Production mechanism of polyzirconocarbo- silane using zirconium(IV)acetylacetonate and its conversion of the polymer into inorganic materials

Abstract

The reaction of polycarbosilane with zirconium(IV)acetylacetonate proceeded at 573 K in nitrogen atmosphere by the condensation reaction of the Si–H bonds in polycarbosilane and the ligands of zirconium(IV)acetylacetonate accompanied by the evolution of acetylacetone, and then the molecular weight increased by the cross-linking reaction with a formation of Si–Zr bond. The obtained polyzirconocarbosilane showed higher ceramic yield than the polycarbosilane. Zirconium contained in the pyrolysed polyzirconocarbosilane was furthermore found to have the effect of inhibiting crystalline grain growth of β-type SiC up to high temperature, so Si–Zr–C–O fibre, which was obtained by the use of polyzirconocarbosilane as precursor, showed high tensile strength up to high temperature.