Preparation of Dense Nanocrystalline Silicon Carbide Ceramics by Sinter Forging in the Presence of a Liquid Phase

Dense SiC materials from ultrafine starting powders may be obtained with very limited grain growth if uniaxial hot pressing with concurrent lateral flow of the sample is applied. This process, termed sinter forging, allows to decouple the kinetics of densification and grain growth owing to the elimination of the largest and most persistent population of pores by viscous deformation under the action of shear forces.