Grinding Behavior and Powder Characteristics of Si3N4 as a Raw Material for Ceramics [Translated]†

Abstract

It is well known that powder characteristics of high-performance ceramics have great influence on the sintering activity of the powders and the properties of the final products. Since grinding process is essential for such materials in many cases, it is important to grasp the change in powder characteristics by grinding. In this study, Si3N4 powder was ground with a vibration ball mill under several experimental conditions to examine grinding characteristics such as wear behavior of a mill and grinding media, particle size distribution, specific surface area, and X-ray diffraction intensity. Consequently the following results were obtained; ultra-fine grinding of Si3N4 was possible using a vibration ball mill and grinding behavior was considerably affected by the materials constructing the mill and the grinding media (especially by the hardness of the materials).† This report was originally printed in J. Soc. Powder Technology, Japan, 20(2), 82-85 (1983) in Japanese, before being translated into English by KONA Editorial Committee with the permission of the editorial committee of the Soc. Powder Technology, Japan.