Ravi Kumar N V

Coarsening induced reverse phase transformation of hafnia in polymer-derived Si-Hf-C-N-O ceramics was studied experimentally. X-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy were used to obtain information regarding nanocrystalline structure. Hafnia crystallites precipitated out from the amorphous ceramic matrix on heat treatment were observed to remain as tetragonal hafnia below a critical crystallite radius of 4 nm. Prolonged heat treatment has resulted in coarsening, as explained by Lifshitz-Slyozov-Wagner model, resulting in reverse phase transformation from tetragonal to monoclinic hafnia. © 2011 The American Ceramic Society.

Hafnium alkoxide modified polysilazane was synthesized by the drop-wise addition of hafnium tetra(n-butoxide) to polysilazane. The solid state thermolysis (SST) temperature and the ceramic yield for both the polysilazane and modified polysilazane were determined by performing thermogravimetry. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was performed to understand the polymer to ceramic conversion as well as the bonding characteristics of the ceramics. The modified polymer after crosslinking was subjected to SST at 800 °C at a constant heating rate of 5 °C/min for a dwell time of 2 h in atmospheric ambience. From the X-ray diffractograms, the as-thermolysed ceramics were observed to remain X-ray amorphous and on heat-treatment resulted in the crystallization of tetragonal hafnia. However, on heat-treatment at 1500 °C, reverse phase transformation from tetragonal to monoclinic hafnia was observed. Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy were employed to further understand the phase evolution. The thermal stability and the influence of amorphous matrix on the coarsening of HfO 2 were also evaluated. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.