Mechanically Enhanced Reactivity of Silicon for the Formation of Silicon Nitride Composites

The chemical reactivity of silicon can be enhanced by mechanical activation. Ball milling elemental silicon powders with a small amount of carbon addition at ambient temperature has resulted in an enhanced nitridation of silicon at high temperatures. In comparison with powder mixtures without milling, the nitridation process at 1250°C has been accelerated by a factor of 9 and 23 by milling powder mixtures in N₂ and NH₃, respectively, before nitridation. The enhanced nitridation process for powders milled in N₂ is primarily attributed to the mechanical activation, whereas for powders milled in NH₃, the trapped nitrogen within the powder mixtures during milling also contributes to the enhanced nitridation process, in addition to the effect of the mechanical activation.