Bibliography: pages 129-139. / Silicon nitride, Si₃N₄, ceramics were produced using either silicon or silicon nitride powder. The silicon was reaction bonded in nitrogen atmosphere to form reaction bonded Si₃N₄,which was then sintered between 1700°C and 1800°C to form a dense Si₃N₄ ceramic. The silicon nitride powder compacts were also sintered between 1700°C and 1800°C. In order to achieve densification Y₂O₃-A1₂O₃ additive combination was used in both processing routes. The physical and mechanical properties of the Si₃N₄ materials was found to be dependent on the processing conditions. The post sintered reaction bonded Si₃N₄ materials had the highest densities and hardness values, while the sintered Si3N4 materials had the highest strength and toughness values. The microstructure was also influenced to a great extent by the processing conditions, and this in tum influenced the mechanical properties of the ceramics.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uct/oai:localhost:11427/21682 |
| Date | January 1993 |
| Creators | Nel, Jacqueline Margot |
| Contributors | Shaw, Martin, Paterson, Adrian, Allen, Colin |
| Publisher | University of Cape Town, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Centre for Materials Engineering |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Master Thesis, Masters, MSc (Eng) |
| Format | application/pdf |
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