Process−microstructure−properties relationship in Al−CNTs−Al2O3 nanocomposites manufactured by hybrid powder metallurgy and microwave sintering process

Al−2CNTs−xAl2O3 nanocomposites were manufactured by a hybrid powder metallurgy and microwave sintering process.The correlation between process-induced microstructural features and the material properties including physical and mechanical properties as well as ultrasonic parameters was measured.It was found that physical properties including densification and physical dimensional changes were closely associated with the morphology and particle size of nanocomposite powders.The maximum density was obtained by extensive particle refinement at milling time longer than 8 h and Al2O3 content of 10 wt.%.Mechanical properties were controlled by Al2O3 content,dispersion of nano reinforcements and grain size.The optimum hardness and strength properties were achieved through incorporation of 10 wt.%Al2O3 and homogenous dispersion of CNTs and Al2O3 nanoparticles(NPs)at 12 h of milling which resulted in the formation of high density of dislocations and extensive grain size refinement.Also both longitudinal and shear velocities and attenuation increase linearly by increasing Al2O3 content and milling time.The variation of ultrasonic velocity and attenuation was attributed to the degree of dispersion of CNTs and Al2O3 and also less inter-particle spacing in the matrix.The larger Al2O3 content and more homogenous dispersion of CNTs and Al2O3 NPs at longer milling time exerted higher velocity and attenuation of ultrasonic wave.

Microwave sintering of Ca_(0.6)La_(0.2667)TiO_3 microwave dielectric ceramics

Ca0.6La0.2667TiO3 ceramics were prepared by conventional and microwave sintering techniques and their sinterability, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties were investigated in detail for comparison. Densified Ca0.6La0.E667TiO3 ceramics were obtained by microwave sintering at 1350℃ for 30 min and by conventional sintering at 1450℃ for 4 h. An unusual phenomenon was found that some larger grains （grain size range： 8-10 pan） inclined to assemble in one area but some smaller ones （grain size range： 2-4 μm） inclined to gather in another area in the microwave sintered ceramics. The microwave dielectric properties of Ca0.6La0.2667TiO3 ceramics prepared by micro- wave sintering at 1350℃ were as follows＂ dielectric constant （er） = 119.6, quality factor （Qf） = 17858.5 GHz, and temperature coefficient of resonant fi＇equency （rf）= 155.5 ppm/℃. In contrast, the microwave dielectric properties of the ceramics prepared by conventional sintering at 1450℃ were er = 117.4, Qf= 13375 GHz, and rf= 217.2 ppm/℃.

Preparation and Properties of Si2N2O Ceramics for Microwave Sintering Furnaces

Si2N2O ceramics were prepared using amorphous Si3N4 as the raw material and Li2CO3 as the sintering additive through vacuum multi-stage sintering.The influence of the Li2CO3 addition(0%,1%,2%,3%,and 5%,by mass)on the phase composition,the microstructure,the porosity,the mechanical properties,the dielectric constant and the tangent of the dielectric loss angle of the porous Si2N2O ceramics was investigated.The results reveal that a suitable addition of Li2CO3 can promote the generation of Si2N2O but excessive or inadequate Li2CO3 causes decomposition of Si2N2O ceramics.The prepared porous Si2N2O ceramics have good mechanical properties,good thermal shock resistance,and low dielectric properties,which have excellent potential for application in microwave sintering furnaces.

Microwave sintering effects on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti–51at%Ni shape memory alloys

Ti–51at%Ni shape memory alloys(SMAs) were successfully produced via a powder metallurgy and microwave sintering technique.The influence of sintering parameters on porosity reduction,microstructure,phase transformation temperatures,and mechanical properties were investigated by optical microscopy,field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),compression tests,and microhardness tests.Varying the microwave temperature and holding time was found to strongly affect the density of porosity,presence of precipitates,transformation temperatures,and mechanical properties.The lowest density and smallest pore size were observed in the Ti–51at%Ni samples sintered at 900°C for 5 min or at 900°C for 30 min.The predominant martensite phases of β2 and β19′ were observed in the microstructure of Ti–51at%Ni,and their existence varied in accordance with the sintering temperature and the holding time.In the DSC thermograms,multi-transformation peaks were observed during heating,whereas a single peak was observed during cooling;these peaks correspond to the presence of the β2,R,and β19′ phases.The maximum strength and strain among the Ti–51at%Ni SMAs were 1376 MPa and 29%,respectively,for the sample sintered at 900°C for 30 min because of this sample's minimal porosity.

