Fabrication of c-BN/ZrO_2(Y_2O_3)-Al_2O_3 Composite Ceramics Using Pulsed Electric-Current Pressure Sintering

摘要

Cubic boron nitride (c-BN) was first synthesized and recognized as the second hardest material after diamond. However, the fabrication of bulk c-BN materials is difficult due to its both phase transformation to hexagonal BN (h-BN) at high temperatures and poor sinterability due to covalent bonding. Conventional fabricating process usually involves high temperature high pressure sintering, as much as 1700-2240°C and 4.5-9 GPa. In the present study, the sol-gel process has been used for modifying the particles surface and the composite ceramics were consolidated using a Pulsed electric pressure sintering (PECPS).