Synthesis of ZrB₂-SiC nanocomposite powder via polymeric precursor route

Zirconium diboride/silicon carbide (ZrB₂-SiC) nanocomposite powder, wherein each and every particle is a nanocomposite, was successfully synthesized by pyrolyzing a hybrid polymeric precursor produced from a Zr-containing precursor and a solid polycarbosilane precursor. The synthesis and ceramic conversion of the hybrid precursor was studied by thermal gravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The microstructure of the obtained nanocomposite powder was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The resulting powder was found to consist of uniformly distributed highly spherical ZrB₂ nanoparticles embedded within the SiC matrix, which demonstrated the success of the proposed synthesis route. Thus, in this study, a different perspective was used in synthesizing ZrB₂-SiC nanocomposites, which act as potential candidates for aerospace applications.