CHARACTERISTICS OF AL2O3-SIC NANOCOMPOSITE PREPARED BY SOL-GEL PROCESSING

Al2O3-SiC nanocomposite powders containing small crystalline SiC powde rs have been prepared by sol-gel processing. Less than 50 nm ultrasoni c dispersion and sedimentation techniques were used in the presence of an organic solvent to remove the agglomerates of SiC. Homogeneous SiC powders with narrow size distributions were mixed with an Al2O3 sol. The characteristics of the nanocomposite powder as well as microstruct ure of the sintered Al2O3-SiC nanocomposite were investigated by scann ing electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TE M). Sol-gel processing was shown to produce Al2O3-SiC nanocomposites w ith homogeneous distribution of SiC in the Al2O3 matrix.