THE SELF-PROPAGATING HIGH-TEMPERATURE SYNTHESIS OF SINTERABLE POWDERS

The present overview focuses on self-propagating high-temperature synt hesis (SHS) of powders for the standard processing of ceramics by sint ering or hot-pressing. An impact of SHS on ceramic materials technolog y depends largely on its capability to produce powders that have a den sification behaviour comparable to or better than the conventionally p roduced ones. The paper points to the fact that substitution of the co nventional powders by the SHS-derived ones results in higher density a nd more homogeneous microstructure, at least with nitride and carbide powders that are notorious for their bad sinterability. The first part of the paper deals with the general features of SHS. The specific mec hanism of SHS reactions is the object of the second part of the paper. Part three a the paper presents the sintering characteristics of powd ers produced by SHS in the Si-C-B, Si-N, Si-Al-O-N, and Ti-C-Si system s.