2014 Volume 122 Issue 1426 Pages 517-519
ZrB2–SiC and ZrC–SiC composites were fabricated by spark plasma sintering at 1800°C for 5 min under a pressure of 40 MPa with ZrB2 powder, ZrC powder and SiC powder as the starting materials, respectively. The phase compositions, microstructures, and mechanical properties were investigated. The results show ZrB2–SiC composite is denser than ZrC–SiC composite. The relative density, an apparent porosity, and the bending strength of ZrB2–SiC composite are 97.9%, 1.08%, and 310 MPa, respectively, whereas those of ZrC–SiC composite are 89.7%, 1.20%, and 257 MPa.