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.

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.

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.

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 Fused MgO-ZrO_2 Clinker Addition on Thermal Shock Resistance of MgO-ZrO_2 Unfired Bricks

MgO -ZrO2 unfired bricks with ZrO2 content up to 8% at the interval of 2% were prepared, using fused magnesia （ MgO ： 97% ） and fused MgO - ZrO2 clinker （ ZrO2 ： 14. 33% ） as starting materials and phenolic resin as binder. The effects of ZrO2 content on thermal shock resistance （TSR） and other properties such as cold and hot modulus of rupture have been investigated. Re- sidual cold modulus of rupture ratio after heating at 1 000 ℃ and quenching by air blowing was adopted to characterize TSR. Addition of the MgO -ZrO2 clinker improves TSR, attributing to the microcrack toughening effect by thermal expansion mismatch between different phases. When ZrO2 content goes above 4%. the impro- ving effect tends to be moderate. The introduction of MgO- ZrO2 clinker can also improve the HMOR at 1 500 ℃, while the increased ZrO2 content reduces CMOR of the bricks prefired at 1 600 ℃, due to the thermal expansion mismatch effect. Compromising the overall properties, the optimal ZrO2 content for such magnesia based unfired brick is suggested to be 4%.

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.

Effects of mechanical boundary conditions on thermal shock resistance of ultra-high temperature ceramics

The effects of mechanical boundary conditions, often encountered in thermalstructural engineering, on the thermal shock resistance（TSR） of ultra-high temperature ceramics（UHTCs） are studied by investigating the TSR of a UHTC plate with various types of constraints under the first, second, and third type of thermal boundary conditions. The TSR of UHTCs is strongly dependent on the heat transfer modes and severity of the thermal environments. Constraining the displacement of the lower surface in the thickness direction can significantly decrease the TSR of the UHTC plate, which is subject to the thermal shock at the upper surface. In contrast, the TSR of the UHTC plate with simply supported edges or clamped edges around the lower surface is much better.

Properties and appropriate conditions of stress reduction factor and thermal shock resistance parameters for ceramics

Through introducing the analytical problem of the plate with convection into the solution of the transient heat conduction thermal stress field model of the elastic plate, the stress reduction factor is presented explicitly in its dimensionless form. A new stress reduction factor is introduced for the purpose of comparison. The proper- ties and appropriate conditions of the stress reduction factor, the first and second ther- mal shock resistance （TSR） parameters for the high and low Biot numbers, respectively, and the approximation formulas for the intermediate Blot number-interval are discussed. To investigate the TSR of ceramics more accurately, it is recommended to combine the heat transfer theory with the theory of thermoelasticity or fracture mechanics or use a numerical method. The critical rupture temperature difference and the critical rup- ture dimensionless time can be used to characterize the TSR of ceramics intuitively and legibly.

Thermal Shock Resistance of Bauxite-based β-Sialon Bonded Corundum Materials

Thermal shock resistant properties of reaction sintered bauxite-based β-Sialon bonded corundum have been investigated, and the results are compared with those of Al_ 2O_ 3 based counterpart. It is found they all have very good thermal shock resistance. Their residual strength ratios after one thermal shock cycle at ΔT=1200℃ and ΔT=1350℃ are 61%~73% and 53%~65% respectively. Their critical temperature difference (TSR) is 600℃~800℃. TSR parameters are calculated based on thermal expansion, modulus of elasticity, and fracture toughness determined. The reasons for improving TSR of these composite materials are discussed.

Relation Between Sintering Reactivity of Matrix and Thermal Shock Resistance of Ultra-low Cement Bonded Corundum-spinel Castables for Fired Purging Plugs

Purging plugs installed in the bottom of steel ladles are widely used for the secondary refining of high quality steel grades.The dynamic service conditions and temperature gradients caused by the cold inert gas blown through the plug during stirring create a strong thermal shock impact on the materials.This can affect its service life and restrict the safety and efficiency of steel making if the plug fails during use.In this work,the influence of the particle size distribution (PSD) and amount of reactive alumina on the sintering behavior of ultra-low cement bonded corundum-spinel based castables was investigated on lab scale.The relationship between sintering reactivity of matrix and thermal shock resistance of castables was evaluated in detail.Results show that the sintering of castables can be intensified by using finer reactive alumina.However,excessive sintering of the castable through finer reactive alumina is negative for thermal shock resistance.The microstructure characterization reveals that castables with more intense sintering show denser matrix structure,which is less effective in hampering crack propagation and therefore results in decline of their thermal shock resistance.

Design of Composite Ladle Shroud for Improving Thermal Shock Resistance

A ladle shroud is one of the functional refractories for continuous casting,which undergoes severe thermal shock by molten steel when used without pre-heating.The composite ladle shroud with an insulating liner presents excellent thermal shock resistance.Finite element simulation is an effective method to explore the maximum thermal stress for predicting the thermal shock resistance of ladle shrouds.In this paper,the influence of the lining materials and the structure of ladle shrouds on the thermal stress distribution is systematically researched.The working mechanism of the lining material on the body material is also presented.Lining materials with low thermal expansion,elastic modulus and thermal conductivity are helpful to improve the thermal shock resistance and an optimum lining thickness is suggested.The lining material can both serve as thermal resistance for the body material to buffer the thermal stress,and apply a strain load to the body material by the thermal strain to increase the stress.

