Nanoindentation analysis of the elastic properties of porous SiC derived from wood

Nanoindentation was used to measure the solid phase elastic modulus and hardness of porous silicon carbide derived from wood precursors. The results indicate that the solid phase of this material is composed of both SiC and unreacted carbon, and the elastic moduli and hardness of the two constituents differ by an order of magnitude. Modulus models for porous and composite materials correlate better with experimental observations when porosity is uniformly distributed.