Abstract
Flexural, tensile, and high cycle fatigue test data are presented for pressureless sintered aluminium nitride (AIN) and hot-pressed aluminium nitride reinforced with silicon carbide whiskers (SiCw/AIN). Tests were conducted at ambient temperature. The SiCw/AIN composites consisting of 30wt% SiCw produced significant increases in flexural strength, tensile strength, and tensile fatigue strength compared to monolithic AIN. Increases were nearly double in all cases. Corresponding strain-to-failures measured in tensile tests increased from ∼ 0.04% in monolithic AIN to ∼ 0.10% in the SiCw reinforced composite. Fracture surfaces showed evidence of whisker-toughening mechanisms due to additions of SiCw whiskers. High-cycle fatigue results indicated that both materials have the ability to sustain higher stress levels in the cyclic tests compared to the tensile experiments. The improved performance under cyclic testing is explained in terms of strain-rate effects. The times at or near peak stress are considerably less under high-cycle fatigue testing (20 Hz) compared to tensile tests (strain rate = 0.5%min−1).
Similar content being viewed by others
References
P. F. Becher, C. H. Hsueh, P. Angelini and T.N. Tiegs, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 71 (1988) 1050.
P. F. Becher and G. C. Wei, ibid. 67 (1984) C-267.
P. F. Becher and T. N. Tiegs, in “Engineered Materials Handbook”, Vol. 1, “Composites,” (ASM International, Metals Park, OH, 1987) pp. 941.
P. F. Becher, T. N. Tiegs and P. Angelini, “Fiber Reinforced Ceramics,” edited by K. S. Mazdiyasni (Noyes, Park Ridge, NJ) in press.
P. Angelini, W. Mader and P. F. Becher, in, “MRS Proceedings: Advanced Structural Ceramics,” Vol. 78, edited by P. F. Becher, M. V. Swain and S. Somiya (Materials Research Society, Pittsburgh, PA, 1987) p. 241.
P. F. Becher and T.N. Tiegs, Adv. Ceram. Mater. 3 (1988) 148.
G. A. Slack, “Aluminium Nitride Crystal Growth, Final Report on Contract F49620-78-C-0021,” Directorate of Electronic and Solid State Sciences, Bolling AFB, DC (December 1979).
J. A. Kohn P. G. Colten, and R. A. Potter, Am. Mineral. 41 (1956) 355.
C. O. Dugger, “The Single Crystal Synthesis and Some Properties of Aluminium Nitride”, AF CRL-TR-75-0486, Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories (August 1975).
C. K. Unni, General Dynamics IR&D, unpublished data (1990).
F. S. Pettit, Trans. AIME 239 (1967) 1296.
R. Ruh and A. Zangvil, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 65 (1982) 260.
S. Y. Kuo, A. V. Virkar and W. Rafaniello, ibid. 70 (1987) C-125.
W. Rafaniello, M. R. Plichta and A. V. Virkar, ibid. 66 (1983) 272.
L. D. Bentson and D. P. H. Hasselman, ibid. 66 (1983) C-40.
W. Rafaniello, K. Cho and A. V. Virkar, J. Mater. Sci. 16 (1981) 3479.
R. Ruh, Am. Ceram. Soc. Bull. 64 (1985) 1368.
M. Landon and F. Thevenot, Ceram. Int. 17 (1991) 97.
K. Komeya and F. Noda, Toshiba Rev. 92 (1974) 13.
A. V. Krylov, S. M. Barinov, D. A. Ivanov, N. A. Mindlina, L. Parilak, J. Dusza, F. Lofaj and E. Rudnarpeva, J. Mater. Sci. 12 (1993) 904.
Y. Xu, A. Zangvil, M. Landon and F. Thevenot, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 75 (1992) 325.
Y. Yamada, A. Kawasaki, J. Li, M. Taya, and R. Watanobe, J. Jpn Inst. Metals 56 (1992) 1078.
DuPont Corporation, unpublished data.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Unni, C.K., Gordon, D.E. Mechanical properties of monolithic AIN and SiCw/AIN composites. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE 30, 1173–1179 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00356116
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00356116