Porous high-entropy rare-earth phosphate(REPO_(4),RE=La,Sm,Eu,Ce,Pr and Gd)ceramics with excellent thermal insulation performance via pore structure tailoring

Thermal insulation materials play an increasingly important role in protecting mechanical parts functioning at high temperatures.In this study,a new porous high-entropy(La_(1/6)Ce_(1/6)Pr_(1/6)Sm_(1/6)Eu_(1/6)Gd_(1/6))PO_(4)(HE(6RE_(1/6))PO_(4))ceramics was prepared by combining the high-entropy method with the pore-forming agent method and the effect of different starch contents(0–60vol%)on this ceramic properties was systematically investigated.The results show that the porous HE(6RE_(1/6))PO_(4)ceramics with 60vol%starch exhibit the lowest thermal conductivity of 0.061 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1)at room temperature and good pore structure stability with a linear shrinkage of approximately1.67%.Moreover,the effect of large regular spherical pores(>10μm)on its thermal insulation performance was discussed,and an optimal thermal conductivity prediction model was screened.The superior properties of the prepared porous HE(6RE_(1/6))PO_(4)ceramics allow them to be promising insulation materials in the future.

Will high-entropy carbides and borides be enabling materials for extreme environments?

The concept of multi-principal component has created promising opportunities for the development of novel high-entropy ceramics for extreme environments encountered in advanced turbine engines, nuclear reactors, and hypersonic vehicles, as it expands the compositional space of ceramic materials with tailored properties within a single-phase solid solution. The unique physical properties of some high-entropy carbides and borides, such as higher hardness, high-temperature strength, lower thermal conductivity, and improved irradiation resistance than the constitute ceramics, have been observed. These promising properties may be attributed to the compositional complexity, atomic-level disorder, lattice distortion, and other fundamental processes related to defect formation and phonon scattering.This manuscript serves as a critical review of the recent progress in high-entropy carbides and borides, focusing on synthesis and evaluations of their performance in extreme high-temperature, irradiation, and gaseous environments.

Preparation and properties of porous silicon carbide ceramics through coat-mix and composite additives process

The core-shell structure silicon-resin precursor powders were synthesized through coat-mix process and addition of Al2O3-SiO2-Y2O3 composite additives.A series of porous silicon carbide ceramics were produced after molding,carbonization and sintering.The phase,morphology,porosity,thermal conductivity,thermal expansion coefficient,and thermal shock resistance were analyzed.The results show that porous silicon carbide ceramics can be produced at low temperature.The grain size of porous silicon carbide ceramic is small,and the thermal conductivity is enhanced significantly.Composite additives also improve the thermal shock resistance of porous ceramics.The bending strength loss rate after 30 times of thermal shock test of the porous ceramics which were added Al2O3-SiO2-Y2O3 and sintered at 1 650 ℃ is only 6.5%.Moreover,the pore inside of the sample is smooth,and the pore size distribution is uniform.Composite additives make little effect on the thermal expansion coefficient of the porous silicon carbide ceramics.

Picosecond Laser Machining of Deep Holes in Silicon Infiltrated Silicon Carbide Ceramics

Silicon infiltrated silicon carbide （Si-SiC） ceramics, as high hardness materials, are difficult to machine, especially drilling micro-holes. In this study, the interaction of picosecond laser pulses （1 ps at 1 030 nm） with Si-SiC ceramics was investigated. Variations of the diameter and depth of circular holes with the growth of the laser energy density were obtained. The results indicate that the increase of machining depth follows a nonlinear relation with the increasing of laser energy density, while the diameter has little change with that. Moreover, it is found that some debris and particles are deposited around and inside the holes and waviness is in the entrance and at walls of the holes after laser processing.

