Volume 93 Issue 1, Pages 241 – 250

Emanuel Ionescu, Christoph Linck, Claudia Fasel, Mathis Müller,
Hans–Joachim Kleebe, Ralf Riedel
Published Online: Oct 29 2009
4:26PM

DOI: 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2009.03395.x

ABSTRACT

Polymer-derived SiOC/ZrO2
ceramic nanocomposites have been prepared using two synthetic
approaches. A commercially available polymethylsilsesquioxane (MK Belsil
PMS) was filled with nanocrystalline zirconia particles in the first
approach. The second method involved the addition of zirconium tetra(n-propoxide), Zr(OnPr)4,
as zirconia precursor to polysilsesquioxane. The prepared materials
have been subsequently cross-linked and pyrolyzed at 1100°C in argon
atmosphere to provide SiOC/ZrO2 ceramics. The
obtained SiOC/ZrO2 materials were characterized
by means of X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, Raman spectroscopy as
well as transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, annealing
experiments at temperatures from 1300° to 1600°C have been performed.
The annealing experiments revealed that the incorporation of ZrO2
into the SiOC matrix remarkably increases the thermal stability of the
composites with respect to crystallization and decomposition at
temperatures exceeding 1300°C. The results obtained within this study
emphasize the enormous potential of polymer-derived SiOC/ZrO2
composites for high-temperature applications.

Online Access to Journal of the American Ceramic Society

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