Microstructure and crystallization behavior of SiBCN ceramic powder: High energy ball milling effect on polyborosilazane

Abstract The SiBCN ceramics have garnered increasing attention as fascinating candidates for high‐temperature structural and functional applications, whose diverse properties are associated with the amorphous/crystalline state. SiBCN ceramic powders with high crystallization resistance and fine particle size is desirable for the preparation of the amorphous bulks. In this study, we synthesized a polyborosilazane (PBSZ) precursor through ammonolysis and condensation of tris(dichloromethylsilylethyl)borane and boron trichloride. Subsequently, high‐energy ball milling was employed to disintegrate PBSZ and produced SiBCN powders through pyrolysis. Compared with the powders obtained by manual grinding and low‐speed ball milling, the effect of high‐energy ball milling on the structure of PBSZ and corresponding SiBCN ceramic was investigated. Apart from the regular SiN 2 C 2 structure, a new SiN 3 C structure is formed during high energy ball milling of PBSZ, and inherited in the ceramic after pyrolysis. The SiBCN powder derived from high‐energy ball milled PBSZ exhibits better crystallization resistance and finer particle size, which demonstrates potential for the preparation of amorphous SiBCN bulks.