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Quantitative Microscopy of β‐Si 3 N 4 Ceramics
Author(s) -
Björklund Håkan,
Wasén Jonas,
Falk Lena K. L.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1151-2916.1997.tb03233.x
Subject(s) - microstructure , materials science , ceramic , grain size , microscopy , hexagonal crystal system , mineralogy , composite material , geometry , optics , crystallography , geology , mathematics , chemistry , physics
The three‐dimensional grain size distribution in an experimental β‐Si 3 N 4 material has been determined using the hexagonal prism as a model of β‐Si 3 N 4 grain shape. Results from quantitative microscopy of polished and etched sections were compared with computer‐generated two‐dimensional stereological parameters of hexagonal prisms with different aspect ratios in order to determine an average grain shape (i.e., aspect ratio) in the microstructure. Section parameter distributions for the average grain shape were obtained from the computer simulations and used in a three‐dimensional reconstruction of the microstructure. The results showed that this Si 3 N 4 ceramic had the postulated fibrous microstructure and a broad grain size distribution.