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Silicon nitride nanoceramics densified by dynamic grain sliding

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Abstract

The densification behaviors of two silicon nitride nanopowder mixtures based respectively on α-Si3N4 and ß-Si3N4 as the major phase constituent were studied by spark plasma sintering. Sintering conditions were established where a low viscous liquid not in equilibrium with the main crystalline constituent(s) stimulated the grain sliding yet did not activate the reprecipitation mechanism that unavoidably yields grain growth. By this way of dynamic grain sliding full densification of silicon nitride nanoceramics was achieved with no noticeable involvement of α- to β-Si3N4 phase transformation and grain growth. This processing principle opens the way toward flexible and precise tailoring of the microstructures and properties of Si3N4 ceramics. The obtained silicon nitride nanoceramics showed improved wear resistance, particularly under higher Hertzian stresses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fraunhofer Institute of Ceramic Technologies and Sintered Materials, Dresden, D-01277, Germany

    Mathias Herrmann

  2. Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, S-106 92, Stockholm, Sweden

    Zhijian Shen

  3. Institutfur Werkstoffwissenschaft, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, D-01307, Germany

    Ingrid Schulz

  4. Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, S-106 92, Stockholm, Sweden

    Jianfeng Hu

  5. Jozef Stefan Institute, Advanced Materials Department K-9, Jamova 39, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Bostjan Jancar

Authors
  1. Mathias Herrmann
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  2. Zhijian Shen
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  3. Ingrid Schulz
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  4. Jianfeng Hu
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  5. Bostjan Jancar
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Correspondence to Zhijian Shen.

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Herrmann, M., Shen, Z., Schulz, I. et al. Silicon nitride nanoceramics densified by dynamic grain sliding. Journal of Materials Research 25, 2354–2361 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2010.0313

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2010.0313

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