High-temperature internal friction, stiffness and strength of Zr–Al(Si)–C ceramics

 The temperature dependence of internal friction, stiffness and strength of Zr–Al(Si)–C ceramics was studied. For glass-free Zr–Al(Si)–C ceramics, the internal friction curve followed an exponential-like background. For liquid-phase-sintered Zr3Al3C5, an internal peak present at 1590 K revealed the grain-boundary sliding due to wetting of glass phase at grain boundaries and triple junctions. Zr–Al(Si)–C ceramics exhibited high degrees of stiffness and strength at high temperatures up to 1600 and 1400 °C, respectively, which render them good high-temperature structural materials.