Decarburization and improvement of ultra fine straight WC-8Co sintered via microwave sintering

Cemented tungsten carbide with ultra fine grains was prepared via microwave sintering.η phase（W3Co3C） was formed on the surface of the samples during the preparation process.Extra carbon black was premixed and the influence of carbon content on mechanical properties was studied.The results show that the maximum value of hardness and transverse rupture strength are HRA 93.2 and 3396 MPa respectively when the carbon black content is 0.45%.The microstructure investigated by SEM show that the WC grains growth mainly occurs during the early stage of microwave sintering by the coalescence of grains.

Parameter optimization of microwave sintering porous Ti-23%Nb shape memory alloys for biomedical applications

Porous Ti-23%Nb(mole fraction)shape memory alloys(SMAs)were prepared successfully by microwave sintering with excellent outer finishing(without space holder).The effects of microwave-sintering on the microstructure,phase composition,phase-transformation temperature,mechanical properties and shape-memory effect were investigated.The results show that the density and size of porosity vary based on the sintering time and temperature,in which the smallest size and the most uniform pore shape are exhibited with Ti-23%Nb SMA after being sintered at 900°C for 30 min.The microstructure of porous Ti-Nb SMA consists of predominantα',α,andβphases in needle-like and plate-like morphologies,and their volume fractions vary based on the sintering time and temperature.Theβphase represents the largest phase due to the higher content ofβstabilizer element with little intensities ofαandα'phases.The highest ultimate strength and its strain are indicated for the sample sintered at 900°C for 30 min,while the best superelasticity is for the sample sintered at 1200°C for 30 min.The low-elastic modulus enables these alloys to avoid the problem of“stress shielding”.Therefore,microwave heating can be employed to sinter Ti-alloys for biomedical applications and improve the mechanical properties of these alloys.

Characterization and Electromagnetic Studies on NiZn and NiCuZn Ferrites Prepared by Microwave Sintering Technique

The low-temperature sintered NiZn and NiCuZn ferrites with the composition of Ni0.40Zn0.60Fe2O4 and Ni0.35Cu0.05Zn0.60 Fe2O4 were respectively synthesized by the microwave sintering method. These powders were calcined, compacted and sintered at 950℃ for 30 min. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the samples indicate the formation of single-phase cubic spinel structure. The grain size was estimated from SEM images which increase with CuO addition. The X-ray density is higher than the bulk density in both the ferrites. The temperature variation of the initial permeability of these samples was carried out from 30℃ to 250℃. The NiCuZn ferrite had higher initial permeability than that of the NiZn ferrite, which could be attributed to the microstructure. Saturation magnetization increases from 40 emug/g (NiZn) to 47 emug/g (NiCuZn). The dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent of NiZn and NiCuZn ferrite samples decreases with increase in frequency exhibiting normal ferrimagnetic behavior. The NiCuZn ferrite had better electro- magnetic properties than the NiZn ferrite.

Low-temperature sintering and microwave dielectric properties of Li_2MgTi_3O_8 ceramics doped with BaCu(B_2O_5)

The influences of BaCu（B2O5） （BCB） addition on sintering, microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of Li2MgTi308 ceramics were investigated using X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy and microwave dielectric measurements. The experimental results show that a small amount of BaCu（B2O5） addition can effectively reduce the sintering temperature to 900℃, and induce only a limited degradation of the microwave dielectric properties. Typically, the best microwave dielectric properties of er24.5, Q×f =24 622 GHz, rf=4.2×10-6℃ -1 are obtained for 1.0% BCB-doped Li2MgTi3O8 ceramics sintered at 900℃ for 3 h. The BCB-doped Li2MgTi3O8 ceramics can be compatible with Ag electrode, which may be a strong candidate for low temperature co-fired ceramics applications.

