Precursor-derived Si-B-C-N ceramics

Abstract: In recent years, the pyrolysis of preceramic organometallic compounds became of increased interest for the synthesis of new inorganic materials. The main objective of this process route is to build up novel materials from molecular units in order to design the material on an atomic scale. According to this process, preceramic polymers are synthesized from monomer units. After cross-linking of such precursors, the obtained preceramic networks will be transformed by pyrolysis into amorphous materials. Further increase of the temperature yields thermodynamically metastable and/or stable crystalline phases. Because of the fraction of covalent bonding providing high thermally, chemically and mechanically stable materials, materials based on the Si-B-C-N system are of special interest. Bulk materials, coatings, and fibers of such materials reveal quite interesting high temperatus properties