Hot‐Pressed Silicon Nitride with Lu2O3 Additives: Oxidation and Its Effect on Strength

The oxidation behavior and effect of oxidation on room-temperature flexural strength were investigated for hot-pressed Si3N4 ceramics, with 3.33 and 12.51 wt% Lu2O3 additives, exposed to air at 1400° and 1500°C for up to 200 h. Parabolic oxidation behavior was observed for both compositions. The oxidation products consisted of Lu2Si2O7 and SiO2. The Lu2Si2O7 grew out of the surface silicate in preferred orientations. The morphology of oxidized surfaces was dependent on the amount of additive; Lu2Si2O7 grains in the 3.33 wt% composition appeared partially in a needlelike type, compared with a more equiaxed type exhibited in the 12.51 wt% case. The high resistance to oxidation shown for both compositions was attributed to the extensive amounts of crystalline, refractory secondary phases formed during the sintering process. Moreover, after 200 h of oxidation at 1400° and 1500°C, the strength retention displayed by the two compositions was 93%–95% and 85%–87%, respectively. The strength decrease was associated with the formation of new defects at the interface between the oxide layer and the Si3N4 bulk.

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