Preparation and Thermal Shock Resistance of Mullite Ceramics for High Temperature Solar Thermal Storage

Mullite thermal storage ceramics were prepared by low-cost calcined bauxite and kaolin.The phase composition,microstructure,high temperature resistance and thermophysical properties were characterized by modern testing techniques.The experimental results indicate that sample A3(bauxite/kaolin ratio of 5:5)sintered at 1620℃has the optimum comprehensive properties,with bulk density of 2.83 g·cm^(-3)and bending strength of 155.44 MPa.After 30 thermal shocks(1000℃-room temperature,air cooling),the bending strength of sample A3 increases to 166.15 MPa with an enhancement rate of 6.89%,the corresponding thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity are 3.54 W·(m·K)^(-1)and 1.39 kJ·(kg·K)^(-1)at 800℃,and the thermal storage density is 1096 kJ·kg^(-1)(25-800 mullite ceramics;sintering properties;high-temperature thermal storage;thermal shock resistance).Mullite forms a dense and continuous interlaced network microstructure,which endows the samples high thermal storage density and high bending strength,but the decrease of bauxite/kaolin ratio leads to the decrease of mullite content,which reduces the properties of the samples.

Spatial gradient distributions of thermal shock-induced damage to granite

In this study,we attempted to investigate the spatial gradient distributions of thermal shock-induced damage to granite with respect to associated deterioration mechanisms.First,thermal shock experiments were conducted on granite specimens by slowly preheating the specimens to high temperatures,followed by rapid cooling in tap water.Then,the spatial gradient distributions of thermal shock-induced damage were investigated by computed tomography(CT)and image analysis techniques.Finally,the influence of the preheating temperature on the spatial gradients of the damage was discussed.The results show that the thermal shock induced by rapid cooling can cause more damage to granite than that induced by slow cooling.The thermal shock induced by rapid cooling can cause spatial gradient distributions of the damage to granite.The damage near the specimen surface was at a maximum,while the damage inside the specimen was at a minimum.In addition,the preheating temperature can significantly influence the spatial gradient distributions of the thermal shock-induced damage.The spatial gradient distribution of damage increased as the preheating temperature increased and then decreased significantly over 600
C.When the preheating temperature was sufficiently high(e.g.800
C),the gradient can be ignored.

Preparation of micro-arc oxidation coatings on magnesium alloy and its thermal shock resistance property

In the NaAlO2-Na2SiO3 compound system, the ceramic coatings were prepared on magnesium alloy by micro-arc oxidation. The morphology, phase composition, and thermal shock resistance of the ceramic coatings were studied by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and thermal shock tests, respectively. The results showed that the ceramic coating contains MgO, MgAl2O4, as well as a little amount of MgESiO4. The thickness of the ceramic coatings increases with the current density increasing, when the current density is 12 A·dm^-2, the thermal shock resistance of the produced ceramic coating is the best. The hardness of the ceramic coating is up to 10 GPa or so.

Relationship Between Thermal Shock Behavior and Cutting Performance of a Functionally Gradient Ceramic Tool

Based on the deep understanding of the requirements of cutting conditions on ceramic tools, a design model for functionally gradient ceramic tool materials with symmetrical composition distribution was presented in this paper, according to which an Al 2O 3-TiC functionally gradient ceramic tool material FG-1 was synthesized by powder-laminating and uniaxially hot-pressing technique. The thermal shock resistance of the Al 2O 3-TiC functionally gradient ceramics FG-1 was evaluated by water quenching and subsequent three-point bending tests of flexural strength diminution. Comparisons were made with results from parallel experiments conducted using a homogeneous Al 2O 3-TiC ceramics. Functionally gradient ceramics exhibited higher retained strength under all thermal shock temperature differences compared to homogeneous ceramics, indicating the higher thermal shock resistance. The experimental results were supported by the calculation of transient thermal stress field. The cutting performance of the Al 2O 3-TiC functionally gradient ceramic tool FG-1 was also investigated in rough turning the cylindrical surface of exhaust valve of diesel engine in comparison with that of a common Al 2O 3-TiC ceramic tool LT55. The results indicated that the tool life of FG-1 increased by 50 percent over that of LT55. Tool life of LT55 was mainly controlled by thermal shock cracking which was accompanied by mechanical shock. While tool life of FG-1 was mainly controlled by mechanical fatigue crack extension rather than thermal shock cracking, revealing the less thermal shock susceptibility of functionally gradient ceramics than that of common ceramics.

