Preparation, texturing and mechanical properties of ZrB ₂ –WSi ₂ ceramics via reactive hot pressing and hot forging

ZrB2–WSi2 ceramics with platelet shaped ZrB2 grains were fabricated via reactive hot pressing by the reaction of Zr, B, W and Si. Hot forging was then used to form a textured microstructure in the ceramics. The ceramics obtained by reactive hot pressing demonstrated higher flexural strength than the corresponding ZrB2–MoSi2 ceramics in our previous study, owing to the moderate platelet ZrB2 grain size and the intrinsic properties of WSi2. During hot forging, the platelet ZrB2 grains rotated and rearranged orderly under the pressure, forming textured microstructure with anisotropic properties; however, there is a decrease in flexural strength, owing to the excessive large grain growth during the high temperature hot forging process.