Combustion synthesis of α-Si3N4 with green additives

This paper reports the combustion synthesis of alpha-Si3N4 using green additives of water and alcohol. The addition of water and alcohol is demonstrated to be effective in controlling the reaction kinetics and improving the formation of alpha-Si3N4 by vapor reactions. With increasing proportion of additives in the starting composition, the content of alpha-Si3N4 in the product is clearly enhanced. In contrast to the ammonium halides usually employed as additives in the combustion synthesis of alpha-Si3N4, the green additives used here are nontoxic, noncorrosive, and thus more attractive for industrial applications.