Thermal shock fatigue behavior of TiC/Al_2O_3 composite ceramics

The thermal shock fatigue behaviors of pure hot-pressed alumina and 30 wt.% TiC/Al2O3 composites were studied. The effect of TiC and Al2O3 starting particle size on the mechanical properties of the composites was discussed. Indentation-quench test was conducted to evaluate the effect of thermal fatigue temperature difference （ΔT） and number of thermal cycles （Ⅳ） on fatigue crack growth （Δa）. The mechanical properties and thermal fatigue resistance of TiC/Al203 composites are remarkably improved by the addition of TiC. The thermal shock fatigue of monolithic alumina and TiC/Al2O3 composites is due to a ＂true＂ cycling effect （thermal fatigue）. Crack deflection and bridging are the predominant reasons for the improvement of thermal shock fatigue resistance of the composites.

Thermal Shock-Activated Spontaneous Growing of Nanosheets for Overall Water Splitting

Nanomaterials based on nickel foam(NF) have been widely applied in energy conversion and storage field.Traditional synthesis methods such as hydrothermal method which is dangerous and high cost limited the scalable developments.Herein,we report a fast,simple,and low-cost synthesis method of nanomaterials based on NF by Joule-heating and water soaking treatment.Thin carbon-coated CoS on NF(NF-C/CoS) was synthesized by Joule-heating for a few seconds with rapid cooling.And then,NF-C/CoS/NiOOH with core-shell heterostructure was fabricated by soaking treatment of NF-C/CoS in water on which NiOOH nanosheets grew spontaneously.The formation mechanism is proposed that the coordination complex precursor converts into C/CoS on NF driven by Joule-heating,and the nickel on the surface of NF is activated to form metastable nickel simultaneously.The metastable nickel reacting with water leads to the formation of NiOOH,and the induction of CoS makes NiOOH grow continuously.This synthesis technology provides a new route to manufacture NF-based nanostructures,and the as-fabricated NF-C/CoS/NiOOH exhibits great potential as electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction.

THERMAL SHOCK OF SEMI-INFINITE BODY WITH MULTI-PULSED INTENSE LASER RADIATION

In order to investigate the thermal shock and the heat conduction property of a target under multi-pulsed laser radiation, analytic expressions of both temperature and thermal stress fields in the target are deduced on the basis of the non-Fourier conduction law and the thermo-elastic theory. Taking a stainless steel target as an example, we can solve the analytic expressions under appropriate boundary conditions by using the finite difference method and MATLAB software, and then reveal the evolution law of both surplus temperaturt, and thermal stress in the target. The results indicate that the temperature curves in the target irradiated by a multi-pulsed laser take on a delayed character in different sections away from the boundary, which is only affected by its relaxation time. The front of the stress wave is very steep in the non-Fourier numerical solutions, which presents an obvious thermal shock, so it is necessary to consider the non-Fourier effect of semi-infinite body under the high energy laser radiation.

