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.

Wetting behavior of aluminium and filtration with Al_2O_3 and SiC ceramic foam filters

The wetting behavior between liquid aluminium and substrates made from industrial Al2O3 and SiC based ceramic foam filters （CFF） was investigated. The same CFF filters were also tested in plant scale filtration experiments. The wetting experiment results show that the SiC based filter material is better wetted by liquid aluminium than the Al2O3 based filter material. This indicates that the improved wetting of aluminium on a filter material is an advantage for molten metal to infiltrate the filter during priming. Also, better wetting of Al-filter might increase the removal efficiency of inclusions during filtration due to better contact between filter and metal. Non-wetted inclusions are easier to be removed.

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.

Interface characteristics of Al_2O_3－13%TiO_2 ceramic coatings prepared by laser cladding

Al2O3-13%TiO2 （mass fraction） coatings, prepared by laser cladding on nickel-based alloy, were heated using high frequency induction sources. The coating microstructure and the interface between bond coating and ceramic coating were characterized by SEM, XRD and EDS. The results show that two-layer substructure exists in the ceramic coating： one layer evolving from fully melted region where the sintered grains grow fully; another layer resembling the liquid-phase-sintered structure consisting of three-dimensional net where the melted Al2O3 particles are embedded in the TiO2-rich matrix. The mechanism of the two-layer substructure formation is also explained in terms of the melting and flattening behavior of the powders during laser cladding processing. The spinel compounds NiAl2O4 and acicular compounds Cr2O3 are discovered in the interface between bond coating and ceramic coating. It proves that the chemical reactions in the laser cladding process will significantly enhance the coating adhesion.

PIEZOSPECTROSCOPIC STUDY OF RESIDUAL STRESSES AROUND INDENTATIONS IN SiC/Al_O_3 NANOCOMPOSITE

A new experimental measurement of residual stresses around Vickers′ indentations on the surface of the SiC/Al 2O 3 nanocomposites is proposed with the aid of a Raman microprobe. Results s how that the shifts of R lines in the fluorescence spectra va ry with the distance from the centre of indentation. The magnitude of load appli ed on the surface of the materials through the indenter influences the shifts of R lines to great extent. The luminescence of R lines of the materials before indenting is used to determine the residual stresses around the indentation in the materials, assuming that the stress tensor is transversely isotropic. Final ly, the term of hydrostatic stress is adopted to explain and compare different residual stresses around indentations with the increase of the indenting load an d the distance from the centre of indentations. <

Identification of Growth Promoter to Fabrication SiCp/Al₂O₃Ceramic Matrix Composites Prepared by Directed Metal Oxidation of An Al Alloy

SiC particulates reinforced alumina matrix composites were fabricated using Directed Metal Oxidation (DIMOX) process. Continuous oxidation of an Al-Si-Mg-Zn alloy with different interlayers (dopents) as growth promoters, will encompasses the early heating of the alloy ingot, melting and continued heating to temperature in the narrow range of 950°C to 980°C in an atmosphere of oxygen. Varying interlayers (dopents) are incorporated to examine the growth conditions of the composite materials and to identification of suitable growth promoter. The process is extremely difficult because molten aluminum does not oxidize after prolonged duration at high temperatures due to the formation of a passivating oxide layer. It is known that the Lanxide Corporation had used a combination of dopents to cause the growth of alumina from molten metal. This growth was directed, i.e. the growth is allowed only in the required direction and restricted in the other directions. The react nature of the dopants was a trade secret. Though it is roughly known that Mg and Si in the Al melt can aid growth, additional dopents used, the temperatures at which the process was carried out, the experimental configurations that aided directed growth were not precisely known. In this paper we have evaluated the conditions in which composites can be grown in large enough sizes for evaluation application and have arrived at a procedure that enables the fabrication of large composite samples by determining the suitable growth promoter (dopant). Scanning electron microscopic, EDS analysis of the composite was found to contain a continuous network of Al2O3, which was predominantly free of grain-boundary phases, a continuous network of Al alloy. Fabrication of large enough samples was done only by the inventor company and the property measurements by the company were confirmed to those needed to enable immediate applications. Since there are a large number of variable affecting robust growth of the composite, fabrication large sized samples for measurements is a difficult task. In the present work, to identify a suitable window of parameters that enables robust growth of the composite has been attempted.

PIEZOSPECTROSCOPIC STUDY OF RESIDUAL STRESSES AROUND INDENTATIONS IN SiC/AlO3 NANOCOMPOSITE

A new experimental measurement of residual stresses around Vickers′ indentations on the surface of the SiC/Al 2O 3 nanocomposites is proposed with the aid of a Raman microprobe. Results s how that the shifts of R lines in the fluorescence spectra va ry with the distance from the centre of indentation. The magnitude of load appli ed on the surface of the materials through the indenter influences the shifts of R lines to great extent. The luminescence of R lines of the materials before indenting is used to determine the residual stresses around the indentation in the materials, assuming that the stress tensor is transversely isotropic. Final ly, the term of hydrostatic stress is adopted to explain and compare different residual stresses around indentations with the increase of the indenting load an d the distance from the centre of indentations. 【

Preparation of Crack-free 3Y-TZP/Al_2O_3 Composite Ceramic Fiber by Electrolysis-sol-gel Method

Polycrystalline 3Y-TZP/Al2O3 tetragonal zirconia fiber was obtained by the pyrolysis of gel fibers using zirconium oxychloride octahydrate（ZOC） as the raw material. The spinnable zirconia sol was prepared by electrolyzing the zirco-nium oxychloride octahydrate（ZOC） solution in the presence of acetic acid and sugar（ sucrose, glucrose or fructose） , in which the molar ratios of CH3 COOH/ZOC and sugar/ZOC were 1.0-4.0 and 0.2-0.4, respectively. The pre- pared tetragonal zireonia fibers sintered at different temperatures showed smooth and crack-free surfaces with diame, ters of 5-10 μm. The addition of Al2O3 enhanced the sintering process and prevented the crystals from growing. Thermogravimetric analysis（TG）, X-ray diffraction （ XRD ）, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FTIR）, and scanning electron microscope（SEM） techniques were used to characterize the prepared fibers.

