To fabricate porous SiC-Si composites for heating element applications, both SiC powders and Si powders were mixed and sintered together. The properties of the sintered SiC-Si body were investigated as a function of SiC particle size and/or Si particle contents from 10 wt% to 40 wt%, respectively. Porous SiC-Si composites were fabricated by Si bonded reaction at a sintering temperature of 1650 oC for 80 min. The microstructure and phase analysis of SiC-Si composites that depend on Si particle contents were characterized using scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. The electrical resistivity of SiC-Si composites was also evaluated using a 4-point probe resistivity method. The electrical resistivity of the sintered SiC-Si body sharply decreased as the amount of Si addition increased. We found that the electrical resistivity of porous SiC-Si composites is closely related to the amount of Si added and at least 20 wt% Si are needed in order to apply the SiCSi composites to the heating element.

Al-Si-SiC composite powders with intra-granular SiC particles were prepared by a gas atomization process. The composite powders were mixed with Al-Zn-Mg alloy powders as a function of weight percent. Those mixture powders were compacted with the pressure of 700 MPa and then sintered at the temperature of 565-585˚C. T6 heat treatment was conducted to increase their mechanical properties by solid-solution precipitates. Each relative density according to the optimized sintering temperature of those powders were determined as 96% at 580˚C for Al-Zn-Mg powders (composition A), 97.9% at 575˚C for Al-Zn-Mg powders with 5 wt.% of Al-Si-SiC powders (composition B), and 98.2% at 570˚C for Al-Zn-Mg powders with 10 wt.% of Al-Si-SiC powders (composition C), respectively. Each hardness, tensile strength, and wear resistance test of those sintered samples was conducted. As the content of Al-Si-SiC powders increased, both hardness and tensile strength were decreased. However, wear resistance was increased by the increase of Al-Si-SiC powders. From these results, it was confirmed that Al-Si-SiC/Al-Zn-Mg composite could be highly densified by the sintering process, and thus the composite could have high wear resistance and tensile strength when the content of Al-Si-SiC composite powders were optimized.

AI-xSi/ySiC( x:6~18wt%, y: 3~9wt%, SiC 입자크기: 10~28μm) 복합재료를 재용해한 후 항온 유지하고 응고 시킬때 SiC 입자가 몰드의 하부로 침강하는 현상을 계통적으로 조사하였다. AI-Si/SiC 복합재료 용탕을 항온으로 유지하면 입자가 없는 지역은 유지시간이 약 처음 30분 동안 빠르게 증가한다. SiC 입자가 크기가 클수록 SiC입자의 크기가 클수록 SiC입자의 침강속도가 빠르다. 또한 복합재료중 철가한 SiC 입자의 부피분율이 증가하면 입자의 침강속도는 감소한다.

초미립 SiC분말과 SiC platelet을 2차성으로 Si3N4에 첨가하여 SiC/Si3N4 하이브리드 복합체를 가압소결로 제조한 후 2차상의 영향을 조사한 결과핫프레스법을 이용한 경우 SiC platelet은 Si3N4 기지 복합채의 치밀화를 저해하지 않고 초미립의 SiC 첨가는 Si3N4의 입성장을 효과적으로 억제하여 미세한 β-Si3N4의 grain을 형성함을 관찰하였다. 초미립 SiC첨가를 통한 복합체의 강도 증진은 상대적으로 β-Si3N4입자의 미세화에 의한 인성의 저하를 유도하나 SiC platelet을 첨가하여 급격한 강도 저하 없이 높은 인성을 갖는 하이브리드 복합체를 제조할 수 있었으며 SiC/Si3N4 하이브리드 복합체의 인성증진은 elongated β-Si3N4와 platelet SiC의 debonding에 의한 grain pull-out 영향임을 알 수 있었다.

초미립 SiC 분말을 2차상으로 Si3N4에 첨가하여 SiC/Si3N4 나노 복합체를 핫프레스법과 가스압소결고 제조하였다. 2차상으로 첨가한 SiC의 입자 크기가 β-Si3N4 나노 복합체를 제조할 수 있었다. 사온에서 800˚C까지는 강도의 1000˚C이상에서는 강도는 급격한 감소를 보였으며 이는 소결조제로 첨가한 AI2O3, Y2O3와 SiO2가 β-Si3N4의 입계에 유리상을 형성하였기 때문에 해석된다.