Boron Distribution in Sintered Silicon Carbide

Boron concentrations on intergranular and transgranular fracture areas in sintered SiC were measured; {alpha}-SiC grains oriented parallel to the fracture surface would fracture at the {alpha}-{beta} interphase boundary. Auger electron spectroscopy showed that boron does not segregate to these boundaries in sintered SiC. This conclusion was generalized to include the other types of SiC grain boundaries. The absence of boron at grain boundaries suggests that its role in sintering is not to enhance diffusion rates. Chemical reactions and free surface segregation, which may explain the increased densification of SiC when B is present, are discussed.