Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026

Fabrication, Densification, and Replica Molding of 3D Carbon Nanotube Microstructures
Published on: July 2, 2012
Formation of tough interlocking microstructures in silicon nitride ceramics by dynamic ripening
Zhijian Shen1, Zhe Zhao, Hong Peng
1Department of Inorganic Chemistry, BRIIE Center for Inorganic Interfacial Engineering, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, S-106 91Stockholm, Sweden. shen@inorg.su.se
Abstract:
Ceramics based on Si(3)N(4) have been comprehensively studied and are widely used in structural applications. The development of an interlocking microstructure of elongated grains is vital to ensure that this family of ceramics have good damage tolerance. Until now this has been accomplished by heating the appropriate powder compacts to temperatures above 1,700 degrees C for extended periods. This procedure involves a necessary step of controlling the size and population of seeds added ex situ or formed in situ to ensure selective grain growth. Here we report the very fast (within minutes) in situ formation of a tough interlocking microstructure in Si(3)N(4)-based ceramics. The microstructures are obtained by a dynamic ripening mechanism, an anisotropic Ostwald ripening process that results from the rapid heating rate. The resulting microstructures are uniform and reproducible in terms of grain size distribution and mechanical properties, and are easily tailored by manipulating the kinetics. This process is very efficient and opens up new possibilities to optimize mechanical properties and cost-effectively manufacture ceramics.
Related Concept Videos
Molecules and Compounds
Types of Chemical Bonds
Network Covalent Solids
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...
Chemical Bonds
Atoms participate in a chemical bond formation to acquire a completed valence-shell electron configuration similar to that of the noble gas nearest to it in atomic number. Ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds are some of the important types of chemical bonds. Bond energy and bond length determine the strength of a chemical bond.
Types of Chemical Bonds
An ionic bond is formed due to electrostatic attraction between cations and anions. Often, the ions are formed by the transfer of electrons from...
Introduction to Chemical Bonds
The electrons of the outermost energy level determine the energetic stability of the atom and its tendency to form chemical bonds with other atoms. The innermost electron shell has a maximum capacity of two electrons, but the next two electron shells can each have a maximum of eight electrons. This is known as the octet rule, which states that, with the exception of the innermost shell, atoms are most stable energetically when they have eight electrons in their valence shell, the...
Transition Zone

