Abstract
After polycrystalline silicon nitride samples with various α/β phase ratios were fabricated by uniaxial hot-pressing under vacuum, their microstructures, α-to-β transformations, and grain-growth mechanisms were then characterized by electron microscopy. Room-temperature fracture toughness (KIC) increased with increasing β-phase content, and a value of 7.0 ± 0.5 MPa ċ m1/2 was obtained for a sample that contained 60 vol% β phase. The increase in KIC is the result of an increase in elongated-grain fractions with increasing β content, which promotes energy absorption by crack deflection, as well as by grain debonding, pullout, and bridging mechanisms.
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De Arellano-López, A.R., Mcmann, M.A., Singh, J.P. et al. Microstructure and room-temperature mechanical properties of Si3N4 with various α/β phase ratios. Journal of Materials Science 33, 5803–5810 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004497914264
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004497914264