HI-NICALON REINFORCED SILICON-NITRIDE MATRIX COMPOSITES

The present paper reports on the fabrication and the mechanical proper ties of SIC (Hi-Nicalon) fibres reinforced Si3N4 matrix composites. Th e composite was fabricated by liquid infiltration of an aqueous Si3N4 slurry followed by hot-pressing. The effect of fibre coating layers wa s investigated with a 400 nm thick pyrolytic carbon. The fibre coating was found to have a significant effect on the frictional stress of th e fibre-matrix interface and consequently on the fracture behaviour of the composite.