Fabrication and properties of pressure-sintered reaction-bonded Si3N4 ceramics with addition of Eu2O3–MgO–Y2O3

Abstract

Dense pressure-sintered reaction-bonded Si3N4 (PSRBSN) ceramics were obtained by a hot-press sintering method. Precursor Si powders were prepared with Eu2O3–MgO–Y2O3 sintering additive. The addition of Eu2O3–MgO–Y2O3 was shown to promote full nitridation of the Si powder. The nitrided Si3N4 particles had an equiaxial morphology, without whisker formation, after the Si powders doped with Eu2O3–MgO–Y2O3 were nitrided at 1400 °C for 2 h. After hot pressing, the relative density, Vickers hardness, flexural strength, and fracture toughness of the PSRBSN ceramics, with 5 wt% Eu2O3 doping, were 98.3 ± 0.2%, 17.8 ± 0.8 GPa, 697.0 ± 67.0 MPa, and 7.3 ± 0.3 MPa m1/2, respectively. The thermal conductivity was 73.6 ± 0.2 W m−1 K−1, significantly higher than the counterpart without Eu2O3 doping, or with ZrO2 doping by conventional methods.