SiC powder compacts were sintered in inductively coupled plasma (ICP) at 4MHz. Boron and carbon were added to SiC powder as sintering aids in the present experiments. The plasma used here was low temperature Ar plasma working at low gaseous pressure=0.2-6.5kPa, since it was easy for samples to be inserted into plasma. Parameters influencing the densification were gaseous pressure, gas flow rate, sintering duration and r.f. out-put power. SiC was found to be extensively densified under the experimental conditions: gaseous pressure=1.0kPa, gas flow rate=70-270 SCCM, r.f. power=12kW, duration=2min. The weight loss during sintering was a problem to be solved in the present low temperature plasma. Morphological studies showed that abnormal grain growth could not be observed. A crystallographic change was observed from 15R and 3C to 6H after plasma sintering.
