Fabrication of Silicon Nitride Ceramics by Gel-Casting and Microwave Gas Phase Reaction Sintering(II) : Microwave Nitridation of Silicon and Microwave Sintering of Silicon Nitride

Silicon nitride ceramics were prepared by microwave gas phase reaction sintering. By this method higher density specimens were obtained for short time and at low temperature, compared than ones by conventional pressureless sintering, even though sintering behaviors showed same trend, the relative density of sintered body inverse-exponentially increases with sintering temperature and/or holding time. And grain size of (3-phase of the microwave sintered body is bigger than one of the conventional pressureless sintered one. Also they showed good bending strengths and thermal shock resistances.