Pressureless Sintering of Carbon Nanofibre/SiC Composites and Their Properties

Abstract

To enhance the fracture toughness of silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics and prevent the generation of cracks and chippings in the SiC ceramics during machining process, carbon nanofibres (CNFs) were compounded with SiC. The densification and microstructure development of the CNFs/SiC composites pressureless sintered in Ar atmosphere were investigated. The fracture toughness of SiC ceramics was enhanced by the addition of 1–3 wt% CNFs, which resulted from the pullout and/or bridging effect of CNFs bonded much more closely with SiC. The addition of 3 wt% CNFs prevented the chippings from generating in the composite during precision machining process.