Effects of Pore-forming Agents on Properties of Silicon Carbide Porous Ceramics Prepared from Crystalline Silicon Cutting Waste

SiC powder was rapidly synthesized in an induction furnace with crystalline silicon cutting waste and active carbon as raw materials,and then SiC porous ceramics were prepared at 1600 t for 4 h with carbon embedded using the powder as raw material,the starch and the graphite as pore-forming agents.Effects of additions of different pore-forming agents on the phase composition,microstructures,physical properties,and cold crushing strength of the porous ceramics were investigated.The results show that the main crystalline phases of the synthetic powder areα-S iC(6H-SiC)andβ-SiC(3C-SiC).The phase composition of the porous ceramics includesα-S iC(6H-SiC),β-SiC(3C-SiC),FeSi,quartz and Si2N20.The apparent porosity and closed porosity of the porous ceramics prepared by adding starch are higher,and the cold compressive strength of the porous ceramics added with graphite is higher.As increasing the additions of the starch,the apparent porosity,closed porosity and linear shrinkage ratio of the porous ceramics increase,and the bulk density decreases correspondingly.When 20 mass%starch is added,the apparent porosity,closed porosity,linear shrinkage ratio and cold compressive strength are 57.05%,2.03%,5.10%and 10.20 MPa,respectively.

Temperature Fluctuation Synthesis/Simultaneous Densification and Microstructure Control of Titanium Silicon Carbide (Ti_3SiC_2) Ceramics

A novel temperature fluctuation synthesis/simultaneous densification process was developed for the preparation of Ti3SiC2 bulk ceramics. In this process. Si is used as an in-situ liquid forming phase and it is favorable for both the solid-liquid synthesis and the densification of Ti3SiC2 rainies. The present work demonstrated that the temperature fluctuation synthesis/simultaneous densification process is one of the most effective and simple methods for the preparation of Ti3SiC2 bulk materials providing relatively low synthesis temperature. short reaction time; and simultaneous synthesis and densification. This work also showed the capability to control the microstructure, e.g., the preferred orientation, of the bulk Ti3SiC2 materials simply by applying the hot pressing pressure at different Stages of the temperature fluctuation process. And textured Ti3SiC2 bulk materials with {002} faces of laminated Ti3SiC2 grains normal to the hot pressing axis were prepared.

Sr(Cr_(0.2)Mn_(0.2)Fe_(0.2)C_(0.2)Ni_(0.2))O_(3):A novel high-entropy perovskite oxide with enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption properties

Perovskite materials(ABO_(3))possess a wealth of elements selectable and exhibit a diverse range of octahedral transformations.The emergence of high-entropy perovskite ceramics provides a fresh perspective for advancing the field of wave-absorbing materials.In this study,we concentrate on the wet chemical synthesis of a high-entropy perovskite oxide,Sr(Cr_(0.2)Mn_(0.2)Fe_(0.2)C_(0.2)Ni_(0.2))O_(3),and investigate its crystal structure,microstructure,chemical composition,magnetic properties,and microwave absorbing capabilities.The results indicate that when sintered at a temperature of 1,350℃,the sample achieves a minimum reflection loss of-54.0 dB at a frequency of 9.68 GHz,accompanied by a maximum effective absorption bandwidth(EAB)of 7.44 GHz at the thickness of 1.8 mm.The high-entropy design of the B-site induces distortions of oxygen vacancy and octahedral structure of the perovskite material.This leads to the fine tuning of its dielectric and magnetic properties,thereby endowing perovskite with excellent electromagnetic wave absorption capabilities.Consequently,perovskite emerges as a promising new electromagnetic wave absorption material with significant potential.

