Effects of SiC particles on mechanical properties of SiCN-based composite by atomistic simulation

The design of SiCN reinforced by SiC nanoparticles is attractive because it can improve high temperature properties and decrease the number of the processing cycles by minimizing the free space where precursor-derived ceramics should be filled. However, the high temperature mechanical behaviors of these composites are difficult to be investigated because it is hard to measure these structural changes in the mechanical test. In this paper, molecular dynamics simulations are used to generate amorphous SiCN, then the SiC particles are added and the effects of its size and quantity on mechanical properties of SiCN composites are studied. The results show the participation of β-SiC particles increase the Young’s modulus of SiCN. The quantity of SiC particles does not have too much influence on Young’s modulus, however, the Young’s modulus increases when the diameter of SiC reach 3.2 nm.