Effects of Additive CeO_2 on Thermal Shock Resistance of Plasma-Sprayed Cr_2O_3 Coating

The influence of CeO2 with different content on the thermal shock resistance of plasmasprayed Cr2O3 coating was investigated. The thermal shock failure mechanism of coating was also studied. It is found that the thermal shock failure mechanism of coating is thermal stress fatigue destruction, and the destruction takes place at interface of ceramic and bond coating. The experimental results show that the lifetime of coating fracture and failure increase considerably when 3% CeO2 is added into the plasma-sprayed Cr2O3 coating. The suitable content of CeO2 makes the microcracks exist in network form. The microcrack net can release internal stress in coating, delay the crack forming and expanding and decrease holes in coating. Thus the thermal shock resistance increase largely.

Thermal Shock Resistance and Erosion Resistance of TiB_2 Multiphase Ceramic Composites

The thermal shock resistance and anti- aluminum erosion of TiB2 - BN multiphase ceramics composites were studied. The experimental results show that the TiB2-BN multiphase ceramic possesses a good thermal shock resistance at high temperatures （ 1000, 1200, 1400, 1500 ℃ ）, with the increasing in thermal shocking temperature, the electro-conductivity of TiB2-BN ceramics increases. The metal aluminum has a great influence on the properties of TiB2 - BN ceramics and the main reason is that the aluminum reacts seriously with BN. It is suggested that the content of BN should be reduced to the greatest extent.

Efficient fabrication of light Cf/SiHfBOC composites with excellent thermal shock resistance and ultra-high-temperature ablation up to 1800℃

In this paper,a high-yield Hf-modified SiHfBOC ceramic precursor was developed,and a high-pressure assisted impregnation pyrolysis method was proposed to achieve the preparation of 3D PyC–Cf/SiHfBOC composites.This high-pressure assisted impregnation method significantly improves impregnation filling effect of the precursor in and between fiber bundles compared to dozens of traditional impregnation cycles.After undergoing just 9 precursor infiltration pyrolysis(PIP)cycles,the composites achieved relative density of approximately 90%and density of 1.64 g/cm^(3).The critical temperature difference of the 3D PyC–Cf/SiHfBOC composites after the shock of room temperature(RT)–1000℃is as high as 650℃,which is twice that of traditional ceramic materials,showing good thermal shock resistance.Under the effect of Hf modification,a dense HfO_(2)–SiO_(2)oxide layer(thickness of 93μm)was formed in situ on the surface of the 3D PyC–Cf/SiHfBOC composites,effectively preventing further erosion of the composite matrix by high-temperature oxidation gas.Even in the ultra-high-temperature oxygen-containing environment at 1800℃,it still exhibits an excellent non-ablative result(with a linear ablation rate of 0.83×10^(−4)mm/s).This work not only enriches the basic research on lightweight ultra-high-temperature ceramic composites converted from Hf ceramic precursors,but also provides strong technical support for their applications in ultra-high-temperature non-ablative thermal protection materials for high-speed aircraft.

Normalized evaluation of thermal shock resistance for ceramic materials

A normalized method for evaluation of thermal shock resistance for ceramic materials was proposed.A thermal shock resistance index(TSRI),Г,in the range of 1 to 100,was introduced,based on a normalized formula obtained directly by a simple testing process of determining the changes in flexural strength before and after thermal shock cycles.Alumina ceramic was chosen as the model material and its thermal shock behavior was investigated systematically by water quenching.Based on the experiments on alumina ceramic,the thermal shock behaviors of other 19 types of ceramic materials ranging from porcelain,refractory ceramics to advanced ceramics including structural and functional ceramics were also evaluated,and their TSRIs,Г,were derived.The dependence ofГon the coefficient of thermal expansion(CTE)of the materials was plotted,and it revealed that CTE is the most critical factor in affecting the thermal shock resistance for various ceramic materials.The effect of other factors such as porosity and fracture toughness on the index was also discussed.

Excellent thermal shock resistance of NiCrAlY coatings on copper substrate via laser cladding

Coatings are widely used to protect substrates in extreme thermal environments(e.g., arc heaters), and thermal shock resistance is a crucial parameter for the coatings, which requires tight interlayer bonding between coatings and substrates. In this work, Ni Cr Al Y coatings were highly required for the pure copper substrate to restrict the electric arc in arc heaters. To overcome the bonding difculty of coating on the copper surface, the Ni Cr Al Y coatings were prepared by two laser cladding methods: conventional laser cladding(CLC) and high-speed laser cladding(HSLC). The microstructure, composition, and thermal shock resistance of Ni Cr Al Y cladding layers prepared by both methods were investigated. Benefitting from the high cooling rate and high energy density, the HSLC-layer has better composition uniformity and tighter interlayer bonding than the CLC-layer, achieving a 30%–45% improvement in thermal cycling lifetime. Besides, the Ni Cr Al Y layers prepared on copper substrate by both laser cladding methods exhibit3–10 times better thermal shock resistance than those Ni Cr Al Y layers prepared by conventional spraying methods. It further confirms the great effects of metallurgical bonding and composition uniformity on the thermal shock resistance of coatings. The Ni Cr Al Y layers fail in the form of internal cracking and interface peeling, and the corresponding failure mechanism is discussed.

