A POLYSILAZANE PRECURSOR FOR SI-C-N-O MATRIX COMPOSITES

This paper reports the ability to use a commercial polysilazane as mat rix precusor for the manufacture of ceramic matrix composites. By pyro lysis under nitrogen in the temperature range 1000-1400 degrees C this polysilazane leads to an amorphous silicon carbonitride with a cerami c yield around 65 wt%. The rheological behaviour and the thermal decom position of the polysilazane have been studied. Parameters for the imp regnation and pyrolysis cycles required by the manufacture of composit es are also proposed.