Study on the thermal protection performance of superalloy honeycomb panels in high-speed thermal shock environments

The thermal protection performance of superalloy honeycomb structure in high-temperature environments are important for thermal protection design of high-speed aircrafts. By using a self-developed transient aerodynamic thermal simulation system, the thermal protection performance of superalloy honeycomb panel was tested in this paper at different transient heating rates ranging from 5℃/s to 30℃/s, with the maximum instantaneous temperature reaching 950℃. Furthermore, the thermal protection performance of superalloy honeycomb struc- ture under simulated thermal environments was computed for different high heat- ing rates by using 3D finite element method, and a comparison between calcu- lational and experimental results was carded out. The results of this research provide an important reference for the design of thermal protection systems com- prising superalloy honeycomb panel.

Effects of Y_2O_3 on Thermal Shock of Al_2O_3/TiCN Composites

Thermal shock resistance of Al2O3-TiCN(30%)-Y2O3(0.2%) composite was studied by hot pressing(HP) method at different temperatures. The study shows that thermal shock resistance of the material is determined by its microstructure and reinforced mechanism. According to SEM and calculation of thermal shock, the fractured surface of Al2O3-30%TiCN-0.2%Y2O3 composite is undulate. The residual strength of Al2O3-30%TiCN-0.2%Y2O3 is higher than Al2O3-30%TiCN at 200～800 ℃ after thermal shock. Cracks initiation resistance (R′)and cracks propagation resistance (R″″)of Al2O3-30%TiCN-0.2%Y2O3 composite increases 12% and 5% respectively compared with that of Al2O3-30%TiCN. It matches with experimental results. The addition of Y2O3 forms YAG that inhibits crystal growth, and increases fracture stress, fracture toughness, cracks initiation resistance and cracks propagation resistance. Therefore, thermal shock resistance increases. The fracture work of Al2O3-30%TiCN and Al2O3-30%TiCN-0.2%Y2O3 composites are 132 and 148 J·m-2 respectively.

Physico-mechanical properties of granite after cyclic thermal shock

Understanding rock mechanical behaviors after thermal shock is critically important for practical engineering application.In this context,physico-mechanical properties of Beishan granite,Gansu Province,China after cyclic thermal shock were studied using digital image correlation(DIC),acoustic emission(AE)monitoring,and microscopic observation.The results show that the peak strength and elastic modulus decreased gradually with increase in thermal shock cycle.However,the above two parameters showed no further changes after 10 thermal shock cycles.The loading stress ratio(i.e.the ratio of the current loading stress level to the peak stress in this state)corresponding to the occurrence of the uneven principal strain field and the local strain concentration zone on the surface of the granite specimen decreased with increase in thermal shock cycle.Three transformation forms of the standard deviation curves of the surface principal strain were found.For granite with fewer thermal shock cycles(e.g.no more than 2 cycles),the standard deviation curves exhibited approximately exponential growth in exponential form.With increase in thermal shock cycle,the S-shaped curve was dominant.After 10 thermal shock cycles,an approximate ladder-shaped curve was observed.It is displayed that AE activity was mainly concentrated around the peak strength zone of the granite specimen when the rock samples underwent fewer thermal shock cycles.With increase in thermal shock cycle,AE activity could occur at low loading stress levels.Microscopic observation further confirmed these scenarios,which showed that more microcracks were induced with increase in thermal shock cycle.The number of induced microcracks at the edge location of the granite specimen was significantly larger than that at the interior location.Finally,a continuum damage model was proposed to describe the damage evolution of the granite specimen after cyclic thermal shock during loading.

Thermal fatigue behaviors of SiC power module by Ag sinter joining under harsh thermal shock test

The excellent properties of SiC bring new challenges for the device packaging.In this study,the bonding strength,fracture behaviors and microstructural evolution of micron-porous Ag joint were elevated during thermal cycling(–50 ℃–250 ℃) in SiC/DBC(direct bonding copper) die attachment structure for different time.During harsh thermal shock test,the strength of sintered joint deceased gradually with the increase of cycling number,and the value just was half of the value of as-sintered after 1 000 cycles.Coarsening of Ag grains was observed in micron-porous joint with the structure inhomogeneity and defects increasing,which were the reasons of the strength decease.In addition,it was also found that the fracture behavior of sintered joints was changed from ductile deformation of Ag grain to brittle fracture of crack propagation after 1 000 cycles.This study will add the understanding in the mechanical properties of Ag sinter joining and its applications at high temperature.

