Nickel silicide,nanocrystal-containing magnetoceramics from the bulk pyrolysis of polysilazane and nickelocene

Nickel silicide nanocrystal containing Si-Ni-C-N multiphase ceramics were synthesized by bulk pyrolysis of the mixture of polysilazane (PSZ) and nickelocene (NiCp2) at high temperature. The pyrolysis behavior of the precursors was investigated by TGA/DSC-Mass Spectrometry. The yield of the ceramic containing NiCp2 precursor was increased by 8-10% compared to pure PSZ. Nickel silicide nanocrystal containing ceramics were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. The NiCp2 in polymeric precursors induced the formation of alpha-Si3N4, SiC, graphitic carbon, and Ni2Si at 1100 degrees C. Nickel suicide nanocrystals containing ceramics exhibited soft magnetism with ultralow hysteresis loss offering a convenient cost effective approach for the preparation of tunable transition metal-containing ceramics using a commercial inexpensive polymeric precursor of NiCp2. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.