Sintering Behavior and Microwave Dielectric Properties of BBSZL Glass-doped ZnTiO_3 Ceramics for LTCC Applications

A novel low temperature co-fired ceramic(LTCC) material was fabricated by zinc titanate(ZnTiO_3) ceramics doped with B_2O_3-BaO-SiO_2-ZnO-Li_2O(BBSZL) glass. The influences of BBSZL glass on wetting behavior, sintering activation energy, phase composition, microstructure and microwave dielectric properties were investigated. The experimental results show that the sintering temperature of ZnTiO3 ceramics can be reduced from 1 100 to 925 ℃, meanwhile the sintering activation energy is decreased from 465.32 to 390.54 kJ·mol^(-1) by BBSZL glass aid, respectively. Moreover, BBSZL glass can inhibit the high Q×f ZnTiO_3 phase decompose into the low Q×f value Zn_2TiO_4 phase, which is propitious to obtain high Q×f value LTCC material. The ZnTiO_3-BBSZL composite sintered at 925℃ displays the excellent microwave dielectric properties with ε_r of 21.8, Q×f value of 42000 GHz, and τ_f of-75 ppm·℃^(-1).

Low-Temperature Sintering and Microwave DielectricProperties of Ba_2Ti_3Nb_4O_(18) Ceramics

The effects of CuO and H3BO3 additions on the low-temperature sintering,microstructure,and microwave dielectric properties of Ba2Ti3Nb4O18 ceramics were investigated.The addition of less amount of CuO （ 〈1 wt%） considerably facilitated the densification of Ba2Ti3Nb4O18 ceramics.Appropriate addition of H3BO3 （ 〈3.5 wt%） remarkably improved the microwave dielectric properties of ceramics.The addition of H3BO3 and CuO successfully reduced the sintering temperature of Ba2Ti3Nb4O18 ceramics from 1300 to 1050 ℃.Ba2Ti3Nb4O18 ceramics sintered at 1 050 ℃ for 4 h with the addition of 1.0 wt% CuO and 3.5 wt% H3BO3 exhibited good microwave dielectric properties：er=33.74,Q？f=13 812 GHz,and tf=-5.35 ppm/°C at about 5.0 GHz.

Microwave dielectric properties and compatibility with silver of low-fired Li_2MgTi_3O_8 ceramics with Li_2O-MgO-B_2O_3 frit

The effects of Li2O-MgO-B2O3 （LMB） glass additive on the sintering characteristics, phase purity, microstructure, and microwave dielectric properties of Li2MgTi3O8 ceramics were investigated. The experimental results demonstrate that the addition of LMB glass effectively lowers the sintering temperature of Li2MgTi3O8 ceramic from 1025 ℃ to 875 ℃ and induces no obvious degradation of the microwave dielectric properties. Typically, the 1.5%LMB glass-added Li2MgTi3O8 ceramic sintered at 875 ℃ for 4 h shows excellent microwave dielectric properties of Q×f=45403 GHz, εr=25.9 and τf≈0 ℃-1. The dielectric ceramic exhibits stability against the reaction with the Ag electrode, which indicates that the ceramics could be applied in multilayer microwave devices requiring low firing temperatures.

Microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of ZnO-B_2O_3 added (Ca_(0.254)Li_(0.19)Sm_(0.14))TiO_3 ceramics

The effects of ZnO-B2O3 （ZB2） on the sintering behavior and microwave dielectric properties of （Ca0.254Li0.19Sm0.14）TiO3 ceramics were investigated. The densities of the specimens reached the maximum value by adding 3 wt.% ZB2 and then decreased. The sintering temperature of the specimens was lowered from 1300 to 1100℃ without degradation of the microwave dielectric properties. The （Ca0.254Li0.19Sm0.14）TiO3＋ 3 wt.% ZB2 sintered at 1100℃ for 3 h showed good microwave dielectric properties, εr= 108.2, Qf= 6545 GHz, and rf= 6.5 ppm/℃, respectively, indicating that ZB2 was an effective sintering aid to improve the densification and microwave dielectric properties of （Ca0.254Li0.19Sm0.14）TiO3 ceramics.

Dielectric properties of spark plasma sintering AlN-W composite ceramics

In order to develop AlN composites suitable for high average power electronic tube, AlN-W materials were prepared by spark plasma sintering. The effects of manufacture parameters on dielectric loss tangent and permittivity constant were investigated, which include powder-mixed method, milling time of high-energy ball milling, starting powder particle size, sintering temperature and holding time and adding amount of the conductive second phase. The results showed that A1N-W materials sintered at the temperature of 1700℃ holding for 5 min with 10 vol.% W showed the best dielectric loss tangent larger than 0.81 at the frequency 1 kHz-1 MHz. In addition, magnetic stirring mixed powder and lower sintering temperature led to the better propelties because of the higher porosity. The samples sintered from the starting AlN powder with smaller particle size also had the better properties.

Sintering,crystallization and dielectric properties of CaO-B_2O_3-SiO_2 system glass ceramics

CaO-B203-SiO2 （CBS） glass powders are prepared by conventional glass melting method at different melting temperatures whose properties and microstructures are characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. It is found that there are SiO2 and some unknown phases in CBS glass melting liquid from 1 300 ℃ to 1 500 ℃ and the amount of these phases decreases with the increase of the melting temperature. The CBS glass melted at 1 450 ℃ could be sintered from 830 ℃ to 930 ℃ and the bulk densities of the samples are all higher than 2.4 g/cm^3. From the points of the properties and energy conservation, the melting temperature of 1 450 ℃ is the optimal melting temperature. The glass ceramic sintered at 850 ℃ exhibits better dielectric properties： er=6.33, tan6=2.2×10^-3 at 10 GHz, and the major phases of the samples are CaSiO3, CaB2O4 and SiO2.

Dielectric and Microwave Properties of Natural Rubber Based Nanocomposites Containing Graphene

The development of carbon nanotubes based materials has been impeded by both their difficult dispersion in the polymer matrix and their high cost. The discovery of graphene and the subsequent development of graphene-based polymer nanocomposites is an important addition in the area of nanoscience and technology. In this study the influence of graphene nanoparticles (GNP) in concentrations from 2.0 to 10.0 phr on the dielectric (dielectric permittivity, dielectric loss angle tangent) and microwave (reflection coefficient, attenuation coefficient, shielding effectiveness) properties of nanocomposites on the basis of natural rubber has been investigated in the wide frequency range (1 - 12 GHz). The results achieved allow recommending graphene as a filler for natural rubber based composites to afford specific dielectric and microwave properties, especially when their loading with the much more expensive carbon nanotubes is not possible.

Dielectric Properties and Microwave Heating of Molybdenite Concentrate at 2.45 GHz Frequency

Dielectric properties were measured using cavity perturbation method. The temperature rising behaviors of molybdenite concentrate were investigated in the field of microwave. This process was conducted to show the microwave absorption properties of molybdenite concentrate and the feasibility of microwave roasting molybdenite concentrate to prepare high purity MOO3. The dielectric constant,dielectric loss,and loss tangent increase from 3. 51 to 5. 04,0. 22 to 0. 51 and 0. 065 to 0. 102 respectively. They are proportional to the apparent density of molybdenite concentrate in the range of 0. 9-1. 4 g/cm3. The results show that the molybdenite concentrate has good microwave absorption capacity in the conventional density range. The temperature rising curves show that the apparent heating rate of the molybdenite concentrate increases with the increase in microwave power and decreases with the increase in the sample mass and thickness. The temperature of concentrate sample of 100 g reaches approximately 800 ℃ after 5 min of microwave treatment at 0. 5 kW of power. Our findings show that it is feasible to prepare high-purity MOO3from molybdenite concentrate by microwave roasting.

