A reverse particle grading strategy for design and fabrication of porous SiC ceramic supports with improved strength

Porous ceramics usually require high mechanical strength and maximized porosity simultaneously,while for conventional particle grading strategies,it is highly challenging to meet both demands.To this end,a reverse particle grading strategy was developed based on the linear packing model by unusually introducing coarse particles(d50=16μm)into a fine particle(d50=5μm)matrix.Following the extrusion and sintering process,tubular porous SiC ceramic supports with improved mechanical strength were successfully fabricated.The effects of coarse particles on the rheological properties of the ceramic paste and the macroscopic properties and microstructure of the SiC supports were systematically investigated.With an increase in the content of coarse SiC particles to 30 wt%,the pressure generated during extrusion decreased from 5.5±0.2 to 1.3±0.1 MPa.Notably,the bending strength of the tubular supports increased from 36.6±5.6 to 49.1±4.5 MPa when 20 wt%coarse powder was incorporated.The notably improved mechanical strength was attributed to the distribution of coarse particles that prolonged the route of crack deflection.Additionally,the optimized tubular supports had an average pore size of 1.2±0.1μm,an open porosity of 45.1%±1.6%,and a water permeability of 7163±150 L/(m2·h·bar)as well as good alkali and acid corrosion resistance.Significantly,the strategy was proven to be feasible for the scale-up fabrication of 19-channel SiC tubular porous ceramic supports.

A numerical test method of California bearing ratio on graded crushed rocks using particle flow modeling

In order to better understand the mechanical properties of graded crushed rocks （GCRs） and to optimize the relevant design, a numerical test method based on the particle flow modeling technique PFC2D is developed for the California bearing ratio （CBR） test on GGRs. The effects of different testing conditions and micro-mechanical parameters used in the model on the CBR numerical results have been systematically studied. The reliability of the numerical technique is verified. The numerical results suggest that the influences of the loading rate and Poisson＇s ratio on the CBR numerical test results are not significant. As such, a loading rate of 1.0-3.0 mm/min, a piston diameter of 5 cm, a specimen height of 15 cm and a specimen diameter of 15 cm are adopted for the CBR numerical test. The numerical results reveal that the GBR values increase with the friction coefficient at the contact and shear modulus of the rocks, while the influence of Poisson＇s ratio on the GBR values is insignificant. The close agreement between the CBR numerical results and experimental results suggests that the numerical simulation of the CBR values is promising to help assess the mechanical properties of GGRs and to optimize the grading design. Be- sides, the numerical study can provide useful insights on the mesoscopic mechanism.