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.

Progress in Research on Structural Ceramic Materials Toughened by Graphene

Graphene has excellent mechanical properties and unique physical/chemical properties,which make it have a good strengthening and toughening effect on structural ceramic materials.In recent years,it has received widespread attention and research.This article reviews the mixing and sintering processes in the preparation of graphene/ceramic com-posites,as well as the toughening mechanism of graphene on ceramic materials.It also looks forward to how to further enhance the toughening effect of graphene.

Sintering behavior and mechanical properties of sintered ceramics based on spodumene tailings

In this study,ceramics was prepared by slip casting(no pressure was used during shaping step)and atmospheric pressure sintering with low-melting point glass(LPG)powder as the binding material to facilitate the transformation of spodumene flotation tailings(SFTs)into ceramics at lower temperatures.The influence of sintering temperature and mass ratio of LPG on the mechanical properties(flexural strength and compressive strength)of ceramic materials was studied by orthogonal test.The results showed that when the mass ratio of LPG powder was higher than or equal to 20 wt%and the sintering temperature was higher than or equal to 550℃,mutual adhesion between the sample particles was realised and consequently the ceramic materials could be prepared with good mechanical properties(the maximum flexural strength=19.55 MPa,the maximum compressive strength=42.25 MPa,average porosity=24.52%,average apparent density=1.66 g/cm^(3),and average water absorption=14.79%).The sintered ceramics were characterized by XRF,XRD,optical microscopy analysis,SEM,TGA-DSC and FT-IR.The formation of liquid phase at high temperature may lead to the mutual bonding between particles,which might be the main reason for the improvement of mechanical properties of ceramic materials.Overall,SFTs were successfully sintered at low temperature to prepare ceramic materials with good mechanical properties,which are crucial for energy conservation and environmental preservation.

Dielectric properties of spark plasma sintering AlN-W composite ceramics

In order to develop AlN composites suitable for high average power electronic tube, AlN-W materials were prepared by spark plasma sintering. The effects of manufacture parameters on dielectric loss tangent and permittivity constant were investigated, which include powder-mixed method, milling time of high-energy ball milling, starting powder particle size, sintering temperature and holding time and adding amount of the conductive second phase. The results showed that A1N-W materials sintered at the temperature of 1700℃ holding for 5 min with 10 vol.% W showed the best dielectric loss tangent larger than 0.81 at the frequency 1 kHz-1 MHz. In addition, magnetic stirring mixed powder and lower sintering temperature led to the better propelties because of the higher porosity. The samples sintered from the starting AlN powder with smaller particle size also had the better properties.

Low-temperature densification sintering and properties of CaAl_2Si_2O_8 ceramics with MeO·2B_2O_3(Me=Ca,Sr,Ba)

Dense CaAl2Si2O8 ceramics were prepared via a two-step sintering process at temperatures below 1000℃. First, pre-sintered CaAl2Si2O8 powders containing small amounts of other crystal phases were obtained by sintering a mixture of calcium hydroxide and kaolin powders at 950℃ for 6 h. Subsequently, the combination of the pre-sintered ceramic powders with MeO＇2B203 （Me = Ca, Sr, Ba） flux agents enabled the low-temperature densification sintering of the CaAl2Si2O8 ceramics at 950℃. The sintering behavior and phase formation of the CaAl2Si2O8 ceramics were investigated in terms of the addition of the three MeO·2B2O3 flux agents. Furthermore, alumina and quartz were introduced into the three flux agents to investigate the sintering behaviors, phase evolvements, microstructures, and physical properties of the resulting CaA12Si208 ceramics. The results showed that, because of their low-melting characteristics, the MeO·2B2O3 （Me = Ca, Sr, Ba） flux agents facilitated the formation of the CaAl2Si2O8 ceramics with a dense microstructure via liquid-phase sintering. The addition of alumina and quartz to the flux agents also strongly affected the microstructures, phase formation, and physical properties of the CaA12Si208 ceramics.

