Processing and Characterization of SiC-Whisker-Reinforced Alumina-Matrix Composites

Brittle monolithic alumina can be reinforced with highstrength single‐crystal SiC whiskers with the effect of increasing fracture toughness. In this study, well‐mixed and nearly fully dense SiC whisker/alumina composites were fabricated by wet‐blending the constituents and uniaxially hot‐pressing th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Ceramic Society 1993-02, Vol.76 (2), p.497-502
Main Authors: Smith, Stanley M., Singh, Jitendra P., Scattergood, Ronald O.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
360603 > Materials-- Properties
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
Applied sciences
Building materials. Ceramics. Glasses
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
Ceramic industries
CHALCOGENIDES
Chemical industry and chemicals
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
CRYSTALS
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
Exact sciences and technology
FABRICATION
FRACTURE PROPERTIES
GRAIN SIZE
HOT PRESSING
MATERIALS
MATERIALS SCIENCE
MATERIALS WORKING
MATRIX MATERIALS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MICROSCOPY
MICROSTRUCTURE
MONOCRYSTALS
MONOMERS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWDERS
PRESSING
PROCESSING
REINFORCED MATERIALS
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SILICON CARBIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SIZE 360601 > Other Materials-- Preparation & Manufacture
Structural ceramics
Technical ceramics
WHISKERS
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Description
Summary:Brittle monolithic alumina can be reinforced with highstrength single‐crystal SiC whiskers with the effect of increasing fracture toughness. In this study, well‐mixed and nearly fully dense SiC whisker/alumina composites were fabricated by wet‐blending the constituents and uniaxially hot‐pressing the resulting powder. The alumina‐matrix grain size depended on whisker volume fraction, whisker surface‐oxygen content, and hot‐pressing environment. Fracture toughness, measured by an indentation‐fracture method, increased from 3.0 MPa·m1/2 for the hot‐pressed unreinforced alumina to 10.7 MPa·m1/2 for the composite containing 25 vol% SiC whiskers. Fracture surfaces revealed evidence of toughening by the mechanisms of crack deflection, pullout, and crack bridging by the whiskers. The observed increase in fracture toughness of alumina due to the addition of SiC whiskers was correlated with existing models of toughening mechanisms.
ISSN:0002-7820
1551-2916
DOI:10.1111/j.1151-2916.1993.tb03813.x