Consolidation by Spark Plasma Sintering of a Ceramic Material Based on Silicon Carbide with Good Physicomechanical Properties, Mechanochemically Activated with Boron

Abstract

Industrial silicon carbide powder was consolidated with boron by the spark-plasma-sintering (SPS) method. It was shown that a preliminary mechanical activation is a promising method for introduction of high concentrations of boron into silicon carbide. The influence exerted by the boron concentration on the sintering and properties of the material based on silicon carbide was examined. A ceramic based on silicon carbide with 10 wt % amorphous boron was obtained with density of 3.12 g cm^–3, hardness of 31.9 GPa, and crack-resistance coefficient of 5.7 MPa m^1/2. The ceramic is promising as a construction ceramic for nuclear reactors and gas-turbine engines.