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In this work, bulk Zr3Al3C5-based ceramics were synthesized by the infiltration of Al–Si melt into zirconium carbide (ZrC) perform. The phase composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties of as-fabricated ceramics were studied. The results demonstrate that Si is more effective to reduce the twin boundary energy of ZrC than Al, and thus promotes the decrease of formation temperature of Zr3Al3C5. With the infiltration temperatures increasing from 1200 to 1500 ℃, the Zr3Al3C5 content increases from 10 to 49 vol%, which is contributed to the increase of flexural strength from 62±9 to 222±10 MPa, and fracture toughness (KIC) from 2.8±0.2 to 4.1±0.3 MPa·m1/2. The decrease of mechanical properties for the samples fabricated at 1600 ℃ is ascribed to the abnormal growth of Zr3Al3C5 grains.


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Microstructure and mechanical properties of Zr3Al3C5-based ceramics synthesized by Al–Si melt infiltration

Show Author's information Xiaomeng FANa,( )Yuzhao MAb,Yangfang DENGcJinxue DINGaLaifei CHENGa
Science and Technology on Thermostructural Composite Materials Laboratory, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
College of Materials Science and Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China
AECC Sichuan Gas Turbine Establishment, Chengdu 610500, China

† Xiaomeng Fan and Yuzhao Ma contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

In this work, bulk Zr3Al3C5-based ceramics were synthesized by the infiltration of Al–Si melt into zirconium carbide (ZrC) perform. The phase composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties of as-fabricated ceramics were studied. The results demonstrate that Si is more effective to reduce the twin boundary energy of ZrC than Al, and thus promotes the decrease of formation temperature of Zr3Al3C5. With the infiltration temperatures increasing from 1200 to 1500 ℃, the Zr3Al3C5 content increases from 10 to 49 vol%, which is contributed to the increase of flexural strength from 62±9 to 222±10 MPa, and fracture toughness (KIC) from 2.8±0.2 to 4.1±0.3 MPa·m1/2. The decrease of mechanical properties for the samples fabricated at 1600 ℃ is ascribed to the abnormal growth of Zr3Al3C5 grains.

Keywords: twin, carbide, Zr3Al3C5, ultra-high-temperature ceramics (UHTCs), Al–Si alloy

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Publication history

Received: 01 November 2020
Revised: 20 December 2020
Accepted: 29 December 2020
Published: 15 April 2021
Issue date: June 2021

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© The Author(s) 2020

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51702261, 52072303, and 51821091), the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province (No. 2019JQ-634), the 111 Project (No. B08040), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

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