Structural, mechanical, electronic properties, and Debye temperature of quaternary carbide Ti3NiAl2C ceramics under high pressure: A first-principles study

Quaternary carbide Ti3NiAl2C ceramics has been investigated as a potential nuclear fusion structural material,and it has advantages in certain aspects compared with Ti2AlC,Ti3AlC2,and Ti3SiC2 structural materials.In this paper,quaternary carbide Ti3NiAl2C ceramics is pressurized to investigate its structural,mechanical,electronic properties,and Debye temperature.Quaternary carbide Ti3NiAl2C ceramics still maintains a cubic structure under pressure(0–110 GPa).At zero pressure,quaternary carbide Ti3NiAl2C ceramics only has three bonds:Ti–Al,Ni–Al,and Ti–C.However,at pressures of 20 GPa,30 GPa,40 GPa,60 GPa,and 70 GPa,new Ti–Ni,Ti–Ti,Al–Al,Ti–Al,and Ti–Ti bonds form.When the pressure reaches 20 GPa,the covalent bonds change to metallic bonds.The volume of quaternary carbide Ti3NiAl2C ceramics can be compressed to 72%of its original volume at most.Pressurization can improve the mechanical strength and ductility of quaternary carbide Ti3NiAl2C ceramics.At 50–60 GPa,its mechanical strength can be comparable to pure tungsten,and the material changes from brittleness to ductility.However,the degree of anisotropy of quaternary carbide Ti3NiAl2C ceramics increases with the increasing pressure.In addition,we also investigated the Debye temperature,density,melting point,hardness,and wear resistance of quaternary carbide Ti3NiAl2C ceramics under pressure.

Predictive Modelling of Etching Process of Machinable Glass Ceramics, Boron Nitride, and Silicon Carbide

The present paper discusses the development of the first and second order model for predicting the chemical etching variables, namely, etching rate, surface roughness and accuracy of advanced ceramics. The first and second order etching rate, surface roughness and accuracy equations were developed using the Response Surface Method (RSM). The etching variables included etching temperature, etching duration, solution and solution concentration. The predictive models’ analyses were supported with the aid of the statistical software package – Design Expert (DE 7). The effects of the individual etching variables and interaction between these variables were also investigated. The study showed that predictive models successfully predicted the etching rate, surface roughness and accuracy readings recorded experimentally with 95% confident interval. The results obtained from the predictive models were also compared with Multilayer Perceptron Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Chemical Etching variables predictive by ANN were in good agreement with those with those obtained by RSM. This observation indicated the potential of ANN in predicting chemical etching variables thus eliminating the need for exhaustive chemical etching in optimization.

Research Progress of Non-oxide and High Entropy Ceramic Coatings

Ceramic coatings play a keyrole in extending the service life of materials in aerospaceandenergy fields byprotectingmaterials from high temperature,oxidation,corrosion and thermal stress.Non-oxide and high entropy ceramics are new emerging coating materials which have been researched and developed in recent years.Compared with traditional oxide ceramics,non-oxide ceramics have better high temperature stability,oxidation resistance and erosion resistance.These characteristics make non-oxide ceramics perform well in extreme environments.It is particularly noteworthy that the non-oxide high entropy ceramic is a uniform solid solution composed of at least four or fiveatoms.Their unique structure and outstanding propertiesshow great potential application in the field of coating.In this paper,the researches aboutregulating microstructure,preparation technology and properties of nitride and its high entropy system,carbide and its high entropy system and boride and its high entropy system in coating field are summarized,and their future development and prospects are prospected.

Research Progress of High Entropy Ceramic Materials

High-entropy materials(HEMs)have better mechanical,thermal,and electrical properties than traditional materials due to their special"high entropy effect".They can also adjust the performance of high entropy ceramics by adjusting the proportion of raw materials,and have broad application prospects in many fields.This article provides a review of the high entropy effect,preparation methods,and main applications of high entropy ceramic materials,especially exploring relevant research on high entropy perovskite ceramics.It is expected to provide reference for the promotion of scientific research and the development of further large-scale applications of high-entropy ceramic materials.

