Fabricación y propiedades del carburo de silicio biomórfico: maderas cerámicas

Abstract

There is an increasing interest in the fabrication of materials with biomorphic microstructure. In particular, the fabrication of biomorphic ceramics would be of high interest because its high-temperature structural applications. The ceramics presented in this research were fabricated by the pyrolysis and infiltration with molten silicon of wood preforms. The final product is SiC with the same microstructure of the wood precursor. Wood is a natural composite that present an anisotropic porous microstructure with excellent elasticity, strength, and damage tolerance. Some of this properties will remain improved in the ceramic product. Biomorphic ceramics reach high strengths (700 MPa at 1150 oC for biomorphic SiC made from eucalyptus wood). The influence of the wood precursor and fabrication process in the mechanical and microstructural properties has been studied. The correlation microstructure-mechanical properties is discussed, as well as the application of the cellular theory of solids