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Microstructure of a bearing-grade silicon nitride

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Abstract

The microstructure of a bearing-grade silicon nitride, prepared by pressureless sintering with Y2O3, AlN, and TiO2 additives and then hot-isostatically pressed, is examined with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. The material consists of large acicular β–Si3N4 grains and small equiaxial α–Si3N4 grains. An amorphous phase containing the sintering aids is observed at the two-grain boundaries and at the grain pockets. No crystalline boundary phase is identified. The α-to-β and β-to-β grain boundaries appear straight and well defined. The dominant crystalline planes observed at the β-grain boundaries are (1010) and (1120). The intergranular spacing of the two-grain boundaries (α-to-β and β-to-β) is 1.0 nm when a high-contrast boundary phase is present, and it is 0.8 nm when a low-contrast boundary phase is present, confirming that the film thickness is strongly dependent on the boundary-phase composition. The α-to-α boundaries are often curved, and the thickness of the amorphous film at these boundaries varies from 0.7 to 1.1 nm. Evidence of near-intimate contact between β-grains is also observed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Trex Enterprises, San Diego, California, 92121-4339, USA

    Mingqi Liu

  2. Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, 92093-0416, USA

    Sia Nemat-Nasser

Authors
  1. Mingqi Liu
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  2. Sia Nemat-Nasser
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Liu, M., Nemat-Nasser, S. Microstructure of a bearing-grade silicon nitride. Journal of Materials Research 14, 4621–4629 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1999.0625

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1999.0625

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