Preparation and investigation of silicon carbide materials on the basis of reaction-bonded silicon carbide

The regions of the optimum density and SiC content of the billet for the reaction-bonded silicon carbide (RBSC) technology that correspond to the maximum density of the final sample with the minimum amounts of residual carbon and silicon are calculated and experimentally proven. On the basis of the obtained data, the samples of silicon carbide ceramic showing a rather high level of physical and mechanical properties, in particular, the density in the range from 2.75 to 3.01 g/cm3, the bending strength in the range from 300 to 350 MPa, and the elastic modulus ranging from 350 to 430 GPa, and having no significant deviations from the stoichiometric composition are prepared using the RBSC technology. The developed RBSC technology allows one to produce a material which has density, elastic modulus, and compressive and bending strengths in an intermediate position between materials obtained by the siliconized graphite (SG) and self-bonded silicon carbide (SBSC) technologies. © 2014, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.