Effects of SDBS and ZrO2 additives on the microstructure and properties of silicon-bonded SiC porous ceramics

Abstract

Porous silicon-bonded silicon carbide (SBSC) ceramics were prepared under argon atmosphere, with silicon as pore former and bonding material, simultaneously, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) and ZrO2 as sintering additives, the effects of SDBS and ZrO2 on the porosity, pore size, mechanical, physical and thermal properties and microstructures were investigated. The results suggested that suitable content of SDBS and ZrO2 could not only effectively lower the sintering temperature to 1450 °C due to the sticky flow of molten silicon, but also increase the pore structure and improve the bending strength. The reason for this is that SDBS decomposed into Na2O which reacted with ZrO2 and impurity SiO2, which was the native oxide film on the surface of SiC particles, to form a bonding phase between SiC particles to improve the bending strength; meanwhile, the disappearances of impurity SiO2 would benefit the bond of molten silicon and silicon carbide particles, and silicon melt leaving pores in its original position to increase the pore structure. The optimal apparent porosity, bending strength, average pore size, gas permeance and residual bending strength after thermal shock cycles of SBSC porous ceramic sintered at 1450 °C with 5 wt% SDBS and 6 wt% ZrO2 were 38.33%, 55.4 MPa, 11.3 μm, 106.4 m3/m2·h·kPa and 28.2 MPa, respectively.