▎ 摘　　要

To exploit the application of silicon carbide in complex-shaped and large-scale ceramic components, graphene platelet (GPL) was chosen as the reinforcement to develop silicon carbide ceramics by reactive sintering at 1700 degrees C. The effects of GPL content on the microstructure, phase composition and mechanical behaviors of reaction bonded silicon carbide ceramics were studied. Bulk density of the composites decreased with the increase of GPL contents because of the agglomeration of GPL. During reactive sintering, the GPL reacted with molten silicon to form laminated reinforcement, which brought about some toughening mechanisms including crack bridging, reinforcement pullout and reinforcement delamination. At the GPL content of 1.0 wt%, the flexural strength and fracture toughness of the composites reached the peak values of 436 MPa and 5.7 MPa m(1/2), respectively. Thus, this work provides a path to prepare high-performance silicon carbide ceramics by reactive sintering and graphene platelet. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.