Comparison between AlN and Al2O3 ceramics applied to barrier dielectric of plasma actuator

This paper reports the material characterization and performance evaluation of an AlN ceramic based dielectric barrier discharge（DBD） plasma actuator. A conventional Al2O3 ceramic is also investigated as a control. The plasma images,thermal characteristics and electrical properties of the two actuators are compared and studied. Then, with the same electrical operating parameters（12-kV applied voltage and 11-kHz power frequency）, variations of the surface morphologies,consumed power and induced velocities are recorded and analyzed. The experimental results show that the AlN actuator can produce a more uniform discharge while the discharge of the Al2O3 actuator is easier to become filamentary. The later condition leads to higher power consumption and earlier failure due to electrode oxidation. In the plasma process,the power increment of the AlN actuator is higher than that of the Al_2O_3 actuator. The induced velocity is also influenced by this process. Prior to aging, the maximum induced velocity of the AlN actuator is 4.2 m/s, which is about 40% higher than that of the Al2O3 actuator. After 120-min plasma aging, the maximum velocity of the aged AlN actuator decreases by 27.8% while the Al_2O_3 actuator registers a decrease of 25%.

Preliminary Study on Combining K2O-Al2O3-SiO2 System Dental Glass Ceramic with Al2O3 Ceramic

Relationship between K2O-Al2O3-SiO2 system dental glass ceramics and Al2O3 ceramics was investigated. 4 groups of glass ceramic with the same components but different thickness（0.8, 1.2, 1.6, and 2.0 mm） were sintered on Al2O3 base ceramics according to the same thermal treatment system of leucite micro-crystallization reported in previous literatures. The products of each group were analyzed by polarizing microscope, X-ray diffractometer, and an INSTRON material testing machine. Under the thermal treatment system, leucite crystals were formed in samples of each group, and dispersed evenly. Meanwhile, the compressive strengths of group 3 and group 4 were higher than those of group 1 and group 2. Samples of group 3 showed better mechanical properties than others. The conclusions are drawn that Leucite crystals can be controlled in K2O-Al2O3-SiO2 system glass ceramic-Al2O3 ceramic composite material, and the thickness of glass ceramic has a notable influence on the compressive strength of this ceramic composite material.

Synergistically Toughening Effect of SiC Whiskers and Nanoparticles in Al_2O_3-based Composite Ceramic Cutting Tool Material

In recent decades, many additives with different characteristics have been applied to strengthen and toughen Al2O3-based ceramic cutting tool materials. Among them, SiC whiskers and SiC nanoparticles showed excellent performance in improving the material properties. While no attempts have been made to add SiC whiskers and SiC nanoparticles together into the ceramic matrix and the synergistically toughening effects of them have not been studied. An Al2O3-SiCw-SiC np advanced ceramic cutting tool material is fabricated by adding both one-dimensional SiC whiskers and zero-dimensional SiC nanoparticles into the Al2O3 matrix with an effective dispersing and mixing process. The composites with 25 vol% SiC whiskers and 25 vol% SiC nanoparticles alone are also investegated for comparison purposes. Results show that the Al2O3-SiCw-SiCnp composite with both 20 vo1% SiC whiskers and 5 vol% SiC nanoparticles additives have much improved mechanical properties. The flexural strength of Al2O3-SiCw-SiCnp is 730＋ 95 MPa and fracture toughness is 5.6 ± 0.6 MPa.m1/2. The toughening and strengthening mechanisms of SiC whiskers and nanoparticles are studied when they are added either individually or in combination. It is indicated that when SiC whiskers and nanoparticles are added together, the grains are further refined and homogenized, so that the microstructure and fracture mode ratio is modified. The SiC nanoparticles are found helpful to enhance the toughening effects of the SiC whiskers. The proposed research helps to enrich the types of ceramic cutting tool and is benefit to expand the application range of ceramic cutting tool.

