Influence of Ti addition on the structure, thermal stability of SiTiOC ceramics and pyrolysis behavior of SiTiOC xerogel

Ti doping SiTiOC ceramics were prepared by sol-gel method with tetrabutyl titanate (TBT) as modifier. The thermal stability of SiTiOC ceramics with various Ti contents was studied. Meanwhile, the influence of Ti addition on the pyrolysis behavior of SiTiOC xerogel and the structure evolution of SiTiOC ceramics were investigated. The ceramic yield of SiTiOC xerogels were improved greatly by introducing TBT, while the improvement of ceramic yield had an upper limit, for the simultaneous increase of volatile CH 3 O(CH 2 ) 3 OH. At 900 °C pyrolysis, SiTiOC ceramics were amorphous, and Ti existed by oxides. At 1200 °C and 1400 °C pyrolysis, the crystallinity of SiTiOC ceramics increased, TiC phase appeared in ceramics due to the carbothermal reduction of titanium oxides. With increased Ti contents, TiC contents increased in ceramics attributed to the preferentially carbothermal reduction of titanium oxides. The addition of Ti improved the thermal stability of SiOC ceramic system, but such an improvement was sensitive to the Ti contents. 0.05Ti-1400 ceramic exhibited the highest thermal stability with the mass change of 6.51 %. Because the oxide scale of 0.05Ti-1400 ceramic was complete and dense, with lowest thermal stress and oxygen diffusion rate for the least TiO 2 formed in the oxide scale. Concurrently, the TiO 2 particles formed with long rod-like which distributed uniformly in oxide scale that can toughen the oxide scale. While for 0.1Ti-1400 and 0.2Ti-1400 ceramics, the increase of Ti outward diffusion degree damaged the oxide scale and accelerated the oxidation of free carbon.