The utility of ultra-high-temperature (2100 °C) X-ray powder diffraction technique for investigating the high-temperature phase relationships of two pseudobinary mixtures, Al2O3/Y2O3 and AlN/SiO2, is described. The in situ analysis to 1600 °C was carried out using a platinum holder and a Pt/Rh thermocouple; whereas analysis beyond 1600 °C was performed with a tungsten holder, extremely pure, oxygen-free inert gas environment, and an opticalpyrometer to monitor temperatures up to 2100 °C. The solid-state interaction between Al2O3 and Y2O3 commenced with the formation of Al2Y4O9 (YAM), a yttria rich compound, at 1300 °C followed by AlYO3 (YAP) and Al5Y3O12 (YAG) at 1400 °C. Further heating to 1500 °C and above resulted in the increased concentration of YAG at the expense of the other two phases, followed by melting of the entire sample at 2050 °C. The only phase formed during cooling (from the molten state) was YAG. AlN and SiO2 did not react with each other, in an inert atmosphere, and they remained as separate, discrete phases even at 1600 °C. In the presence of oxygen, they reacted to form mullite and cristobalite, or SIALON depending on the partial pressure of oxygen.
In Situ Investigation of a High Temperature Phase Transformation Using
Laser Heating and Synchrotron Diffraction
