Conversion of polycarbosilane to silicon carbide: effect of an active filler and pyrolysis conditions

This paper reports the effect of titanium silicide active filler and the pyrolytic atmosphere (argon and nitrogen) on the ceramic conversion of polycarbosilane. Pyrolysis atmosphere and concentration of titanium silicide active filler was optimized to produce minimum shrinkage polycarbosilane derived ceramic. Detailed investigation on the phase evolution and surface morphology of the titanium silicide incorporated polycarbosilane derived ceramic under different pyrolysis atmospheres were carried out. From the results, it was concluded that 40 wt% titanium silicide loaded PCS system heat treated under nitrogen atmosphere was found to be the best precursor to obtain a minimum shrinkage ceramic phase with better properties. Therefore, this system offers the opportunity to expedite the rapid fabrication process of ceramic matrix composites, create flawless ceramic coatings, and produce bulk ceramic materials free from shrinkage.