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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Preparation of SiC_p/Al_2O_3-Al Composites by Directed Metal Oxidation

SiCp/Al2O3-Al composites were synthesized by means of direct metal oxidation method. The composition and microstructures of the composites were investigated using X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and metallurgical microscope. The effects of technical parameters on the properties of the product were analyzed. The results indicate that the composite possesses a dense microstructure, composed of three interpenetrated phases. Of them, SiO2 layer prohibits the powdering of the composites; Mg promotes the wetting and infiltration of the system and Si restricts the interfacial reaction while improving the wetting ability between reinforcement and matrix.

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.

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.

β-Sialon-Al_2O_3-SiC系复相材料的研制和性能

研究了在 15 0 0℃的流动氮气中 ,用Al粉、Si粉、Al2 O3粉、刚玉和SiC的颗粒及细粉直接制备 β Sialon -Al2 O3-SiC系复相材料的氮化烧结技术。XRD和SEM分析表明 ,结合相 β Sialon的显微形貌随刚玉量的增加由纤维状向棱柱状转变 ,发育良好。复相材料的高温抗折强度高于常温抗折强度。抗热震试验结果显示 :添加适量的刚玉对β Sialon -SiC复相材料和添加适量的SiC对β Sialon -刚玉 复相材料都具有良好的增韧效果 ,这是β Sialon的纤维增强及柱状晶体原位自补强增韧和复合弥散相增韧综合作用的结果。抗碱和抗高炉渣试验均显示了该复相材料优良的抗碱和抗铁渣侵蚀能力。

溶胶-凝胶法引入烧结助剂制备SiC-Y_3Al_5O_(12)复相陶瓷

以碳化硅、六水硝酸钇、九水硝酸铝和六次甲基四胺为主要原料,通过溶胶-凝胶法引入Al2O3和Y2O3复合烧结助剂,液相烧结制备得到SiC-Y3Al5O12(Y3Al5O12简称YAG)复相陶瓷。采用DTA、TEM、XRD等分析测试技术研究了溶胶-凝胶法引入复合烧结助剂过程及复合烧结助剂对SiC-YAG陶瓷的烧结性能、力学性能、物相组成与显微结构的影响。结果表明:干凝胶在920℃左右已完全转变成YAG相,最终获得的YAG粒径小,并均匀分散在SiC表面的SiC-YAG复合粉体;复合粉体先干压、再等静压成型后,在1860℃下烧结45min,所制得复相陶瓷的相对密度达到了96.5%,抗弯强度达到486MPa,断裂韧性达到5.7MPa·m1/2。

Oxidation of Al_2O_3-30%TiCN-0.2%Y_2O_3 Composite

The oxidation behavior of Al2O3-30%TiCN-0.2%Y2O3 composite and its effect on high temperature bending strength was studied. The result indicates that the mass gain during static oxidation of the material under normal atmosphere follows the parabolic law. Oxide increases with increasing temperature and prolonging time. It has good oxidation resistance. The product of oxidation of the material is TiO2. Therefore, the volume of the material expands. The oxide film is destroyed because residual stress inside the oxide film is released. Proper oxidation is beneficial to the improvement of bending strength of Al2O3-30%TiCN-0.2%Y2O3 composite. The strength increase is up to 4.5%.

Development and Characterization of Aluminium-Based Metal Matrix Composites

Aluminum based metal matrix composites were fabricated using stir casting where silicon carbide and alumina were the reinforcements. Different types of properties (physical-density, mechanical-tensile, hardness, chemical-corrosion etc.) were measured and compared with base metals/alloys. The properties were significantly varied. The highest density was obtained for pure aluminium with 5% Al2O3 whereas the lowest was obtained for AA-4032 alloy. The highest hardness was obtained for AA-4032 with 5% Al2O3 whereas the lowest was obtained for pure Al with 5% Al2O3. The highest strength was obtained for AA-6061 with 5% coarse SiC whereas the lowest was obtained for pure Al. The highest impact strength was obtained for AA-4032 with 5% Al2O3 whereas the lowest was obtained for AA-6061. The corrosion resistance of all composites was lower than that of the base materials.

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.

