Spark plasma sintering of silicon nitride using nanocomposite particles

The spark plasma sintering (SPS) of silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) was investigated using nanocomposite particles composed of submicron-size α-Si₃N₄ and nano-size sintering aids of 5 wt% Y₂O₃ and 2 wt% MgO prepared through a mechanical treatment. As a result of the SPS, Si₃N₄ ceramics with a higher density were obtained using the nanocomposite particles compared with a powder mixture prepared using conventional wet ball-milling. The shrinkage curve of the powder compact prepared using the mechanical treatment was also different from that prepared using the ball-milling, because the formation of the secondary phase identified by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) method and liquid phase was influenced by the presence of the sintering aids in the powder compact. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations showed that elongated grain structure in the Si₃N₄ ceramics with the nanocomposite particles was more developed than that using the powder mixture and ball-milling because of the enhancement of the densification and α-β phase transformation. The fracture toughness was improved by the development of the microstructure using the nanocomposite particles as the raw material. Consequently, it was shown that the powder design of the Si₃N₄ and sintering aids is important to fabricate denser Si₃N₄ ceramics with better mechanical properties using SPS.