| Effect of sintering pressure on microstructure and mechanical properties of (TiB2–SiC)/B4C composite ceramics |
| Zikang Wang1, Miao Qian1, Geyu Shao1, Yuzhen Xu2, Qi Song1 |
1School of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
2Zhejiang Technology Innovation Service Center, Hangzhou, 310007, China |
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Received: May 9, 2024; Revised: June 28, 2024 Accepted: July 17, 2024. Published online: July 29, 2024. |
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| ABSTRACT |
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In this study, spark plasma sintering technology was used for fabricating B4C composite ceramics that contained 30 wt% (TiB2 + SiC) by altering the sintering pressures (0 MPa, 50 MPa, and 80 MPa) at a comparatively low temperature of 1650 °C. This study showed how sintering pressure affected the densification behavior, microstructures, and mechanical characteristics of composite ceramics. Elevating the sintering pressure led to the inhibition of grain growth during the sintering process, ultimately resulting in the refinement of grains within the composite ceramics. At the same time, the quantity of internal pores in the composite ceramics was reduced, and the relative densities increased, so the flexural strength and hardness of the composite ceramics could be effectively improved. The quantity of microcracks and large aspect ratio second phase particles decreased with an increase in sintering pressure, which adversely affected the fracture resistance characteristics of the composite ceramics. In addition, the growth of B4C grains was hindered by TiB2 and SiC generated by in-situ reactions, thus improving the mechanical characteristics of the composite ceramics. Comprehensive analysis showed that the composite ceramics had the best comprehensive mechanical properties when the sintering pressure was 80 MPa, displaying a relative density of 98.65%, a Vickers hardness of 30.71 GPa, a flexural strength of 531.19 MPa, and a fracture toughness of 5.78 MPa m1/2. |
| Key words:
Spark plasma sintering · Sintering pressure · Mechanical properties · B4C composite ceramic |
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