Hot-Pressed Silicon Nitride Ceramics With Rare-Earth Oxides Additives

Abstract

A hot-pressed silicon nitride ceramic material with rare-earth oxides additive has been processed, its bend strength maintains 800–900 MPa up to 1300°C and measures 680 MPa at 1400°C, its fracture toughness at room temperature is 4.38–4.96 MPam. X-ray, SEM, EDS and electron probe analyses reveal that the microstructure of this material is composed of fine β-Si3N4 grains, α-Si3N4 whiskers, small tetragonal lanthanide crystals and La-containing glassy phase. Observation on fracture surface shows that the fracture path is mainly transcrystalline up to 1400°C. The effects of additives on strength and fracture toughness of HPSN obtained are also discussed.