Novel Approaches to Determining Oxidation Phenomena in Non-Oxide Ceramics

Experiments have been performed to analyze dynamically the gas composition evolved during oxidation of non-oxides using mass spectrometry. The technique has been found to be useful for diagnosing the transient behavior at the start of oxidation, but is less reliable for detecting long-term oxidation owing to background levels and long-term stability. With reaction-bonded silicon nitride both N2 and NO are produced initially, and with reaction bonded silicon carbide both CO and CO2 are detected. Results correlate with conventional mass-gain behavior. (Author)