Modification of YSZ fiber composites by Al_(2)TiO_(5) fibers for high thermal shock resistance

Yttria-stabilized zirconia(YSZ)fiber composites are highly efficient thermal insulating materials;however,the poor thermal shock resistance limits their versatile applications.In the present study,YSZ fiber was mixed directly with Al_(2)TiO_(5)fiber,which had an extremely low thermal expansion coefficient,to prepare YSZ–Al_(2)TiO_(5)(ZAT)fiber composites by compression molding and heat treatment.The minimum thermal expansion coefficient of the prepared ZAT fiber composites was measured to be 7.74×10^(−6)K^(−1),which was 26%lower than that of the YSZ fiber composites(10.42×10^(−6)K^(−1)).It was shown that the prepared ZAT fiber composites maintain the integrity after undergoing 51 thermal shock cycles between 1100℃and room temperature.Whereas,YSZ fiber composites burst immediately after only one thermal shock cycle under the same condition.In addition,the ZAT fiber composites also exhibit considerable mechanical and thermal insulating performance.

Mechanical properties and thermal shock resistance of tungsten alloys strengthened by laser fragmentation-processed zirconium carbide nanoparticles

Zirconium carbide(ZrC)nanoparticles with an average size of 5.6 nm were synthesized through laser fragmentation(LF)from as-received 20-60 nm ZrC particles,and LF-ZrC nanoparticle dispersion-strengthened tungsten(LF-WZC)samples were fabricated by spark plasma sintering method.The average grain size of LF-WZC is 1.91μm and most ZrC particles in LF-WZC are smaller than 10 nm.LF-WZC exhibits finer grain size,higher yield strength and hardness but lower ductility as compared with W-ZrC samples using as-received ZrC(WZC).The results showed that finer ZrC nanoparticles dispersed in tungsten can enhance the strength by hindering the motion of dislocations,but they may also introduce stress concentra-tion and thus reduce the ductility.The thermal shock resistance of the WZC and LF-WZC samples was investigated using an electron beam device.The LF-WZC sample also exhibits a higher cracking threshold(0.33-0.44 GW·m^(−2))than WZC(0.22-0.33 GW·m^(−2))at room temperature.The enhanced thermal shock resistance of LF-WZC could be attributed to its high yield strength.

Effect of TiAl3 Content on Thermal Shock Resistance of Bionic Self-healing Thermal Barrier Coatings

Inspired by the self-healing function of biological organisms,Bionic Laser Alloying(BLA)process was adopted to fabricate the bionic self-healing Thermal Barrier Coatings(TBCs).The BLA with different fractions of TiAl3 self-healing agent and Ceria and Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia(CYSZ)on the plasma-sprayed 7YSZ TBCs was carried out by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser.The effect of TiAl3 content on the microstructure,phase composition,and thermal shock behaviors of the bionic self-healing TBCs were investigated.Results indicated that the bionic self-healing TBCs had better thermal shock resistance than that of the as-sprayed TBCs.The thermal shock resistance increased first and then decreased with increasing TiAl3 fraction.The thermal shock resistance of the bionic self-healing TBCs with 15%TiAl3 is triple that of the as-sprayed TBCs.On one hand,the columnar crystals and vertical cracks could improve strain compatibility of TBCs during the thermal shock process;on the other hand,the TiAl3 as a self-healing agent reacted with oxygen in air at high temperature to seal the microcracks,thereby delaying the crack connection.

Influence of h-BN particle size on fracture behavior and thermal shock resistance of Al2O3-C refractories

h-BN can be applied in Al_(2)O_(3)–C refractories to substitute graphite due to their similar crystal structure and better resistance to molten steel and oxidation.The effects of h-BN particle size on the mechanical properties and fracture behavior of Al_(2)O_(3)–C refractories were investigated through wedge splitting test and microstructural analyses.The obtained results demonstrated that the addition of larger-sized h-BN was conducive to the growth of in situ formed SiC whiskers,which contributed to the highest flexural strength(42.63±3.10 MPa)of specimen D10.In comparison,the smaller-sized h-BN can induce more crack propagation paths along the interface and within matrix,leading to more tortuous crack propagation paths,and thus the thermal shock-related parameters such as specific fracture energy,characteristic length,and thermal shock resistance were improved.Consequently,the residual strength ratio of Al_(2)O_(3)–C refractories was increased from 35.5%to 42.5%with decreasing the h-BN particle size from 10 to 0.1μm.