Oxidation mechanism of a ZrB2-SiC-ZrC ceramic heated through high frequency induction at 1600 °C

In the present work, isothermal oxidation of a ZrB2-(20 vol.%) SiC-(6 vol.%) ZrC (ZrB2-SiC-ZrC) ceramic was carried out at a constant temperature of 1600 +/- 15 degrees C in static air, and the microstructures of the surface and fractured surface of the oxidised specimen were observed using SEM. The change curve of weight change/unit area with increasing oxidation time was composed of four stages according to the increase in the oxidation time: initial, middle, middle-late and late. In the different stages, a mathematical model was formulated to interpret the oxidation behaviour of the ZrB2-SiC-ZrC ceramic at high temperature. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.