Effect of AlN and Al2O3 additions on the phase relationships and morphology of SiC Part I Compositions and properties

X-ray diffraction was utilized to follow the transformation from -SiC (3C) to the various -SiC polytypes in the presence of AlN and Al₂O₃ additives after hot pressing from 1700 to 2100°C. The 2H- and 6H-polytypes of -SiC were the predominate polytypes with additions of only AlN or Al₂O₃, respectively. The amount of 2H- and 6H-polytypes, and subsequently the microstructural morphology of the SiC materials, were found to be controlled by varying the amount of AlN and Al₂O₃. Improvements in fracture toughness to 9 MPa-m were achieved with flexural strengths ranging from 600 to 900 MPa. These results suggest that accurate control of the polytypic make-up of SiC-based materials, along with their mechanical properties, can be achieved through AlN and Al₂O₃ additions.