JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, vol.17, no.4, pp.599-613, 1997 (SCI-Expanded)
Five different alpha-beta sialon and alpha-sialon compositions have been prepared using different rare earth oxide additives namely, neodymium, samarium, dysprosium and ytterbium., Post-sintering heat treatments have been carried out at 1450 degrees C for up to 720 h (one month) to observe alpha --> beta sialon transformation. A combination of X-ray and microstructural observations has shown that the high-temperature stability of the alpha-sialon phase depends on the starting composition, the type of rare earth sintering additives, the amount and viscosity of the liquid phase, and the presence or absence of beta-sialon grains in the initial sintered material. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights reserved.