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Microstructure of a bearing-grade silicon nitride

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Mingqi Liu  and
Sia Nemat-Nasser
Mingqi Liu
Affiliation:
Trex Enterprises, San Diego, California 92121–4339
Sia Nemat-Nasser
Affiliation:
Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093–0416
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Abstract

The microstructure of a bearing-grade silicon nitride, prepared by pressureless sintering with Y2O3, AlN, and TiO2 additives and then hot-isostatically pressed, is examined with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. The material consists of large acicular β–Si3N4 grains and small equiaxial α–Si3N4 grains. An amorphous phase containing the sintering aids is observed at the two-grain boundaries and at the grain pockets. No crystalline boundary phase is identified. The α-to-β and β-to-β grain boundaries appear straight and well defined. The dominant crystalline planes observed at the β-grain boundaries are (1010) and (1120). The intergranular spacing of the two-grain boundaries (α-to-β and β-to-β) is 1.0 nm when a high-contrast boundary phase is present, and it is 0.8 nm when a low-contrast boundary phase is present, confirming that the film thickness is strongly dependent on the boundary-phase composition. The α-to-α boundaries are often curved, and the thickness of the amorphous film at these boundaries varies from 0.7 to 1.1 nm. Evidence of near-intimate contact between β-grains is also observed.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 14 , Issue 12 , December 1999 , pp. 4621 - 4629
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1999

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