Structural Evolution and Atom Clustering in β-SiAlON: β-Si6-zAlzOzN8-z

SiMON ceramics, solid solutions based on the Si3N4 structure, are important, lightweight structural materials with intrinsically high strength, high hardness, and high thermal and chemical stability. Described by the chemical formula beta-Si6-zAlzOzN8-z, from a compositional viewpoint, these materials can be regarded as solid solutions between Si3N4 and Al3O3N. A key aspect of the structural evolution with increasing Al and O (z in the formula) is to understand how these elements are distributed on the beta-Si3N4 framework. The average and local structural evolution of highly phase-pure samples of beta-Si6-zAlzOzN8-z, with z = 0.050, 0.075, and 0.125 are studied here, using a combination of X-ray diffraction, NMR studies, and density functional theory calculations. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction establishes sample purity and indicates subtle changes in the average structure with increasing Al content in these compounds. Solid-state magic-angle-spinning Al-27 NMR experiments, coupled with detailed ab initio calculations of NMR spectra of Al in different AlOqN4-q tetrahedra (0 < q < 4), reveal a tendency of Al and O to cluster in these materials. Independently, the calculations suggest an energetic preference for Al-O bond formation, instead of a random distribution, in the beta-SiAlON system.