| abstract |
A polymetallocarbosilane having a number average molecular weight of 700 to 100,000 is derived from (i) a polycarbosilane having a number average molecular weight of 200 to 10,000 and containing a main-chain skeleton composed mainly of units of the formulawherein R represents hydrogen, lower alkyl or phenyl, and (ii) an organometallic compound of the formula MX.wherein M represents Ti or Zr, and X represents alkoxy of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, phenoxy or acetyl-acetoxy, at least one of the silicon atoms of the polymetallocarbosilane being bonded to the metal atom (M) through an oxygen atom, and the ratio of the total number of the structural units+ Si-CH<sub>2</sub> )̵ to the total number of the structural units (̵ M-O )̵ in the polymetallocarbosilane being from 2:1 to 200:1.When molded and fired the polymetallocarbosilane can provide articles consisting mainly of SiC and MC having high mechanical strength and oxidation resistance. |