transmission and grain size is well explained by a grain‐boundary scattering model based on a classical theory