Process for producing reaction sintered silicon nitride of increased density

Claim 1

A process for treating a porous reaction sintered silicon nitride body containing a trace amount of silicon oxynitride so as to increase its density and improve its room temperature strength, said process comprising the steps of: (a) heating the silicon nitride body and an organosilicon compound under a vacuum to a temperature in the range of about 250° to 300° C. over a period of about 15 to 30 minutes, said organosilicon compound being a silazane having the following formula: [(C.sub.6 H.sub.5).sub.2 SiNH].sub.3 or a polysilane having the following formula: ##STR2## wherein the ratio of x to y ranges from 1:4 to 1:20, z ranges from about 1 to 100, Me is methyl, and Ph is phenyl; (b) continuing the heating at a temperature in the range of about 250° to 300° C. for a period of about 4 to 6 hours, the heating being conducted in a nitrogen atmosphere when the organosilicon compound is silazane and in an argon atmosphere when the organosilicon compound is a polysilane; (c) heating the resulting silicon nitride body infiltrated with the organosilicon compound to a temperature of about 1300° to 1400° C. over a period of 5 to 7 hours, the heating being conducted in a nitrogen atmosphere when the organosilicon compound is silazane and in an argon atmosphere when the organosilicon compound is a polysilane; (d) continuing the heating at the temperature in the range of about 1300° to 1400° C. for about 0.5 to 2 hours, the organosilicon compound being thereby decomposed in pores of the silicon nitride body to α-Si 3 N 4 when the compound is the silazane and to β-SiC when the compound is the polysilane; and (e) allowing the infiltrated silicon nitride body substantially free of silicon oxynitride to cool to room temperature.