Mechanical properties of silicon nitride-based ceramics and its use in structural applications at high temperatures

Silicon nitride (Si3N4) based ceramics are gaining more and more attention due to their promising high-temperature thermal and mechanical properties. They have been expected to be the main candidates for applications such as turbocharger rotors and gas turbine engine components which can withstand severe conditions of temperature and heavy loads. Although a big number of studies on silicon nitride are published, a continuous progress in monolithic Si3N4 as well as Si3N4/Si3N4 composites (seeded materials) leads to new scientific and technological data providing new insight that should be reviewed taking into account their excellent properties at high temperatures. Silicon nitride possesses a bunch variety of interesting properties that can be specifically designed to produce a given behavior profile. That is why the room temperature and high-temperature properties are discussed and described in more detail. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.