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.

Microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of lead borosilicate glass ceramics with Al_2O_3

The effects of Al2O3 addition on both the sintering behavior and microwave dielectric properties of PbO-B203-SiO2 glass ceramics were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscope （FTIR）, differential thermal analysis （DTA）, X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The results show that with the increase of Al2O3 content the bands assigned to [SiO4] nearly disappear. Aluminum replaces silicon in the glass network, which is helpful for the formation of boron-oxygen rings. The increase of the transition temperature Tg and softening temperature Tf of PbO-B2O3-SiO2 glass ceramics leads to the increase of liquid phase precipitation temperature and promotes the structure stability in the glasses, and consequently contributes to the decreasing trend of crystallization. Densification and dielectric constants increase with the increase of Al2O3 content, but the dielectric loss is worsened. By contrast, the 3% （mass fraction） Al2O3-doped glass ceramics sintered at 725℃ have better properties of density p=2.72 g/cm3, dielectric constant Er=6.78, dielectric loss tan8=2.6×10^-3 （measured at 9.8 GHz）, which suggest that the glass ceramics can be applied in multilayer microwave devices requiring low sintering temperatures.

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.

Al_2O_3/SiC纳米陶瓷复合材料的制备及力学性能

采用一次粒径分别为 10nm和 15nm的α Al2 O3 和SiC粉体为原料 ,制备了Al2 O3 /SiC纳米陶瓷复合材料·纳米SiC颗粒明显抑制Al2 O3 基体晶粒的长大 ,SiC体积分数超过 4 %时 ,材料的断裂方式由沿晶断裂变为穿晶断裂·随SiC含量的增加 ,Al2 O3 /SiC纳米复合材料的硬度增大·材料的弯曲强度和断裂韧性在SiC体积分数为 5 %时达到最大值·最大三点弯曲强度和断裂韧性分别为 6 4 1MPa和 4 7MPam1/2 ,明显高于热压单相Al2 O3 陶瓷 (344MPa和 3 1MPam1/2 )

Effect of Mg addition on mechanical and thermoelectrical properties of Al-Al_2O_3 nanocomposite

The effects of Mg addition on mechanical thermo-electrical properties of Al.Mg/5%Al2O3 nanocomposite with differentMg contents （0, 5%, 10% and 20%） produced by mechanical alloying were studied. Scanning electron microscopy analysis （SEM）,X-ray diffraction analysis （XRD） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM） were used to characterize the produced powder. Theresults show that addition of Mg forms a predominant phase （Al.Mg solid solution）. By increasing the mass fraction of Mg, thecrystallite size decreases and the lattice strain increases which results from the atomic penetration of Mg atoms into the substitutionalsites of Al lattice. The microhardness of the composite increases with the increase of the Mg content. The thermal and electricalconductivities increase linearly with the temperature increase in the inspected temperature range. Moreover, the thermalconductivity increases with the increase of Mg content.

Formation mechanism of Al2O3/MoS2 nanocomposite coating by plasma electrolytic oxidation(PEO)

In this study,an Al2O3/MoS2 nanocomposite coating was created on an aluminum 1050 substrate using the plasma electrolytic oxidation method.The zeta potential measurements showed that small MoS2 particles have negative potential and move toward the anode electrode.The nanoparticles of MoS2 were found to have a zeta potential of-25 mV,which prevents suspension in the solution.Thus,to produce an Al2O3/MoS2 nanocomposite,one has to use the microparticles of MoS2.The X-ray diffraction analyses showed that the produced coatings containedα-Al2O3,γ-Al2O3,and MoS2,and that the size of MoS2 particles can be reduced to 30 nm.It was observed that prolonged suspension in the electrolyte results in an enhanced formation of an Al2O3/MoS2 nanocomposite.Using the results,it was hypothesized that the mechanism of the formation of the Al2O3/MoS2 nanocomposite coating on the aluminum 1050 substrate is based on electrical energy discharge.

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.

Al_2O_3-SiC纳米复合陶瓷的制备及其表征

以分析纯A l(NO3)3.9H2O,(CH2)6N4和粒径为30 nm的SiC粉末为原料,采用溶胶-凝胶(sol-gel)方法制备干凝胶,经煅烧合成A l2O3-SiC纳米陶瓷粉,利用真空热压装置对粉末进行烧结.通过X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)和维氏硬度实验分析了不同SiC含量和不同烧结温度的A l2O3-SiC陶瓷样品的结构、形貌、晶粒尺寸和硬度,并研究了其机理.

Si_3N_4-Fe对Al_2O_3-SiC-C质铁沟浇注料性能的影响

利用Si3N4 的优良性质及金属塑性相Fe的作用 ,将其添加到高炉出铁沟用Al2 O3-SiC -C浇注料中 ,以改善材料的力学性能和抗氧化性能。对高温处理后试样强度、显气孔率测试以及对氧化层的SEM分析 ,结果表明 ,添加适量的Si3N4 -Fe ,材料的显气孔率降低 ,强度提高 ,抗氧化性增强。