SILICON NITRIDE SINTERED BODY AND SLIDING MEMBER USING THE SAME

摘要

A silicon nitride sintered body contains silicon nitride particles and a sintering agent component within a range of 2-15 mass%.The silicon nitride particles contain needle crystalline particles, which have a long diameter (L) of 10µm or shorter and a ratio of the long diameter (L) to a short diameter (S) (L/S) of 5 or more, by 50% or more in area ratio in the crystalline structure of the silicon nitride sintered body. The silicon nitride sintered body is used as a sliding member like a bearing ball (2).