abstract
Dense alpha-SiAlON ceramics were obtained by pressureless sintering of green compacts prepared using slip casting. The rheological properties of the reaction SiAlON suspension were optimized to achieve a high degree of dispersion with a high solids volume fraction, which resulted in homogeneous and relatively dense green bodies with high sintering ability, which could be densified by pressureless sintering at 1750degreesC for 2 h. The sintered samples revealed a high degree of uniformity and almost fully dense microstructures that consisted of many small, elongated grains homogeneously dispersed in the fracture surfaces, which had properties comparable with those of other SiAlONs obtained using hot pressing.
keywords
SILICON-NITRIDE; MICROSTRUCTURE; ALPHA'-SIALON; BEHAVIOR
subject category
Materials Science
authors
Xu, X; Oliveira, MILL; Ferreira, JMF
our authors
