Silica (SiO2) glass is one of the essential materials in human civilization for making household items, window panes, lenses and optical fibers. An important reason for its wide adaptation is its formability near the glass-transition temperature (Tg 1100 deg C). Si02 glass at room temperature, however, is usually brittle due to fracture instability. But when the brittle glass is confined in extremely small dimensions at tens of nanometres, the nature ...
Refractory diboride with silicon carbide additive has a unique oxide scale structure with two condensed oxide phases (solid + liquid), and demonstrates oxidation resistance superior to either monolithic diboride or silicon carbide. We rationalize that this is because the silica-rich liquid phase can retreat outward to remove the high SiO gas volatility region, while still holding onto the zirconia skeleton mechanically by capillary forces, to form a "solid pillars, liquid ...
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