Thermal shock and thermal fatigue behavior of Si3N4-TiC nano-composites

Nano monolithic Si3N4 and Si3N4-TiC nano-composites were fabricated by hot press sintering. The thermal shock and thermal fatigue behaviors of monolithic Si3N4 nano-ceramic and Si3N4-TiC nano-composites were investigated through the water-quench method. Si3N4-TiC nano-composites showed both higher critical temperature difference and higher residual strength compared with that of monolithic silicon nitride nano-ceramic. The highest critical temperature difference is 550 °C, which obtained from Si3N4-TiC nano-composite with 10 wt% TiC addition.