Studies on the Structure and Properties of Multiphase Al_2O_3 Abrasion-resistant Ceramics

The Al2O3 abrasion-resistant ceramics is successfully prepared by using waste aluminum sludge as the main raw material with the addition of a little clay, talc and barium carbonate. The crystal structure and microstructure of ceramic are characterized by means of XRD, SEM, etc., and the physical and mechanical properties are also tested. The results show that besides the phase of corundum, a little mullite, Mg-Al spinel and hyalophane phases also exist in the product. These phases are produced via reaction in-situ, which can inhibit the overgrowth of Al2O3 grain in grain boundary, and improve the integral property of the material.

Mechanical properties and plasma erosion resistance of BN_p/Al_2O_3-SiO_2 composite ceramics

BNp/Al2O3-SiO2 system ceramic matrix composites with different volume fractions （10%-60%） of hexagonal BN particulates （BNp） were prepared by hot-press sintering technique. Phase components, microstructure, mechanical properties and plasma erosion resistance were also investigated. With the increase of h-BNp content, relative density and Vickers＇ hardness of the composite ceramics decrease, while the flexural strength, elastic modulus and fracture toughness increase and then decrease. The plasma erosion resistance linearly deteriorated with the increase of BNp content which is mainly determined by the density, crystal structure and atomic number of the elements.

A novel technique for making open-cell Al_2O_3-ZrO_2 ceramic foam with plant seed template

The aim of the present research is to provide a technique for preparing open-cell Al2O3-ZrO2 ceramic foams with uniform cell size.This technique used plant seeds to array templates and centrifugal slip casting to obtain cell struts with high packing density.Aqueous Al2O3-ZrO2 slurries with up to 50 vol.% solid contents were prepared and the rheological characteristic of the slurries was investigated.Consolidation was performed at an acceleration of 2,860 g for 60 min.The effect of the characteristic of plant seeds on the drying behavior of Al2O3-ZrO2 green compact was analyzed.The effects of the solid contents of slurries on segregation phenomena of Al2O3 and ZrO2 particles and green compact uniformity were investigated.The compressive stress-strain curve and deformation behavior of Al2O3-ZrO2 ceramic foams prepared using plant seed template were analyzed.The results showed segregation phenomenon is negligible for highly stable slurry with 50 vol.% solid loading.The prepared cell struts of Al2O3-ZrO2 foams have high green density (61.9% TD), sintered density (99.1% TD) and homogeneous microstructure.When sintered at 1,550 ℃ for 2 h, the cell size of Al2O3-ZrO2 foam is approximately uniform and the diameter is about 1.1 mm.The porosity and compressive strength of sintered products is 66.2% and 5.86 MPa, respectively.

Predicting model on ultimate compressive strength of Al_2O_3-ZrO_2 ceramic foam filter based on BP neural network

In present study, BP neural network model was proposed for the prediction of ultimate compressive strength of Al2O3-ZrO2 ceramic foam filter prepared by centrifugal slip casting. The inputs of the BP neural network model were the applied load on the epispastic polystyrene template （F）, centrifugal acceleration （v） and sintering temperature （T）, while the only output was the ultimate compressive strength （（7）. According to the registered BP model, the effects of F, v, T on 0 were analyzed. The predicted results agree with the actual data within reasonable experimental error, indicating that the BP model is practically a very useful tool in property prediction and process parameter design of the Al2O3-ZrO2 ceramic foam filter prepared by centrifugal slip casting.

Low Temperature Preparation and Cold Manufacturing Techniques for Femoral Head of Al_2O_3 Ceramic

The hip joint femoral head prosthesis was prepared using the Al2O3 material, which was synthesized by high purity alumina micro-powder and Mg- Zr- Y composite addhitives , the cold manufacturing techniques of lathe turning, grade polishing and the matching size correction of the sintered femoral head were studied. The results showed, after being pressed under 200 MPa cold isostatic pressure and being pre-sintered at 1150℃ , the biscuit＇ s strength can meet the demands of lathe turning ; After being grade polished by SiC micro-powder and diamond abrading agent and being size corrected by special instrument, the femoral head prosthesis of Al2O3 ceramic has good surface degree of finish and articulates tightly with femoral handle.

