Production of porous SiC by liquid phase sintering using graphite as sacrificial phase: Influence of SiO2 and graphite on the sintering mechanisms.

Abstract

Porous silicon carbide (SiC) is a promising ceramic for high-temperature applications due to its unique combination of properties. In the present work, a fabrication route for porous SiC is presented using graphite spherical powder as sacrificial phase to introduce porosity. By varying the initial amount of sacrificial phase, high-performance SiC materials with porosities in the range 30-50% were manufactured and characterized in terms of microstructure, density, thermal conductivity and flexural strength. The materials were fabricated by liquid phase sintering in presence of 2.5 wt.% Al2O3 and Y2O3 as sintering additives. The results indicate that the SiO2 present in the starting SiC powders interacts with the sintering additives forming liquid phases that promote densification and weight loss. Besides, an Al-Si liquid phase is formed at higher sintering temperatures, whose contribution to densification is inhibited in presence of graphite due to the formation of Al-rich carbides.