Sintering of alloys of zirconium diboride with molybdenum disilicide

Summary

The sintering of zirconium diboride with molybdenum disilicide is accompanied by the formation of a solid solution based on zirconium diboride, formation of a liquid phase at temperatures above 1800°C, and partial vaporization of silicon in the ZrB₂+15% MoSi₂ alloy. At temperatures up to 1800°C, solidphase sintering takes place; at low temperatures, this is accompanied by specimen growth due to heterodiffusion processes resulting from the difference in the partial diffusion coefficients of the components and to the vaporization of excess silicon in the case of the ZrB₂+15% MoSi₂ alloy.

At temperatures above 1800°C, shrinkage is caused by the formation of a liquid phase, which disappears during sintering. Under these conditions, grain recrystallization and growth in the solid solution of Mo and Si in zirconium diboride in the case of 15% MoSi₂ alloys are not completed even after 4-h holding at temperatures of 1800, 1900, and 2000°C.