Currently, ceramic materials are increasingly used in ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, glass and refractory industries. They have unique properties that allow you to improve various areas of production. The most promising ceramic material is silicon nitride. This is the substance of the future, thanks to which various technological productions are being rebuilt. For example, such as the gold mining industry and all kinds of processing plants.
What is this substance?
Silicon nitride is a unique ceramic material that finds its application in many industries. It belongs to the group of non-oxide ceramics because it does not contain oxygen atoms.
Silicon nitride formula: Si3N4.
Structure
Microstructure Si3N4 are microrods that form cylindrical crystals. This property turned out to be fundamentally important in the processing of various types of cast iron, in particular those containing ceramic inserts. When using different metals as cutting materials, the speed is not as fast as required, so it is necessary to use a variety of cutting fluids. Due to the amazing structure of silicon nitride, its use for cutting cast iron results in the fact that it is possible to achieve maximum speed without the need for lubricating fluids. Due to its unique composition, this material has a high impact strength, which means that the substance has a high resistance to impact.
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There are various ways to obtain this compound. One of them is chemical precipitation, which is carried out at temperatures from 700 to 900 °C. When using this method, a compound is obtained in an amorphous form, which is a dielectric. In this case, the possible content of hydrogen in this material can be up to 8%. In this case, the nitrogen and silicon atoms can form hydrogen bonds with the hydrogen contained in the amorphous precipitate. There is a dependence of the content of hydrogen atoms on the temperature at which the deposition was carried out, as well as on the ratio of the initial substances in the gas mixture.
The highest content of the substance appears if silicon nitride is deposited at low temperatures and at a high concentration of ammonia in the gaseous mixture. If the process is carried out in a smallthe ratio of ammonia to dichlorosilane, the material will include a sufficiently large amount of silicon in its composition, which leads to the formation of insufficient dielectric properties. Resistance to electricity Si3N4 also depends on the temperature conditions under which it is produced.
Silicon nitride production is a complex process where a variety of conditions must be considered in order for the product to meet the requirements. Given the important areas in which it finds its application, it is necessary to responsibly approach the conditions for the deposition.
Properties of silicon nitride
This material is a substance with unique physical and physico-chemical properties.
One of the most important features is that this substance has a low density and the highest impact strength, which leads to the possibility of using silicon nitride materials as balls for light bearings.
This material is heat resistant. It can be used at 1300°C in an oxidizing atmosphere and at 1600°C in a neutral atmosphere. These properties are also important for use in various industrial applications such as welding processes.
Application
Due to its unique characteristics, silicon nitride is widely used in various areas of processing industry. This material is of the greatest importance for the iron industry, ashow, using it as cutting tools, you can increase the speed of the process, as well as refuse the use of coolants and lubricants.
Besides this, due to high heat resistance in various atmospheres, Si3N4 is used in welding various materials. Due to the unique combination of tribological properties, silicon nitride is used to make balls for various types of bearings.
