Silicon nitride - superalloys joining

Industrial applications of silicon nitride materials are limited by the dif ficulty and cost of making complex shapes. In the present work, the use of some superalloys as bonding interlayer between two silicon nitride pieces h as been investigated. Three types of Ni based superalloys have been chosen because their technological interest. Joining experiments have been perform ed by thermocompression at different temperatures and pressures, in a mediu m vacuum atmosphere. Reactions taking place at the superalloy /Si3N4 interf ace have been studied using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and scanni ng electron microscopy. A comparative study among the three superalloys /Si 3N4 interfaces has been done.