Abstract
Si3N4-based ceramic materials formed by glass encapsulation and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) using different additions of Al2O3, Y2O3 and ZrO2 have been characterized by analytical electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry. The microstructures have been related to formation process and to room temperature hardness and fracture toughness of the ceramics. A high volume fraction of retained α-Si3N4 after processing at 1550 °C gave the Si3N4 ceramics high hardness. The equi-axed grain morphology of the Si3N4 matrices in these materials, which contained only small amounts of residual glass, resulted in comparatively low fracture toughness values. Processing at 1750 °C reduced the amount of retained α-Si3N4 substantially. When Y2O3 was added, the microstructure contained a comparatively large volume fraction of residual glass, and the Si3N4 was present mainly as high aspect ratio β-Si3N4 grains. This type of microstructure gave an Si3N4 ceramic material with high fracture toughness combined with a lower hardness. Additions of ZrO2 and/or Al2O3 resulted also at 1750 °C in an extremely small volume fraction of residual glass, and a major part of the Si3N4 was present as equi-axed grains. These ceramics exhibited medium hardness and toughness values, however, larger additions of ZrO2 appeared to slightly increase toughness.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
S. Hampshire andK. H. Jack, in “Special Ceramics 7”, edited by D. Taylor and P. Popper (British Ceramic Research Association, Stoke-on-Trent, 1981) pp. 37–49.
F. F. Lange, in “Nitrogen Ceramics”, edited by F. L. Riley (Noordhoff, Leyden, 1977) pp. 491–509.
F. F. Lange,Int. Met. Rev. 1 (1980) 1.
M. H. Lewis andR. J. Lumby,Powder Met. 26 (1983) 73.
J. K. Patel andD. P. Thompson,Brit. Ceram. Trans. J. 87 (1988) 70.
M. H. Lewis andP. Banard,J. Mater. Sci. 15 (1980) 443.
B. S. B. Karunaratne andM. H. Lewis,ibid. 15 (1980) 449.
J. L. Iskoe, F. F. Lange andE. S. Diaz,ibid. 11 (1976) 908.
H. T. Larker, in “Proceedings of the International Conference on HIP”, edited by T. Garvare (CENTEK publishers, Luleå, 1988) pp. 19–26.
J. Aucote andS. R. Foster,Mater. Sci. Technol 2 (1986) 700.
T. Ekström,Mater. Sci. Engng A109 (1989) 341.
T. Ekström, L. K. L. Falk andE. M. Knutsonwedel,J. Mater. Sci. in press.
D. R. Clarke,J. Amer. Ceram. Soc. 63 (1980) 104.
W. D. Kingery,J. Appl. Phys. 30 (1959) 301.
I. A. Aksay andJ. A. Pask,J. Amer. Ceram. Soc. 58 (1975) 507.
W. Weisweiler,Sprechsaal 114 (1981) 450.
N. A. Toropov, andI. A. Bondar,Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Otd. Khim. Nouk 4 (1961) 547.
I. A. Bondar andF. J. Galakhov,Izv. Akad. Nauk. SSSR, Ser. Khim. 7 (1964) 1325.
P. Doerner, L. J. Gauckler, H. Krieg, H. L. Lukas, G. Petzow andJ. Weiss,Comput. Coupling Phase Diagrams Thermochem. 3 (1979) 241–257.
N. A. Toropov, I. A. Bondar, F. J. Galakhov, X. S. Nikogosyan andN. V. Vinogradova,Izv. Akad. Nauk. SSSR, Ser. Khim. 7 (1964) 1162.
G. Cevales,Ber. Deut. Keram. Ges. 45 (1968) 217.
A. Rouanet,Rev. Int. Hautes Temp. Refract. 8 (1971) 161.
K. H. Jack,Met. Technol. 9 (1982) 297.
S. Hampshire, R. A. L. Drew andK. H. Jack,Phys. Chem. Glasses 26 (1985) 182.
R. A. L. Drew, S. Hampshire andK. H. Jack, in “Special Ceramics 7”, edited by D. Taylor and P. Popper (British Ceramic Research Association, Stoke-on-Trent, 1981) pp. 119–132.
M. H. Lewis, B. D. Powell, P. Drew, R. J. Lumby, B. North andA. J. Taylor,J. Mater. Sci. 12 (1977) 61.
M. H. Lewis, A. R. Bhatti, R. J. Lumby andB. North,J. Mater. Sci. 15 (1980) 103.
L. K. L. Falk, T. Hermansson andK. Rundgren,J. Mater. Sci. Lett. 8 (1989) 1032.
L. K. L. Falk andM. Holmström, in Proceedings of the 1st European Ceramic Society Conference, edited by G. de With, R. A. Terpstra and R. Metselaar (Elsevier Applied Science, London, 1989) pp. 1.373–1.377.
Y. Cheng andD. P. Thompson,Brit. Ceram. Trans. J. 87 (1988) 107.
F. F. Lange, L. K. L. Falk andB. I. Davis,J. Mater. Res. 2 (1987) 66.
G. R. Anstis, P. Chantikul, B. R. Lawn andD. B. Marshall,J. Amer. Ceram. Soc. 9 (1981) 553.
C. Greskovich andG. E. Gazza,J. Mater. Sci. Lett. 4 (1985) 195.
N. Ingelström andT. Ekström, in Proceedings of the International Conference on HIP, edited by T. Garvare (CENTEK publishers, Luleå, 1988) pp. 307–314.
G. Ziegler, J. Heinrich andG. Wötting,J. Mater. Sci. 22 (1987) 3041.
F. F. Lange,ibid. 17 (1982) 240.
A. V. Virkar andR. L. K. Matsumoto, in “Science and Technology of Zirconia III”, edited by S. Somiya, N. Yamamoto and H. Yanagida (American Ceramic Society, Westerville, OH, 1988) pp. 653–662.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Knutson-Wedel, E.M., Falk, L.K.L., Björklund, H. et al. Si3N4 ceramics formed by HIP using different oxide additions — relation between microstructure and properties. J Mater Sci 26, 5575–5584 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02403960
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02403960