Functionally graded ceramic material prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS)

Abstract

A procedure for preparing a functionally graded material in the high-temperature ceramic–SiC system with step composition variation profile is considered. Five-layer samples of a functionally graded material (layer arrangement: 100, 75, 50, 25, and 0 vol % high-temperature ceramic) were prepared by spark plasma sintering. No cracks and no delamination were observed in the samples after thermal cycling in an oxidizing atmosphere at 1400 and 1600°С. A study of the properties and heat resistance of the ceramic functionally graded material revealed its high quality at relatively low density; i.e., spark plasma sintering shows promise as a procedure for preparing this material.