Polysilazane Precursors to Advanced Ceramics

摘要

Polysilazanes are polymers that contain both silicon and nitrogen atoms in their backbone. These polymers have been used extensively as precursors to silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, and silicon carbide ceramics. They offer a convenient route to the preparation of ceramic articles such as fibers, coatings, or 3-D continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites which often cannot be made utilizing traditional ceramic processing methods. KiON Corp., a U.S. company wholly owned by Swiss-based Clariant Corporation, manufactures a wide variety of organopolysilazanes (polysilazanes containing carbon). Independently, Clariant is a manufacturer and supplier of inorganic polysilazanes (polysilazanes containing no carbon). This presentation will provide an overview of the variety of polysilazane polymers available from both KiON and Clariant, as well as give some insight into the various applications of polysilazanes which are currently being pursued in the advanced ceramics industry.