Effect of Interfacial Bonding on the Toughening of Al_2O_3/Ni Ceramic Matrix Composites

The main Iimitation to the toughening of the α-Al2O3/Ni composite is the poor bonding atthe interface. which causes the nickel particles to be pulled-out during crack propagation with-out obvious plastic deformation. A proper control of oxygen content at the Al2O3-Ni interfacecan promote wetting at the intedece, and produce a mechanically interlocked and chemically strengthened intedece, causing most of the nickel particles to be stretched to failure and to expe-rience severe plastic deformation during crack propagation in the composite. Fracture toughnesstesting using a modified double cantilever beam method with in situ observation of crack prop-agation in a scanning electron microscope shows that the composite with the strengthenedinterface has a more desirable R-curve behaviour and a higher fracture toughness value than thenormal composite.

Preparation of Al_2O_3-SiO_2-TiO_2-ZrO_2 Composite Ceramic Membranes by Sol-Gel Method

Al 2O 3-SiO 2-TiO 2-ZrO 2 supported membranes were prepar ed by Sol-Gel method. These composite ceramic membranes are level, even and no macro crack. There exist several crystalline phases such as Al 2O 3, TiO 2(a natase), Al 2SiO 5, and ZrO 2 in these membranes. Changing the molar ratio of Al∶Si∶Ti∶Zr,the kinds and content of crystal phases of composite membranes could be different, which may lead to a variety of microstructure of membranes. The surface nanoscale topography and microstructure of membranes were investiga ted by XRD,SEM,AFM,EPMA. The effects of additives and heat treatments on the sur face nanoscale topography and microstructure of composite ceramic membranes were also analyzed.

MICROWAVE JOINING OF ALUMINA CERAMIC AND HYDROXYLAPATITE BIOCERAMIC

Microwave joining is a rapid developmental new technique in recent years. This paper introduces a new microwave joining equipment which was made by our lab, succeeds in alumina ceramic - hydroxylapatite bioceramic join in the equipment, and analyzes the join situation of join boundary by using scanning electron microscope (SEM), this paper analyzes the mechanism of microwave joining also. (Author abstract) 4 Refs.

Research on Surface Modification of 96 Al_2O_3 by Ni Ion Implantation

A matrix of 96 Al2O3 ceramics was implanted with Ni ion of different dosages and energies using a MEVVA implanter. Then metallic structures of copper were made on the implanted ceramics, by using selective electroless copper plating. In addition, the characteristics and microstructure of the implanted layer were studied by using the SEM, RBS and XPS. The results show that： 1） the implanted Ni exits as Ni^2, Ni^2＋, and Ni^3＋ in the surface of Al2O3 and metal Ni particles precipitate on ceramics during implantation; 2） the concentration of Ni submits to the Gauss distribution along the direction of implantation on the surface of Al2O3 and high Ni concentration on the surface can be obtained if the Ni is implanted with low energy and a high dosage and 3） Ni ion implantation can activate the surface of Al2O3 and induce electroless copper plating on the ceramics.

Numerical simulation of stress distribution in Al_2O_3-TiC/Q235 diffusion bonded joints

The distributions of the axial stress and shear stress in Al2O3-TiC/Q235 diffusion bonded joints were studied using finite element method （FEM）. The effect of interlayer thickness on the axial stress and shear stress was also investigated. The results indicate that the gradients of the axial stress and shear stress are great near the joint edge. The maximal shear stress produces at the interface of the Al2O3-TIC and Ti interlayer. With the increase of Cu interlayer thickness, the magnitudes of the axial stress and shear stress first decrease and then increase. The distribution of the axial stress changes greatly with a little change in the shear stress. The shear fracture initiates at the interface of the Al2O3-TiC/ Ti interlayer with high shear stress and then propagates to the Al2O3-TIC side, which is consistent with the stress FEM calculating results.