Effect of Rare Earth on Thermal Shock Resistance of Steel 9Cr2Mo

The effect of rare earth elements on thermal shock resistance of cold roller steel 9Cr2Mo was investigated by means of X-ray diffractometry and optical microscopy. Experimental results show that the process of carbide precipitation of heat effect zone is restrained by adding RE elements in steel 9Cr2Mo. Therefore, thermal shock resistance of this steel can be improved.

Effect of Nano-ZrO_2 on Microstructure and Thermal Shock Behaviour of Al_2O_3/SiC Composite Ceramics Used in Solar Thermal Power

The Al2O3-ZrO2（3Y）-SiC composite ceramics used in solar thermal power were prepared by micrometric Al2O3,nano-ZrO2 and SiC powders under the condition of pressureless sintering.The bulk density and bending strength of samples with 10vol% nano-ZrO2 sintered at 1480℃ were 3.222 g/cm3 and 160.4MPa,respectively.The bending strength of samples after 7 times thermal shock tests （quenching from 1000℃ to 25℃ in air medium） is 132.0MPa,loss rate of bending strength is only 17%.The effect of nano-ZrO2 content on the microstructure and performance of Al2O3-ZrO2（3Y）-SiC composite ceramic was investigated.The experimental results show that the bending strength of samples with above 10vol% nano-ZrO2 content has decreased,because the volume expansion resulting from t-ZrO2 to m-ZrO2 phase transformation is excessive;Adding proper nano-ZrO2 would be contributed to improve the thermal shock resistance of the composite ceramics.The Al2O3-ZrO2（3Y）-SiC composite ceramic has promising potential application in solar thermal power.

Generalized thermoelasticity of the thermal shock problem in an isotropic hollow cylinder and temperature dependent elastic moduli

In this paper, we construct the equations of generalized thermoelasicity for a non-homogeneous isotropic hollow cylider with a variable modulus of elasticity and thermal conductivity based on the Lord and Shulman theory. The problem has been solved numerically using the finite element method. Numerical results for the displacement, the temperature, the radial stress, and the hoop stress distributions are illustrated graphically. Comparisons are made between the results predicted by the coupled theory and by the theory of generalized thermoelasticity with one relaxation time in the cases of temperature dependent and independent modulus of elasticity.

Thermal Shock Resistance of Nano SiC-BN Composites

Nano SiC - BN composite powders were prepared by dissolving analytically pure H3BO3 and CO（ NH2 ）2 with the mole ratio of 1：2.5 in the absolute alcohol, adding 80% E-SiC with 0. 2 μm average grain size while stirring, firing at 850 ℃ in nitrogen （purity： 99. 99%, pressure： O. 92 -0. 93 MPa） for 15 h. Nano SiC -BN composite specimens were prepared by hot-pressed sintering the nano SiC - BN composite powder in N2 atmosphere with 0. 92 - 0. 93 MPa and at 30 MPa axial pressure for 0. 5 - 1 h at 1 750 - 1 800 ℃. The thermal shock resistance of nano SiC -BN composites was studied by three-point bending, TEM and SEM. The results show that, adding BN can decrease the modulus of elasticity of SiC materials, which improves thermal shock resistance;furthermore, because of the large difference of thermal expansion coefficient between matrix SiC and second phase hexa-BN, thermal mismatch effect results in intercrystalline delamination of h-BN grains and forming many micropores in composite ceramic, which can relax the thermal expansion caused by high tempera- ture effectively, and improve the thermal shock resistance significantly.

