Sintering behaviour of silicon carbide matrix composites reinforced with multilayer graphene

• Published in: Ceramics international Vol. 43; no. 6; pp. 5007 - 5013
• Main Authors: Petrus, M., Wozniak, J., Cygan, T., Adamczyk-Cieslak, B., Kostecki, M., Olszyna, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 15-04-2017
• Subjects: Carbon; Composites; SiC; Sintering; Composites; SiC; Carbon; Sintering
• ISSN: 0272-8842; 1873-3956
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2017.01.010

The scope of this paper includes preparation and characterisation of dense silicon carbide matrix composites reinforced with multilayer graphene (MLG). Application of graphene as a reinforcement phase should simultaneously improve mechanical properties of SiC matrix composites and act as one of the sintering activators. In the present work the mechanical properties and the microstructure changes of samples sintered with different additions of graphene (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4wt%) and boron (0.3, 1 and 2wt%) were examined. The composites were consolidated at two different temperatures (1800°C and 1900°C) using the Spark Plasma Sintering method (SPS). Reference samples with the addition of graphite as a source of carbon (1 and 3wt%) were also sintered in the same conditions. The abovementioned amounts of graphite are an optimal content which is essential to obtain high density of samples [1–9]. The influence of MLG on density, mechanical properties and phase structure of the sintered samples were investigated. A high rate of densification for the composites with 0.3wt% of B and 1wt% of MLG sintered at 1900°C was observed. Moreover, these composites showed the highest average of microhardness (2663 HV0.5) and single-phase structure.