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The mechanical behavior of commercially available and developmental ceramic fibers, both oxide and nonoxide, has been experimentally studied at expected use temperatures. In addition, these properties have been compared to results from the literature. Tensile strengths were measured for three SiC-based and three oxide ceramic fibers for temperatures from 25 C to 1400 C. The SiC-based fibers were stronger but less stiff than the oxide fibers at room temperature and retained more of both strength and stiffness to high temperatures. Extensive creep and creep-rupture experiments have been performed on those fibers from this group which had the best strengths above 1200 C in both single filament tests and tests of fiber bundles. The creep rates for the oxides are on the order of two orders of magnitude faster than the polymer derived nonoxide fibers. The most creep resistant filaments available are single crystal c-axis sapphire filaments. Large diameter CVD fabricated SiC fibers are the most creep and rupture resistant nonoxide polycrystalline fibers tested to date.

The room-temperature strength distributions of a sintered and a hot-pressed Si3N4 were examined in the as-machined condition, after oxidation at 1370 C and after oxidation under load at 1370 C. The strength-controlling flaw populations were highly transient in nature. Both the duration of oxidation and the magnitude of the applied load were observed to effect changes in strength. This dynamic situation is related to both strengthening and weakening processes, which at times may occur simultaneously in the same strength distribution.

The room-temperature strength distributions of a sintered and a hot-pressed SiC were examined as-machined, after oxidation at 1370 C, and after oxidation under load at 1370 C. The strengths were observed to be dependent on both the duration of oxidation and the magnitude of the applied load. Processes resulting in both strengthening and weakening behavior were observed to occur, at times simultaneously within the same strength distribution. This dynamic situation indicates that the strength-controlling flaw populations are highly transient in nature.

The effect of surface finish on the strength-grain size relation was investigated for dense hot-pressed SiC. Failure initiated predominantly via the propagation of extrinsic machining-induced flaws for the range of grain sizes and machining grit sizes studied. These results are consistent with the region of large-grain-size flaw control as delineated by Prochazka and Charles. The severity of machining-induced flaws, relative to the machining grit size, decreased with increasing machining grit size and decreasing SiC grain size.

Cation defective NiAs type polymorphs magnetizations at various temperatures, showing transition from ferrimagnetic to antiferromagnetic ordering

Several new compounds with the formula AB2S4 were synthesized. Pressure-induced polymorphism of the sulfospinels was investigated. Sulfospinels which produced new high-pressure phases were NiRh2S4, FeYb2S4, In2S3, CrIn2S4, NiIn2S4, CoIn2S4 and MnIn2S4. The only sulfospinels which transformed to the NiAs derivatives were those in which A and B atoms had unfilled d-orbitals. P-T phase relations were investigated for a series of sulfochromites. Thin films of several ACr2S4 sulfospinels were prepared by a flash evaporization technique on the (111) and (100) planes of NaCl and on the (100) plane of Mgo.