Seiji Kamimura

Development of silicon nitride fiber from Si-containing polymer by radiation curing and its application

Abstract A silicon nitride fiber (Si3N4) was synthesized from polycarbosilane (PCS) fiber by radiation application. PCS fibers were cured by electron beam (EB) irradiation in a helium gas atmosphere prior to the pyrolysis. The cured PCS fiber was converted to Si3N4 ceramic fiber with flexibility by nitridation in ammonia gas at a high temperature of 500–1000°C. The obtained Si3N4 fibre showed a high heat resistance up to 1300°C, a high tensile strength of 2 GPa and excellent electrical resistivity of 1013 Ω cm. The ceramic fiber was fabricated to cloth and applied for electric wire insulator. The wire cable is flexible and can be applied at a high temperature atmosphere of around 1000°C.