Mechanical and thermal properties of AlN–BN–SiC ceramics

Mechanical and thermal properties were characterized for two AlN:BN:SiC composite ceramics produced from BN with different particle sizes. The ceramics were hot pressed at temperatures from 1950 to 2100 °C to ∼97% relative density. For both materials, the matrix (90:10 vol% SiC:AlN) had a grain size of ∼0.4 μm, and the BN grains (10 vol%) were crystallographically aligned. Microhardness values were between 20 and 22 GPa, while fracture toughness values were between 2.5 and 3.1 MPa m1/2. Other properties were found to be dependent on testing direction. Elastic moduli were between 260 and 300 GPa and strengths were ∼630 MPa for small particle BN additions. Thermal conductivity was calculated to be between 25 and 37 W/m K at room temperature and 17 and 25 W/m K at 900 °C. The low values compared to traditional SiC ceramics were attributed to AlN–SiC solid solution formation and sub-micron matrix grain sizes.