Quantitative assessment of sintering behavior of silicon carbide with additions of alumina and yttria

A study was conducted to determine the effects of sinter temperature, hold time, additive content and sinter environment on the sintering of silicon carbide. It was found that hold time is a more significant factor than temperature in the range studied. However at a constant temperature, the use of an alumina containing powder bed around the samples is over 25 times more important than the nearest other single factor. The combined effect of hold time and additive content at a single temperature exhibited a moderate significance. The results showed good agreement with general observations made on densification behavior, but allowed the quantification of effects.