XPS and AES studies of UHTC ZrB2-SiC-Si3N4 treated with solar energy

Eric Beche (1) , Marianne Balat-Pichelin (1) , Valérie Flaud (2) , Jérôme Esvan (3) , Thomas Duguet (3) , Diletta Sciti (4) , Davide Alfano (5)

1 PROMES - Procédés, Matériaux et Energie Solaire
2 ICGM ICMMM - Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier - Institut de Chimie Moléculaire et des Matériaux de Montpellier
3 CIRIMAT - Centre interuniversitaire de recherche et d'ingenierie des matériaux
4 CNR | ISTEC - CNR Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali Ceramici [Faenza]
5 CIRA - Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali

The microstructure of ultra-high-temperature ceramics based on the ZrB2–SiC composition and a sintering additive (Si3N4) was investigated using XPS and AES techniques. These ZrB2–SiC–Si3N4 materials were treated in air plasma at high temperature (T > 1750 K) in the MESOX facility developed at the PROMES-CNRS laboratory (Moyen d'Essai Solaire d'OXydation for the measurement of atomic oxygen recombination coefficients). The surfaces were characterized before and after the air plasma treatment. Surface modifications were observed and induced by the oxidation process. The elementary composition was determined using AES and XPS. Core level spectroscopy (XPS) was used to determine the atomic composition and the nature of the chemical bonds from the Zr 3d3/2,5/2, Si 2p1/2,3/2, O 1s and C 1s photoelectron peaks. The microstructural analyses revealed the presence of oxide layers: Silica and zirconia compounds were detected at temperatures near 1800 K, and a zirconia compound was mainly detected above 2200 K.

Mots clés: XPS; Ultra-high-temperature ceramics; Zirconium diboride; Silicon carbide; AES

Domaines: Matériaux; Matériaux

Eric Beche, Marianne Balat-Pichelin, Valérie Flaud, Jérôme Esvan, Thomas Duguet, et al.. XPS and AES studies of UHTC ZrB2-SiC-Si3N4 treated with solar energy. Surface and Interface Analysis, 2014, vol. 46 (n° 10-11), pp. 817-822. ⟨10.1002/sia.5389⟩. ⟨hal-01132421⟩