Effect of pre-oxidation on strength and thermal shock behavior of ZrB_2-SiC-graphite ceramic composites

A novelty technique,namely,pre-oxidation,has been proposed to improve the strength and thermal shock behavior of ZrB2-SiC-graphite ceramic composites,which is a promising candidate for ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) in aerospace engineering. The composite is pre-oxidized at temperatures of 900 ℃ and 1100 ℃ for 1 h and 3 h in air. A theoretical model considering surface heat transfer has been given and analyzed. A water-quenching technique is adopted at different temperatures from 300 ℃ to 600 ℃ in order to investigate the thermal shock behavior of pre-oxidized composites. The critical thermal shock temperature improves more than 40% after pre-oxidizing at 1100 ℃ for 3 h. However,the composites strength is not improved as a result of the insensitivity to surface defects.

Thermal Shock Behaviour of Alumina-Iron Composites

Thermal shock behaviour was investigated for two morphologically different composites comprising an alumina matrix and 20 vol. pct Fe particles for a wide range of quenching temperature differences (AT=100~800癈) and compared to a monolithic alumina. The retained strength and critical quenching temperature difference, Tcr of the two composites were a significant improvement over the values for the respective monolithic alumina. Crack lengths and densities were shown to be greater for the alumina than for the two composites at all quenching temperature differences. The thermal shock resistance parameters for monolithic alumina and the two composites were calculated according to their mechanical and physical properties. The calculated results agree well with the experimental one and indicate possible explanations for the differences in thermal shock behaviour.

Thermal shock resistance behavior of a functionally graded ceramic: Effects of finite cooling rate

This work presents a semi-analytical model to explore the effects of cooling rate on the thermal shock resistance behavior of a functionally graded ceramic （FGC） plate with a periodic array of edge cracks. The FGC is assumed to be a thermally heterogeneous material with constant elastic modulus and Poisson＇s ratio. The cooling rate applied at the FGC surface is modeled using a linear ramp function. An integral equation method and a closed form asymptotic temperature solution are employed to compute the thermal stress intensity factor （TSIF）. The thermal shock residual strength and critical thermal shock of the FGC plate are obtained using the SIF criterion. Thermal shock simulations for an Al2O/Si3N4 FGC indicate that a finite cooling rate leads to a significantly higher critical thermal shock than that under the sudden cooling condition. The residual strength, however, is relatively insensitive to the cooling rate.

THERMAL AND THERMO-ELASTIC-PLASTIC RESPONSE OF CERAMIC-METAL FUNCTIONALLY GRADED MATERIALS—THERMAL SHOCK PROBLEM

The thermal and thermo-elastic-plastic response of newly developed ceramic-metal functionally graded materials under a thermal shock load is studied. The materials are heated at the ceramic surface with a sudden high-intensity heat flux input, and cooled at the metal surface with a flowing liquid nitrogen. Emphasis is placed on two aspects: (1) the influence of the graded composition of the materials on the temperature and stress response; and (2) the optimum design of the graded composition from a unified viewpoint of the heat insulation property and stress relaxation property. Moreover, a comparison between the thermoelastic stress and the thermo-elastic-plastic stress is also made to indicate the plasticity effect.

Thermal Shock Resistances of FeMnCr/Cr_3C_2 Coatings Deposited by Arc Spraying

Arc spraying with the cored wires was applied to deposit FeMnCr/Cr3C2 coatings on low carbon steel substrates, namely FM1, FM2 and FM3. Thermal shock resistances of the coatings were investigated to assess the influence of Cr3C2 content on thermal shock resistance. Characteristics of the coatings under thermal cycling test were studied by optical microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscope （FE-SEM） and energy dispersion spectrum （EDS）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The experimental results show that hardness of the coatings increases, bonding strength decreases slightly with increase of the Cr3C2 content of the coatings. As a result, FM2 coating possesses the best thermal shock resistance, attributing to its better thermal expansion matches and wettability than those of FM3 coating, less oxide rate than that of FM1 coating restraining from cracks formation and propagation in coatings.