Combustion synthesis of MoSi2 based composite and selective laser sintering thereof

Here, we present a novel strategy for manufacturing dense, hierarchically structured ceramics, particularly, MoSi2-based composites by selective laser sintering. MoSi2-Si composite powders were prepared by combustion synthesis technique, where the ceramic grains were covered with different amount of Si. MoSi2-Si powder was consolidated by selective laser sintering reaching 92% of density. The hardness of the manufactured samples varied with the amount of Si and applied laser current from 7.7-11.4 GPa. The maximum value of the compressive strength was determined to be 636 MPa. The manufactured MoSi2-Si was subjected to nitridation, which resulted in the growth of Si3N4 fibres on the surface and pores of the samples.