Contour maps of mechanical properties in ternary ZrB2[sbnd]SiC[sbnd]ZrC ceramic system.

Monolithic ZrB 2 , ZrB 2 SiC, ZrB 2 ZrC and ZrB 2 SiC ZrC were prepared by hot pressing in ternary ZrB 2 SiC ZrC system. They exhibited different microstructural features. Grain sizes of each phase were smaller in the ternary composites. Contour maps of mechanical properties were also plotted in ZrB 2 SiC ZrC ternary diagram based on experiments and software fitting. They established the relationships between chemical composition and properties in a visual way. Young’s Modulus and Vickers hardness had linear relationships with composition, while the evolution of the strength and toughness was complicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]