Effects of Y_2O_3 on Thermal Shock of Al_2O_3/TiCN Composites

Thermal shock resistance of Al2O3-TiCN(30%)-Y2O3(0.2%) composite was studied by hot pressing(HP) method at different temperatures. The study shows that thermal shock resistance of the material is determined by its microstructure and reinforced mechanism. According to SEM and calculation of thermal shock, the fractured surface of Al2O3-30%TiCN-0.2%Y2O3 composite is undulate. The residual strength of Al2O3-30%TiCN-0.2%Y2O3 is higher than Al2O3-30%TiCN at 200～800 ℃ after thermal shock. Cracks initiation resistance (R′)and cracks propagation resistance (R″″)of Al2O3-30%TiCN-0.2%Y2O3 composite increases 12% and 5% respectively compared with that of Al2O3-30%TiCN. It matches with experimental results. The addition of Y2O3 forms YAG that inhibits crystal growth, and increases fracture stress, fracture toughness, cracks initiation resistance and cracks propagation resistance. Therefore, thermal shock resistance increases. The fracture work of Al2O3-30%TiCN and Al2O3-30%TiCN-0.2%Y2O3 composites are 132 and 148 J·m-2 respectively.

Effect of Al_2O_3on Structure and Wearability of Composite Coating

The composite coating was prepared by thermal spray welding after making composite powder,which is composed of Ni-based self-melted alloy and AlOceramic powder including nano,sub-micron and micron powders.The influences of contents and sizes of AlOon the structure and wearability were investigated.The results show that the wear resistance of the coating would be increased greatly by adding AlO,but the spray weldability decreases with increasing AlOcontent.So there is an optimal content of AlOpowder.The composite coating with AlOnano or sub-micron powder of 0.5% has the best abrasive resistance,while the optimal content of AlOmicron powder is 1 %.

Taguchi approach to influence of processing parameters on erosive wear behaviour of Al7034-T6 composites

Taguchi technique was used to predict the influence of processing parameters on the erosive wear behavior Al7034-T6composite reinforced with SiC and Al2O3particles in different mass fractions.These hybrid metal matrix composites(HMMCs)werefabricated by using a simple technique called stir casting technique.Scanning electron microscope(SEM)was used to study thesurface morphology of the composite and its evolution according to processing time.The design of experiment(DOE)based onTaguchi’s L16orthogonal array was used to identify various erosion trials.The most influencing parameter affecting the wear rate wasidentified.The results indicate that erosion wear rate of this hybrid composite is greatly influenced more by filler content and impactvelocity respectively compared to other factors.This also shows the significant wear resistance with the increase in the filler contentsof SiC and Al2O3particles,respectively.

Al_2O_3/Ti_3SiC_2层状复合材料的制备与性能

采用两种方法制备Al2O3/Ti3SiC2层状复合材料,一是原位-热压法,即Ti3SiC2是在层状材料的制备过程中同时被合成的;一是分步法,即制备过程分两步进行,首先制备出Ti3SiC2高纯粉,再采用热压法进行烧结制备层状材料。两种方法制备的Al2O3/Ti3SiC2层状复合材料强度保持在450MPa以上,断裂功达到1200～1560J/m2,相对Al2O3块体材料提高十余倍。另外,不同的制备方法得到不同的组成和显微结构,决定了这两种Al2O3/Ti3SiC2层状复合材料性能的差异:前者强度较高韧性较低,后者强度较低而韧性较高。

Sol-Gel法制备Al_2O_3-SiO_2-TiO_2-ZrO_2复合陶瓷膜的研究

将Sol-Gel法应用于无机膜的制备,成功的研制出一种新型的膜面平整、膜厚均匀且无宏观缺陷的Al2O3-SiO2-TiO2-ZrO2复合陶瓷膜,复合膜含有γ-Al2O3、SiO2、TiO2、ZrO2和Al2SiO5等晶相,改变体系组成含量,晶相组成和含量随之变化,从而引起膜的显微结构的变化。利用XRD、SEM、AFM、EPMA等测试手段重点研究了膜的表面形貌和显微结构,并分析了添加剂、热处理方式等对膜的表面形貌和显微结构影响。

Effect of Al Addition on Properties of Al_2O_3-SiC-C Dry Ramming Mixes for BF Trough

Aluminium powders were introduced to Al2O3-SiC-C dry ramming mixes in order to improve sintering properties and oxidation resistance according to their service conditions and installation methods. Properties such as bulk density, porosity, modulus of rupture, crushing strength and hot modulus of rupture as a function of aluminium addition were investigated in the present work. The microstructure and thermodynamics for the heat treated specimens were also analyzed. The results show that as aluminium addition increasing, the bulk density of the specimen treated at 220℃ tends to decrease and the apparent porosity increases, the strength of the specimens treated at 1100℃ and 1450℃ increases markedly, the bulk density tends to increase, apparent porosity and linear shrinkage decrease. The HMOR at 1400℃ is enhanced from 1.0 MPa to 3.5 MPa with 3% aluminium. Aluminium is served as sintering agent and anti-oxidant and it will react with CO and CO2 forming Al2O3 , which is helpful to enhance the strength, densify the structure and improve the overall properties.

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.