Influence of pyrolysis temperature on structure and dielectric properties of polycarbosilane derived silicon carbide ceramic

β-SiC ceramic powders were obtained by pyrolyzing polycarbosilane in vacuum at 800-1200 °C. The β-SiC ceramic powders were characterized by TGA/DSC, XRD and Raman spectroscopy. The dielectric properties of β-SiC ceramic powders were investigated by measuring their complex permittivity by rectangle wave guide method in the frequency range of 8.2-18 GHz. The results show that both real part ε′ and imaginary part ε″ of complex permittivity increase with increasing pyrolysis temperature. The mechanism was proposed that order carbon formed at high temperature resulted in electron relaxation polarization and conductance loss, which contributes to the increase in complex permittivity.

Cr-assisted low-temperature densification of(Ti,Zr,Nb,Ta,Mo)C high-entropy carbides with ultrafine grain and enhanced hardness

While the use of low-melting-point metals as sintering aids for high-entropy carbide(HEC)ceramics has been well established,their existence can compromise hardness due to residual metallic inclusions.This study demonstrates an innovative strategy to meet this challenge,where(Ti,Zr,Nb,Ta,Mo)C high-entropy carbide ceramics with ultrafine grains and enhanced hardness are obtained through chromium(Cr)-metal-assisted spark plasma sintering(SPS)at a temperature as low as 1600℃.The results show that the addition of 5 vol%Cr promotes the formation of highly densified single HEC phase ceramics with a high relative density(98.4%)and an ultrafine-grained microstructure(0.17μm).This low-temperature densification mechanism can be attributed to Cr’s solid-solution effect within the matrix and the increased carbon vacancies generated during sintering.The grain size of the(Ti,Zr,Nb,Ta,Mo)C ceramics with 5 vol%Cr metal addition is significantly smaller than that of Cr-free(Ti,Zr,Nb,Ta,Mo)C ceramics sintered at 2000℃(3.03μm)or via traditional low-temperature liquid-phase sintering(1.3–1.5μm).Importantly,the addition of 5 vol%Cr substantially increased the hardness of the ceramics,with a remarkable increase from 23.57 to 28.16 GPa compared to that of the pure(Ti,Zr,Nb,Ta,Mo)C ceramics,owing to the fine-grain strengthening and solid-solution strengthening mechanisms.This work highlights the uniqueness of Cr metal as a sintering aid in achieving densification and hardness improvements in(Ti,Zr,Nb,Ta,Mo)C ceramics,offering a promising strategy for improving the properties of HEC materials for further development in the near future.

Hierarchical porous(Ta_(0.2)Nb_(0.2)Ti_(0.2)Zr_(0.2)Hf_(0.2))C high-entropy ceramics prepared by a self-foaming method for thermal insulation

To meet the emerging demands for thermal protection materials for hypersonic aircraft,developing porous ultrahigh-temperature ceramics with both robust mechanical properties and superior thermal insulation performance is a critical challenge.Herein,we report novel porous(Ta_(0.2)Nb_(0.2)Ti_(0.2)Zr_(0.2)Hf_(0.2))C high-entropy carbide(PHEC)ceramics fabricated by a self-foaming method using commercially available metal chloride and furfuryl alcohol(FA)as precursors.The PHEC ceramics are constructed of microspheres with a size of 2µm,leading to a high porosity of 91.3%and an interconnected frame.These microspheres consist of high-entropy carbide grains(20 nm),resulting in abundant interfaces and nanosized pores in the PHEC ceramics.Due to its unique hierarchical structure,the prepared PHEC ceramics have outstanding compressive strength(28.1±2 MPa)and exceptionally low thermal conductivity(κ_(T),0.046 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1))at room temperature.This makes it a promising thermal insulation materials for ultrahigh temperature applications.This work provides a cost-effective and facile strategy for producing porous ultrahigh-temperature ceramics.

