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Reactive Hot Pressing of Alumina‐Silicon Carbide Nanocomposites
Author(s) -
Zhang GuoJun,
Yang JianFeng,
Ando Motohide,
Ohji Tatsuki
Publication year - 2004
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.1551-2916.2004.00299.x
Subject(s) - materials science , nanocomposite , composite material , silicon carbide , hot pressing , mullite , scanning electron microscope , fracture toughness , indentation , carbide , transmission electron microscopy , amorphous solid , ceramic , nanotechnology , crystallography , chemistry
A dense alumina‐silicon carbide (Al 2 O 3 –SiC) nanocomposite was synthesized in situ from the reaction of mullite, aluminum, and carbon by reactive hot pressing (RHP). Transmission electron microscopy investigation showed that in situ ‐formed, nanometer‐sized SiC particles were mainly entrapped in the matrix grains, whereas submicrometer‐sized particles were located at the grain boundaries or triple points of the Al 2 O 3 . In addition, no amorphous phase was observed at the interfaces of the Al 2 O 3 and SiC grains, which indicated strong direct bonding. Fracture‐surface analysis by scanning electron microscopy revealed an intrafracture mode. The bending strength of the nanocomposite RHP‐treated at 1800°C was 795 ± 160 MPa, and the fracture toughness, measured by the indentation method, was 3.1 MPa·m 1/2 .