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.

Nonlinear dynamic behavior of inhomogeneous functional plates composed of sigmoid graded metal-ceramic materials

This paper presents a study on nonlinear vibration of inhomogeneous functional plates composed of sigmoid graded metalceramic materials. The material properties vary continuously along the thickness direction according to a sigmoid distribution rule, which is defined by piecewise functions to ensure smooth distribution of stress among all the interfaces. The geometric nonlinearity is considered by adopting the von Kármán geometrical relations. Based on the d'Alembert's principle, the nonlinear out-of-plane equation of motion of the plates is developed. The Galerkin method is employed to discretize the motion equation to a series of ordinary differential ones, which are subsequently analyzed via the use of the method of harmonic balance. Then, the analytical results are validated by the comparison to numerical solutions, which are obtained by using the adaptive step-size fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. The stability of the steady-state response is examined by the perturbation technique. Results show the first and third modes are both activated while the second mode is not activated for the plates under harmonic point excitation. The frequency response relationships of activated modes exhibit very complicated curves due to the nonlinear modal interaction. In addition, influences of key system parameters on nonlinear vibrational characteristics of the present inhomogeneous plates are illustrated.

Influence of Inclusion Shape on Thermoelasto-Plastic Optimun Design of Ceramic Metal Functionally Graded Materials

A nonlinear finite element method is applied to observe how inclusion shape influence the thermal response of a ceramic-metal functionally graded material (FGM). The elastic and plastic behaviors of the layers which are two-phase isotropic composites consisting of randomly oriented elastic spheroidal Inclusions and a ductile matrix are predicted by cc mean field method. The prediction results show that inclusion shape has remarkable influence on the overall behavior of the composite. The consequences of the thermal response analysis of the FGM are that the response is dependent on inclusion shape and its composition profile cooperatively and that the plastic behavior of each layer should be taken into account in optimum design of a ceramic-metal FGM.

Microstructure and properties of mullite-based porous ceramics produced from coal fly ash with added Al_2O_3

Using coal fly ash slurry samples supplemented with different amounts of Al2O3, we fabricated mullite-based porous ceramics via a dipping-polymer-replica approach, which is a popular method suitable for industrial application. The microstructure, phase composition, and compressive strength of the sintered samples were investigated. Mullite was identified in all of the prepared materials by X-ray diffraction analysis. The microstructure and compressive strength were strongly influenced by the content of Al2O3. As the Al/Si mole ratio in the starting materials was increased from 0.84 to 2.40, the amount of amorphous phases in the sintered microstructure decreased and the compressive strength of the sintered samples increased. A further increase in the Al2O3content resulted in a decrease in the compressive strength of the sintered samples. The mullite-based porous ceramic with an Al/Si molar ratio of 2.40 exhibited the highest compressive strength and the greatest shrinkage among the investigated samples prepared using coal fly ash as the main starting material. © 2017, University of Science and Technology Beijing and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

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.

Injection molding of ultra-fine Si_3N_4 powder for gas-pressure sintering

The ceramic injection molding technique was used in the gas-pressure sintering of ultra-fine Si3N4 powder. The feedstock＇s flowability, debinding rate, defect evolution, and microstructural evolution during production were explored. The results show that the solid volume loading of less than 50vol% and the surfactant mass fraction of 6wt% result in a perfect flowability of feedstock; this feedstock is suitable for injection molding. When the debinding time is 8 h at 40°C, approximately 50% of the wax can be solvent debinded. Defects detected during the preparation are traced to improper injection parameters, mold design, debinding parameters, residual stress, or inhomogeneous composition distribution in the green body. The bulk density, Vickers hardness, and fracture toughness of the gas-pressure-sintered Si3N4 ceramic reach 3.2 g/cm^3, 16.5 GPa, and 7.2 MPa·m^1/2, respectively.

