Processing of nano-SiC ceramics: Densification by SPS and mechanical characterization

β-SiC nanopowders with a mean particle size of 16.6 nm were obtained by laser pyrolysis. De-agglomeration of the powder was performed in an aqueous medium under magnetic stirring and ball-milling. Subsequently, green bodies were prepared by slip-casting of slurries. In this context, non-conventional densification routes such as Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) with an applied pressure of 70 MPa allowed to achieve high final densities (96% TD). Different microstructures were obtained by varying the sintering temperature. Finally, the mechanical properties of the samples (hardness, toughness) were determined and a correlation between the final microstructures and the mechanical behavior was established.