Tailoring the microstructure of hot-pressed SiC by heat treatment

In the present work, monolithic NITE-SiC produced with the addition of Al2O3, Y2O3 and SiO2 were annealed at different temperatures to observe microstructure evolution. The weight loss of specimens annealed under 1400degreesC is less than 3%. However, specimens annealed at 1500degreesC or higher show pockets of erosion and heavy weight loss. The second phase in as-fabricated NITE-SiC, an oxide glassy phase, is gradually crystallized through heat treatment at 1300degreesC or higher. These oxide phases are identified as yttrium-aluminum garnet (YAG) and Y2Si2O7 by X-ray diffractometry. During heat treatment the softened oxide glassy phase diffuses from the center to surface and reacts with SiC matrix. It can be concluded that the secondary oxide phase is reduced gradually through movement of the liquid phase toward surface and successive volatilization. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.