Stabilization of Silicon Carbide Whisker Suspensions: I, Influence of Surface Oxidation in Aqueous Suspensions

The extent of surface oxidation controls the stability of silicon carbide aqueous suspensions. In the present study, X‐ray photon spectroscopy (XPS) was used to determine the extent of oxygen on as‐received and oxidized silicon carbide whiskers. The isoelectric points at pH 6.0 and pH 4.0 for the as‐received and oxidized whiskers, respectively, correlated with the XPS analyses, indicating essentially a silica surface on the oxidized whiskers and both Si—O and Si—C bonds on the surface of the as‐received whiskers. Suggestions are made regarding the utility of the oxidation treatment in processing whisker‐reinforced ceramics. 1988 The American Ceramic Society