Low‐Cost Melt Formed Siliconized Silicon Carbide Radiant Tube Materials

Abstract

This paper describes a new low‐cost, melt infiltration method for manufacturing silicon carbide–silicon (SiC─Si) and graphite–silicon (G─Si) materials for radiant tube applications, and the physical and mechanical characteristics of these materials. Characterization of the microstructures and various physical and mechanical properties of three SiC─Si and one G─Si materials which were produced by this newly developed processing method are discussed in detail. The C‐ring and O‐ring specimens tested in compression showed that at all test temperatures (room to 1350°C), the SiC─Si materials are substantially stronger than the G─Si material, which actually contained 8.5 vol% SiC due to reaction of the graphite with the molten Si during processing. The strengths as determined by the C‐ring and O‐ring tests for each of the materials were similar, thus indicating that the inherent flaws on the inside and outside surfaces of the tubes are similar in severity. Since these materials showed significant deformation when tested at and above 1000°C, the strength of the G─Si material and one of the SiC─Si materials was also measured at room and at elevated temperatures, using a tensile test procedure. Results of the tensile tests illustrate that, due to stress redistribution at 1000°C and above, the C‐ring and O‐ring data overestimate the actual fracture strengths of these materials. The fracture toughness of the G─Si material measured at room temperature and 1000°C was much less than that of the SiC─Si materials. This behavior was explained by the presence of low‐strength graphite grains, which did not inhibit crack propagation as effectively as the SiC grains.