Abstract

The thermal shock properties of SiC materials were investigated for high temperature applications. In particular, the effect of thermal shock temperature on the flexural strength of SiC materials was evaluated, in conjunction with a detailed analysis of their microstructures. The efficiency of a nondestructive technique using ultrasonic waves was also examined for the characterization of SiC materials suffering from a cyclic thermal shock history. SiC materials were fabricated by a liquid phase sintering process (LPS) associated with hot pressing, using a commercial submicron SiC powder. In the materials, a complex mixture of and powders was used as a sintering additive for the densification of the microstructure. Both the microstructure and mechanical properties of the sintered SiC materials were investigated using SEM, XRD, and a three point bending test. The SiC materials had a high density of about 3.12 Mg/m3 and an excellent flexural strength of about 700 MPa, accompanying the creation of a secondary phase in the microstructure. The SiC materials exhibited a rapid propagation of cracks with an increase in the thermal shock temperature. The flexural strength of the SiC materials was greatly decreased at thermal shock temperatures higher than , due to the creation of microcracks and their propagation. In addition, the SiC materials had a clear tendency for a variation in the attenuation coefficient in ultrasonic waves with an increase in thermal shock cycles.

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