Synthesis of poly-titanosilazanes and conversion into Si3N4-TiN ceramics

Abstract

Poly-titanosilazanes were synthesized by chemical modification of commercially available perhydropolysilazane (PHPS) with TiX4 [X=N(CH3)2, OCH(CH3)2 and the synthesized polymeric precursors were found to contain some N-Ti bonds by chemical structure analyses using IR and 1H NMR techniques. The poly-titanosilazane derived from PHPS and Ti(N(CH3)2)4 yielded Si3N4-TiN ceramics by pyrolysis at 1000°C in NH3, followed by heat treatment at 1800°C in N2. TiN was observed as particles with diameter of smaller than 100 nm; the poly-titanosilazane was found to be suitable for the synthesis of TiN nanoparticle-dispersed Si3N4-based ceramics.