Effect of Different Carbon and Silicon Source for the Preparation of ZrB2-SiC Composite Powder: A Comparative Study

Abstract

In this research, the ZrB2-SiC composite powder was prepared by a one-step reduction process using ZrO2, B4C, Si/SiO2, and graphite/carbon black in an argon atmosphere. The study investigated the impact of two types of carbon and silicon sources on the phase composition and microstructure during the creation of SiC in the ZrB2-SiC composite powder. Based on the thermodynamic calculation, it was determined that the standard reaction was feasible at 719.8 °C and 1255.3 °C, respectively. The results from XRD, SEM, TEM, and EDS showed that using carbon black with silicon produced an impurity-controlled ZrB2-SiC composite with a fine microstructure at a 1500 °C compared to the use of graphite at 1600 °C. When using the silicon source with carbon/graphite, the particles grew into spherical shapes. However, the use of a silica source with carbon produced small irregular clusters and columnar structure, whereas the use of silica with graphite resulted in large irregular shapes with tiny cluster particles containing a small amount of oxide impurity. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.