Microstructure and mechanical properties of reaction-formed joints in reaction-bonded silicon carbide ceramics

A reaction-bonded silicon carbide (RB-SiC) ceramic material (Carborundum's Cerastar RB-SiC) has been joined using a reaction f rming approach. Microstructure and mechanical properties of three types of reaction-formed joints (350 m, 50–55 m, and 20–25 m thick) have been evaluated. Thick (350 m) joints consist mainly of silicon with a small amount of silicon carbide. The flexural strength of thick joints is about 44±2 MPa, and fracture always occurs at the joints. The microscopic examination of fracture surfaces of specimens with thick joints tested at room temperature revealed the failure mode to be typically brittle. Thin joints (<50–55 m) consist of silicon carbide and silicon phases. The room and high temperature flexural strengths of thin (<50–55 m) reaction-formed joints have been found to be at least equal to that of the bulk Cerastar RB-SiC materials because the flexure bars fracture away from the joint regions. In this case, the fracture origins appear to be inhomogeneities inside the parent material. This was always found to be the case for thin joints tested at temperatures up to 1350°C in air. This observation suggests that the strength of Cerastar RB-SiC material containing a thin joint is not limited by the joint strength but by the strength of the bulk (parent) materials.