Abstract:
For applications where temperature is less than 1000_C, glass bonded SiC is an attractive option due to lower processing temperatures. To demonstrate this idea, clay was used to produce a glass phase during firing, resulting in amorphous grain boundaries on cooling. Results indicated that porosity was sensitive to clay concentration, but temperature had little effect. Samples containing 20% (by weight) clay had the lowest porosities (26-30%) and highest bulk densities; 5% (by weight) clay samples generated density levels averaging 58.50% of the theoretical, the lowest of all clay concentrations. Mullite and glass formation was temperature independent, which resulted constant skeletal density at all firing temperatures. These results offer the potential to tailor the porosity of sintered silicon carbide for less severe applications.