Grain growth behavior and properties of high-entropy pseudobrookite(Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) ceramics

It is well known that the grain size of high-entropy ceramics is quite small owing to the sluggish diffusion effect. However, abnormal grain growth often occurs in high-entropy pseudobrookite ceramics, ultimately resulting in the formation of many abnormally grown grains with a grain size as large as 50 μm. To study this phenomenon, the grain growth behavior of high-entropy pseudobrookite ceramics was systematically investigated in this paper. The results demonstrate that the starting material powders first react with each other to form a high-entropy intermediate phase and calcined TiO_(2) powders (TiO_(2)-1100 ℃), and then as the sintering temperature increases, the formed high-entropy intermediate phase further reacts with TiO_(2)-1100 ℃ to form high-entropy pseudobrookite ceramics. Thus, in this system, in addition to the sluggish diffusion effect, the grain sizes of the high-entropy intermediate phase and TiO_(2)-1100 ℃ also affect the morphology of high-entropy pseudobrookite. Compared to nanosized TiO_(2), micron-sized TiO_(2) has a lower sintering activity. Therefore, the high-entropy intermediate phases (Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)TiO_(3) and TiO_(2)-1100 ℃ prepared with micron-sized starting materials exhibit lower grain sizes, finally resulting in the formation of high-entropy (Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) with small grain sizes. Moreover, nano-indentation and thermal conductivity tests were carried out on high-entropy (Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) with different morphologies. The results show that the hardness of high-entropy (Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) increases from 6.05 to 9.95 GPa as the grain size increases, whereas the thermal conductivity decreases from 2.091±0.006 to 1.583±0.006 W·m^(−1)·K^(−1). All these results indicate that high-entropy (Mg,Co,Ni,Zn)Ti_(2)O_(5) with a small grain size is a potential material for thermal protection.

Dielectric properties of spark plasma sintered AlN/SiC composite ceramics

In this study, we have investigated how the dielectric loss tangent and permittivity of AlN ceramics are affected by factors such as powder mixing methods, milling time, sintering temperature, and the addition of a second conductive phase. All ceramic samples were pre-pared by spark plasma sintering （SPS） under a pressure of 30 MPa. AlN composite ceramics sintered with 30wt%-40wt%SiC at 1600℃ for 5 min exhibited the best dielectric loss tangent, which is greater than 0.3. In addition to AlN and β-SiC, the samples also contained 2H-SiC and Fe5Si3, as detected by X-ray difraction （XRD）. The relative densities of the sintered ceramics were higher than 93%. Experimental results indicate that nano-SiC has a strong capability of absorbing electromagnetic waves. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss of AlN-SiC ce-ramics with the same content of SiC decreased as the frequency of electromagnetic waves increased from 1 kHz to 1 MHz.

Sintering and microstructure of silicon carbide ceramic with Y_3Al_5O_(12) added by sol-gel method

Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic with YAG (Y3Al5O12) additive added by sol-gel method was liquid-phase sintered at different sintering temperatures, and the sintering mechanism and microstructural characteristics of resulting silicon carbide ceramics were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and elemental distribution of surface (EDS). YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) phase formed before the sintering and its uniform distribution in the SiC/YAG composite powder decreased the sintering temperature and improved the densification of SiC ceramic. The suitable sintering temperature was 1860 °C with the specimen sintered at this temperature having superior sintering and mechanical properties, smaller crystal size and fewer microstructure defects. Three characteristics of improved toughness of SiC ceramic with YAG added by sol-gel method were microstructural densification, main-crack deflection and crystal ‘bridging’.

Preparation and Properties of Macroporous Silicon Nitride Ceramics by Gelcasting and Carbonthermal Reaction

Macroporous silicon nitride （Si3N4） ceramics with high strength, uniform structure and relatively high porosity were obtained by gelcasting and carbonthermal reaction in a two-step sintering technique. Microstructure and composition were investigated by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）. Open porosity, pore size distribution and basic mechanical performance were measured by Archimedes method, mercury intrusion porosimetry and three-point bending methods, respectively. SEM and TEM results revealed that pores were formed by elongated β-Si3N4. SADP measurement proved the formation of SiC particles. The SiC granules were beneficial for the formation of high ratio elongated β-Si3N4, and at proper amount, they also acted as reinforcement phase. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the mechanisms of the reactions were mainly associated with liquid-solid reaction and gas-liquid reaction.

