Preparation and mechanical properties of Fe/Mo–Sialon ceramic composites

A novel metal–ceramic matrix composite of Fe/Mo–Sialon was prepared by hot-pressed sintering. The phase composition and mechanical properties of the ceramic were studied. The results showed that main phases in Fe/Mo–Sialon contained β-Sialon, Mo, FeMo and FeSi2. The flexural strength initially increased, and then decreased with increasing FeMo70 alloy addition. The hardness decreased gradually with increasing FeMo70 alloy addition. With a flexural strength of 426.7 MPa and a Vickers hardness (HV0.5) of 19.3 GPa, Fe/Mo–Sialon ceramic with 19.3 wt.% FeMo70 added exhibited the best mechanical properties.