Abstract
This paper describes a novel experiment involving the joining of alumina using polycarbosilane (PCS). PCS filled in the cracks on the surface of alumina, the silicon in PCS oxidized to silicon dioxide (SiO2), and part of SiO2 reacted with alumina to form mullite during pyrolysis of PCS at 1673 and 1873 K. The SiO2 and mullite acted as a binder between the alumina boards. 4-point bending tests showed the average flexural strength of the samples pyrolyzed at 1673 K was 81.8 MPa, whereas that of the samples that pyrolyzed at 1873 K was 109 MPa. The difference in flexural strength was caused by the difference in the thickness and the compounds of the joining area, which was brought by the diffusion of the decomposition products derived from PCS and alumina during pyrolysis.