High-Entropy Perovskite Oxide: A New Opportunity for Developing Highly Active and Durable Air Electrode for Reversible Protonic Ceramic Electrochemical Cells

Reversible proton ceramic electrochemical cell(R-PCEC)is regarded as the most promising energy conversion device,which can realize efficient mutual conversion of electrical and chemical energy and to solve the problem of large-scale energy storage.However,the development of robust electrodes with high catalytic activity is the main bottleneck for the commercialization of R-PCECs.Here,a novel type of high-entropy perovskite oxide consisting of six equimolar metals in the A-site,Pr_(1/6)La_(1/6)Nd_(1/6)Ba_(1/6)Sr_(1/6)Ca_(1/6)CoO_(3−δ)(PLN-BSCC),is reported as a high-performance bifunctional air electrode for R-PCEC.By harnessing the unique functionalities of multiple ele-ments,high-entropy perovskite oxide can be anticipated to accelerate reaction rates in both fuel cell and electrolysis modes.Especially,an R-PCEC utilizing the PLNBSCC air electrode achieves exceptional electrochemical performances,demonstrating a peak power density of 1.21 W cm^(−2)for the fuel cell,while simultaneously obtaining an astonishing current density of−1.95 A cm^(−2)at an electrolysis voltage of 1.3 V and a temperature of 600℃.The significantly enhanced electrochemical performance and durability of the PLNBSCC air electrode is attributed mainly to the high electrons/ions conductivity,fast hydration reactivity and high configurational entropy.This research explores to a new avenue to develop optimally active and stable air electrodes for R-PCECs.

High-entropy rare earth stannate ceramics:Acid corrosion resistant radiative cooling materials with high atmospheric transparency window emissivity and high near-infrared solar reflectivity

In response to the development of the concepts of“carbon neutrality”and“carbon peak”,it is critical to developing materials with high near-infrared(NIR)solar reflectivity and high emissivity in the atmospheric transparency window(ATW;8–13μm)to advance zero energy consumption radiative cooling technology.To regulate emission and reflection properties,a series of high-entropy rare earth stannate ceramics(HE-RE_(2)Sn_(2)O_(7):(Y_(0.2)La_(0.2)Nd_(0.2)Eu_(0.2)Gd_(0.2))_(2)Sn_(2)O_(7),(Y_(0.2)La_(0.2)Sm_(0.2)Eu_(0.2)Lu_(0.2))_(2)Sn_(2)O_(7),and(Y_(0.2)La_(0.2)Gd_(0.2)Yb_(0.2)Lu_(0.2))_(2)Sn_(2)O_(7))with severe lattice distortion were prepared using a solid phase reaction followed by a pressureless sintering method for the first time.Lattice distortion is accomplished by introducing rare earth elements with different cation radii and mass.The as-synthesized HE-RE_(2)Sn_(2)O_(7)ceramics possess high ATW emissivity(91.38%–95.41%),high NIR solar reflectivity(92.74%–97.62%),low thermal conductivity(1.080–1.619 W·m^(−1)·K^(−1)),and excellent chemical stability.On the one hand,the lattice distortion intensifies the asymmetry of the structural unit to cause a notable alteration in the electric dipole moment,ultimately enlarging the ATW emissivity.On the other hand,by selecting difficult excitation elements,HE-RE_(2)Sn_(2)O_(7),which has a wide band gap(Eg),exhibits high NIR solar reflectivity.Hence,the multi-component design can effectively enhance radiative cooling ability of HE-RE_(2)Sn_(2)O_(7)and provide a novel strategy for developing radiative cooling materials.