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Fully dense ZrB 2 –TiC composites were produced by reactive pressureless sintering using ZrB 2 and TiC as the starting reactants. The effect of TiC content on microstructure and mechanical properties of ZrB 2 –TiC composites was investigated. The densification and grain refinement were achieved due to the reaction and solid solution coupling effect. Besides, elongated (Ti, Zr)B 2 plate-like grains with a high aspect ratio were obtained for the first time by the reaction of ZrB 2 and TiC. The ZrB 2 -70 mol%TiC composite exhibited good comprehensive mechanical properties of high hardness of 29.0 GPa, flexural strength of 555 MPa, and fracture toughness of 5.4 MPa m1/2 due to grain-refinement and solid solution strengthening, and plate-like grains toughening effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MXenes have good application prospects due to the attractive mechanical and physicochemical properties. Here, for the first time, silicoboron carbonitride (Si–B–C–N) ceramics with the integration of MXene(Ti 3 C 2 T x) nanosheets were developed, and the influences of MXene additives (1.0–3.0 wt%) on mechanical properties and microstructures were investigated. The ceramics containing 3.0 wt% MXene(Ti 3 C 2 T x) show better mechanical properties including fracture toughness of 7.6 MPa‧m1/2, 36% higher than ceramics without any additives. The toughening mechanisms consist of pull-out, delamination, crack bridging, and crack deflection. This work demonstrates that MXenes are good reinforcements for enhancing the fracture toughness of structural ceramics, and also paves the way for the investigation of high-temperature properties of MXene-containing ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MgO-Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 (MAS) glass ceramic was used as liquid sintering aid to densify h -BN ceramics, and effects of sintering temperature on the phase composition of MAS, texture behavior of h -BN grains and properties of the composite ceramics were studied. h -BN grains will react with MAS by forming N-M (Al3+ and Si4+) coordinate-covalent bonds and inhibit the crystallization of glass phase. The h -BN grains will rotate parallel to the pressure direction due to the joint action of the liquid sintering aid and the pressure. The sintering temperature will significantly affect the properties of the composite ceramics by effecting the texture behavior of h -BN grains. And higher sintering temperature of 1900 °C will result in the decline of mechanical properties and increase of thermal conductivity due to the decrease of texture degree caused by the grain growth of h -BN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]