Microstructural Characteristics and Wear Performance of Plasma Sprayed Al_2O_3-13 wt. % TiO_2 Coating on the Surface of Extrusion Wheel

The conventional Al2O3-13 wt. % TiO2 composite ceramic coatings are fabricated by plasma spraying on the surface of extrusion wheel. The microstrueture, morphology and phase compositions of the substrate and coat- ing are investigated by using X-ray diffractometry （XRD） , scanning electron microsopy （SEM） and energy dis- persive spectroscopy （EDS）. Moreover, the microhardness of the substrate and the coating are investigated using Vickers mierohardness tester, the friction and wear behaviors of the substrate and the coating are investigated by using a block-on-ring tribometer under dry sliding conditions with the load of 245 N. The results show that both γ-Al2O3 and α-Al2O3 phases are observed in the as-sprayed coatings, the mian phase is γ-Al2O3. There are white particulates Al2O3 on its surface. The Al2O3-13 wt. % TiO2 coating possesses higher mierohardness which is about 1018HV and 1.6 times that of the substrate. The wear performance of coating is better than that of the substrate. In a practical application, the life of the extrusion wheel which is plasma sprayed Al2O3-13 wt. % TiO2 coating on the surface is 1.2 times that of the conventional extrusion wheel, and the life is about 330 h.

(La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)PO4: A high-entropy rare-earth phosphate monazite ceramic with low thermal conductivity and good compatibility with Al2O3

Low thermal conductivity, matched thermal expansion coefficient and good compatibility are general requirements for the environmental/thermal barrier coatings(EBCs/TBCs) and interphases for Al2O3 f/Al2O3 composites. In this work, a novel high-entropy(HE) rare-earth phosphate monazite ceramic (La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)PO4 is designed and successfully synthesized. This new type of HE rare-earth phosphate monazite exhibits good chemical compatibility with Al2O3, without reaction with Al2O3 as high as 1600℃ in air. Moreover, the thermal expansion coefficient(TEC) of HE (La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)PO4(8.9 × 10^-6/℃ at 300–1000℃) is close to that of Al2O3. The thermal conductivity of HE (La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)PO4 at room temperature is as low as 2.08 W·m^-1·K^-1, which is about 42% lower than that of La PO4. Good chemical compatibility, close TEC to that of Al2O3, and low thermal conductivity indicate that HE (La0.2Ce0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)PO4 is suitable as a candidate EBC/TBC material and an interphase for Al2O3 f/Al2O3 composites.

Corrosion Resistance of Ceramic Coating on Steel Substrate

Fe/Al2O3 ceramic coating was made by spraying and sol-gel. The corrosion resistance between Fe/Al2O3 ceramic coating and steel 45# was studied. By microscope and X-ray diffraction, the binding and the composition of the interface were also analyzed. The results showed that Fe/Al2O3 ceramic coating had dense struc- ture, less porosity and better binding with the substrate which was effective to prevent erosive liquor immersing into the inside of ceramic coating. Some substances that distributed homogeneously in Fe/Al2O3 ceramic coating, such as α-Al2O3, FeAlO3 and Fe3Al, could improve the corrosion resistance of this material.

Strengthening and toughening forming of Al/Al_2O_3 composite in pseudo-semi-solid state

A new technology thixo-die-forging of the composite in pseudo-semi-solid state was proposed based on the powder metallurgy technology combing with semi-solid metal process, and the cup shells with Al/Al2O3 composite was prepared successfully. The metallographic analysis and performance test show that the microstructure of parts is dense and mechanical properties axe excellent with the volume fraction of Al is 37%. The bend strength and fracture toughness of the composite are about 570- 690 MPa and 8.5-16.8 MPa·m^1/2, respectively. Comparing with reaction in situ and high temperature oxidation technologies the bending strength and fracture toughness are improved greatly. At the same time, it shows that the technology parameters have great influences on the properties. So it is feasible to prepare metal/ceramics composites by the proposed technology.