Abstract
Silicon nitride/silicon carbide(w) ceramic matrix composites synthesized from common starting materials, except for the whiskers themselves, under the same processing conditions have been investigated. High-resolution electron microscopy and high-spatial-resolution electron energy loss nanospectroscopy were used to characterize the whisker/matrix interfaces in these composites both structurally and chemically. The presence of a discontinuous oxygen-rich amorphous layer at the two kinds of whisker/matrix interfaces examined in this paper appeared to be a general phenomenon. The wide difference (a factor of 10) between the structural image and chemical widths (oxygen distributions) of the whisker/matrix interfaces was attributed to oxygen solution into the silicon nitride matrix. The oxygen sources were the sintering aids and surface impurities.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 229-239 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Ultramicroscopy |
Volume | 40 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1992 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- Instrumentation