Microstructure and crystallization behavior of SiBCN ceramic powder: High energy ball milling effect on polyborosilazane

The SiBCN ceramics have garnered increasing attention as fascinating candidates for high-temperature structural and functional applications, whose diverse properties are associated with the amorphous/crystalline state. SiBCN ceramic powders with high crystallization resistance and fine particle size is desirable for the preparation of the amorphous bulks. In this study, we synthesized a polyborosilazane (PBSZ) precursor through ammonolysis and condensation of tris(dichloromethylsilylethyl)borane and boron trichloride. Subsequently, high-energy ball milling was employed to disintegrate PBSZ and produced SiBCN powders through pyrolysis. Compared with the powders obtained by manual grinding and low-speed ball milling, the effect of high-energy ball milling on the structure of PBSZ and corresponding SiBCN ceramic was investigated. Apart from the regular SiN₂C₂ structure, a new SiN₃C structure is formed during high energy ball milling of PBSZ, and inherited in the ceramic after pyrolysis. The SiBCN powder derived from high-energy ball milled PBSZ exhibits better crystallization resistance and finer particle size, which demonstrates potential for the preparation of amorphous SiBCN bulks.