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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

IF钢凝固过程中Al_2O_3-TiN复合夹杂物的形成机理

以理论分析和实验研究相结合的方式分析了IF钢凝固过程中Al2O3-TiN复合夹杂物的形成机理.结果表明,以凝固分率0.9为界限,钢水凝固过程中Al2O3和TiN先后通过异质形核方式析出并结合形成Al2O3-TiN复合夹杂物;冷却速率越小,复合夹杂物粒径越大;在冷却速率一定时,可作为异质形核核心的夹杂物的粒径越大,凝固过程中析出的复合夹杂物的长大程度越小;复合夹杂物内层Al2O3粒径越小,外层TiN长大程度越明显.

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.

原位合成Al_2O_3-TiN复合材料的结构特征

以纯度均为99%(质量分数)的板状刚玉,α-Al2O3微粉、TiO2微粉及金属铝粉为原料,经机械复合法制样后在流动氮气下利用常压铝热还原原位反应烧结的方法制备了Al2O3-TiN复合陶瓷材料。分析了不同的TiN生成量、烧结温度对试样的力学性能及显微结构的影响。结果表明:生成的TiN含量在10wt%的试样经过1500℃保温3 h后复合材料体积膨胀率为3.27%,体积密度为2.85 g/cm3、显气孔率28.73%、抗折强度23.81 MPa。显微结构分析表明,无压烧结作用下,铝热还原氮化反应并未发生典型的烧结过程,烧结温度、TiN的自身性质、反应的强放热以及TiN和Al2O3线膨胀系数之间的差别严重影响了复合材料的烧结致密化。

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%.

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.

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.

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.

两种方法制备Al_2O_3-TiN复合物的蠕变行为

研究比较了 12 5 0～ 14 0 0℃、10～ 5 0MPa应力范围内由两种方法 (直接热压法和反应热压法 )制得的Al2 O3 -TiN复合物的压缩蠕变特性。结果表明 ,由两种方法制备的Al2 O3 -TiN复合物的蠕变特性及显微结构没有明显差异。只是在TiN加入量较低时 ,直接热压法制得的样品的应变速度略高于反应热压法制得的样品的应变速度。TiN加入Al2 O3 中提高了应变速度。复合物的应力指数约为 2 ,表观活化能一般为 5 0 0～6 0 0kJ·mol-1。对显微结构进行了观察 。

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.

铝热还原氮化合成Al_2O_3-TiN多孔复合材料孔结构的分形特征

以板状刚玉、α-Al2O3微粉、TiO2微粉及金属铝粉为原料,经球磨混合制样后在流动氮气下利用常压铝热还原原位反应的方法制备了Al2O3-TiN多孔复合材料。利用Menger海绵体模型和压汞法测孔径数据,探讨了不同TiN生成量的试样经1 500℃烧后的孔结构分形特征。结果表明:由于孔的成因不同,常压烧结原位合成Al2O3-TiN复合材料的孔结构具有双重分形特性,体积分形维数可由压汞法试验结果来确定,以lg(r/L)=-1.5为转折点,大孔范围的分形维数在2.934 6～2.973 7波动,小孔范围的分形维数在1.541 5～2.383 7波动;在大孔范围内,复合材料的孔体积分形维数和抗折强度有很好的相关性。