Task 6.6 - Sialon Coatings for Alkali-Resistant Silicon Nitride: Semi-annual report, July 1-December 31, 1996

The efficiency of a gas turbine can be improved by increasing operating temperature. Construction materials should meet both high strength requirements and hot-alkali corrosion resistance. Structural ceramics based on silicon nitride are promising candidates for high temperature engineering applications because of their high strength and good resistance to corrosion. Their performance varies significantly with the mechanical properties of boundary phases which, in turn, depend on their chemical composition, thickness of the amorphous phase, and the deformation process. To make silicon nitride ceramics tough, SiAlON ceramics were developed with controlled crystallization of the amorphous grain boundary phase. Crystallization of the grain boundary glass improves the high temperature mechanical properties of silicon nitride ceramics.