Influence of CaxSr1-x(0≤x≤1)Substitution for Zn on Microwave Dielectric Properties of Li2ZnTi3O8 Ceramic as Temperature Stable Materials

A temperature stable Li2Zn0.95(SrxCa1-x)0.05Ti3O8(0≤x≤1)ceramics were fabricated using a conventional solid-state route sintered at 1100℃for 4 h.The XRD results indicate that the main phase Li2ZnTi3O8 and secondary phase including SrxCa1-xTiO3(0≤x≤1)solid solution and TiO2 co-exist in composite and form a stable composite system when the(CaxSr1-x)(0≤x≤1)substitutes for Zn of Li2ZnTi3O8 ceramic.As x is increased from 0 to 1,the relative permittivity(εr)increases from 26.65 to 27.12,and the quality factor(Q×f)increases from 63300 to 66600 GHz.With the increased of x,the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency(τf)increases from 0.27 to 8.23 ppm/℃,and then decreases to 3.51 ppm/℃.On the whole,the Li2Zn0.95(SrxCa1-x)0.05Ti3O8(0≤x≤1)ceramics show excellent comprehensive properties of middleεr=25-27,higher Q×f≥60000 GHz andτf≤±8.5 ppm/℃.

Natural Rubber Based Composites Comprising Different Types of Carbon-Silica Hybrid Fillers. Comparative Study on Their Electric, Dielectric and Microwave Properties, and Possible Applications

The paper presents a comparative study on the electric, dielectric and microwave properties of natural rubber based composites comprising dual phase fillers prepared from furnace carbon black or conductive carbon black with a different amount of silica. It has been established that, the specifics of the carbon phase have a marked strong effect upon the properties mentioned above. The interpenetration of the two filler phases and the grade of isolation of the conductive carbon phase by the dielectric one depend on the ratio between them. On the other hand, that leads to a change in all properties of the studied composites, which allows tailoring those characteristics.

Effect of La_2O_3-Dopant on Microstructure and Microwave Dielectric Properties of CaO-MgO-Nb_2O_5-TiO_2 System Ceramics

La_2O_3-doped CaO-MgO-Nb_2O_5-TiO_2 system ceramics were prepared by solid-state ceramic technique. The microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of CaO-MgO-Nb_2O_5-TiO_2-La_2O_3 ceramics can be adjusted by varying the amount of La^(3+) ions. The results show that the replacement of Ca^(2+) by La^(3+) at A-site of the ceramics can increase the quality factor Q·f value as well as the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency τ_f and decrease the dielectric constant ε_r. With increase of La^(3+) contents, the dielectric constant decreases from 57 to 35 and Q·f value increases from 33400 GHz to 35000 GHz (at 7.6 GHz). Meanwhile, the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency is improved towards near zero. The dielectric properties of these compounds are related to octahedra tilting due to deficient vacancies at A-site.

Effect of La^(3+), Sr^(2+) on Microwave Dielectric Properties of CaO-MgO-Nb_2O_5^-TiO_2 System Ceramics

The effect of La^3 ＋ , Sr^2＋ on the microstructure and microwave properties of CaO-MgO-Nb2O5-TiO2 system ceramics was investigated. The result shows that a single complex perovskite structure formed within investigated composition range in La^3＋ , Sr2-doped CaO-MgO-Nb2O5-TiO2 system ceramics. With increasing of La^3＋ , Sr^2＋ content, the structure of La^3＋ , Sr2-doped CaO-MgO-Nb2O5-TiO2 system ceramic respectively maintain orthorhombic type.