Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
1476936 Journal of the European Ceramic Society 2009 11 Pages PDF
Abstract

In this contribution, we report the analysis and interpretation of the mechanical property measurements for a new class of SiAlON ceramic. The hardness and indentation fracture toughness were measured on the hot pressed Ba-doped S-SiAlON ceramic using Vickers indentation at varying loads (up to 300 N). An important observation was that all the investigated S-SiAlON exhibited the characteristic rising R-curve behavior with a maximum toughness of up to 10–12 MPa m1/2 for ceramics, hot pressed both at 1700 and 1750 °C. Crack deflection by large elongated S-phase grains and crack bridging by β-Si3N4 needles has been found to be the major toughening mechanisms for the observed high toughness. Theoretical estimates, using a toughening model based on crack bridging and deflection by platelet shaped ‘S’-phase grains and β-Si3N4 needles, reveal the interfacial friction of around 200 MPa. Careful analysis of the indentation data reveals the average (apparent) hardness modestly increases with indent load in all S-SiAlON samples, with more significant effect for S-SiAlON, hot pressed at 1600 °C. This effect has been analyzed in the light of the established model of ‘indentation-induced cracking’ phenomenon. Our experimental results suggest that a modest combination of average hardness of 15 GPa and indentation toughness of around 12 MPa m1/2 could be achieved in Ba-S-SiAlON ceramic and further improvement requires microstructural tailoring.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Materials Science Ceramics and Composites
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