Next Generation of High Temperature Structural Intermetallic Compounds

Silicon compounds with the (Mn5Si3)16H crystal structure in particular, have a high melting point, which is a necessary characteristic of high temperature structural materials. The compounds Si3Zr5 and Si3Ti2Zr3 with that crystal structure and with melting points around 2500 K, were densified by using a hot isostatic process (HIP) in a glass capsule. This crystal structure shows good creep resistance, which might be due to the particularly large silicon interatomic distance. The high melting point and good creep resistance, make these intermetallics good candidates for the next generation of high temperature structural materials.