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The microstructure of polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) was closely related to processing. This study demonstrated that SiCN matrix prepared by polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) at 900 ℃ inside a Si3N4 whisker (Si3N4w) preform with submicro-sized pores differed from its powder- consolidated analogue in both the content and structure of free carbon. Chemical analysis showed that PIP process had a higher free carbon yield. Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation discovered a higher graphitization degree of free carbon and the existence of nanocrystalline graphite in SiCN matrix. Dielectric properties of Si3N4w/SiCN composites were greatly enhanced when volume fraction of SiCN matrix reached 24.5% due to dielectric percolation caused by highly-lossy free carbon. Reconsolidation of hydrocarbon released during pyrolysis by gas-state carbonization in Si3N4 whisker preform was supposed to account for the high yield and graphitization degree of free carbon in PIP process.


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Formation of nanocrystalline graphite in polymer-derived SiCN by polymer infiltration and pyrolysis at a low temperature

Show Author's information Mingxing LILaifei CHENG( )Fang YE( )Conglin ZHANGJie ZHOU
Science and Technology on Thermostructural Composite Materials Laboratory, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China

Abstract

The microstructure of polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) was closely related to processing. This study demonstrated that SiCN matrix prepared by polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) at 900 ℃ inside a Si3N4 whisker (Si3N4w) preform with submicro-sized pores differed from its powder- consolidated analogue in both the content and structure of free carbon. Chemical analysis showed that PIP process had a higher free carbon yield. Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation discovered a higher graphitization degree of free carbon and the existence of nanocrystalline graphite in SiCN matrix. Dielectric properties of Si3N4w/SiCN composites were greatly enhanced when volume fraction of SiCN matrix reached 24.5% due to dielectric percolation caused by highly-lossy free carbon. Reconsolidation of hydrocarbon released during pyrolysis by gas-state carbonization in Si3N4 whisker preform was supposed to account for the high yield and graphitization degree of free carbon in PIP process.

Keywords: dielectric property, polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs), free carbon, silicon carbonitride (SiCN), carbonization

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Publication history
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Publication history

Received: 05 February 2021
Revised: 28 April 2021
Accepted: 17 May 2021
Published: 29 August 2021
Issue date: December 2021

Copyright

© The Author(s) 2021

Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51632007, 51872229, and 52072304) and National Science and Technology Major Project (Grant No. 2017-VI-0007-0077). We would like to thank the Analytical & Testing Center of Northwestern Polytechnical University for the kind assistance with electron microscopic characterization in this work.

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