Body armour-New materials, new systems

This is a very timely review of body armour materials and systems since new test standards are currently being written, or reviewed, and new, innovative products released. Of greatest importance, however, is the recent evolution, and maturity, of the Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene fibres enabling a completely new style of system to evolve e a stackable system of Hard Armour Plates. The science of body armour materials is quickly reviewed with emphasis upon current understanding of relevant energy-absorbing mechanisms in fibres, fabrics, polymeric laminates and ceramics. The trend in ongoing developments in ballistic fibres is then reviewed, analysed and future projections offered. Weaknesses in some of the ceramic grades are highlighted as is the value of using cladding materials to improve the robustness, and multi-strike performance, of Hard Armour Plates. Finally, with the drive for lighter, and therefore smaller, soft armour systems for military personnel the challenges for armour designers are reported, and the importance of the relative size of the Hard Armour Plate to the Soft Armour Insert is strongly emphasised.

A strategy to obtain a high-density and high-strength zirconia ceramic via ceramic injection molding by the modification of oleic acid

Despite its unique high efficiency and good environmental compatibility, the water-soluble binder system still encounters problems achieving a desired sintered part via ceramic injection molding because of the poor compatibility and the powder-binder segregation between ceramic powders and binders. The objective of this study was to obtain a sintered part with excellent properties by introducing a small quantity of oleic acid to the surface of zirconia powders before the mixing process. As opposed to many previous investigations that focused only on the rheological behavior and modification mechanism, the sintering behavior and densification process were systematically investigated in this study. With the modified powders, debound parts with a more homogeneous and smaller pore size distribution were fabricated. Also, a higher density and greater flexural strength were achieved in the sintered parts fabricated using the modified powders.

UPPER BOUND METHOD FOR SINTERED POWDER MATERIALS IN PLANE STRAIN

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Optimum Preparation Conditions of LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.2)O_2 and LiNi_(0.95)Ce_(0.05)O_2 as Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Materials

The preparation of LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.2)O_2 was discussed by the multiply sintering method for solid reaction, in which the sintered material was smashed, ground and pelletted between two successive sintering steps. The optimum technological condition was obtained through orthogonal experiments by L_9(3~4) and DTA analysis. The result indicates that the factors of effecting the electrochemical properties of synthesized LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.2)O_2 are molar ratio of Li/Ni/Co, oxygen pressure, homothermal time, the final sintering temperature in turn according to its importance. The oxygen pressure is reviewed independently and the technological condition is further optimized. With the same method, rare earth element Ce was studied as substitute element of Co and the cathode material of LiNi_(0.95)Ce_(0.05)O_2 with excellent electrochemical properties was prepared. The electrochemical testing results of LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.2)O_2 and LiNi_(0.95)Ce_(0.05)O_2 experimental batteries show that discharge capacities of them reach 165 and 148 mAh·g^(-1) respectively and the persistence is more than 9 h at 3.7 V.

Effects of BN content on the mechanical properties of nanocrystalline 3Y-TZP/Al_(2)O_(3)/BN dental ceramics

3Y-TZP/3wt%Al_(2)O_(3) powder was coated with varying amounts of BN using the urea and borate reaction sintering method,and then multiphase ceramics were prepared by hot pressing sintering.The micro-topography and the compositional analysis of synthesized ceramics were conducted through scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.A mechanical tester was used to analyze the Vickers hardness,fracture toughness,and bending strength of the synthesized ceramics.The results showed that the ceramic with a BN content of 12wt%showed the best processability,but had diminished mechanical properties(such as fracture toughness and bending strength).The ceramic with a BN content of 9wt%showed better processability than those with 3wt%and 6wt%BN.However,the fracture toughness was affected by the addition of 9wt%BN,making this ceramic only usable as a base material for a three-unit fixed bridge.In contrast,the ceramics with a BN content of 3wt%or 6wt%fulfilled the criteria for use in multi-unit restoration,but their low processability made them unsuitable for milling after sintering.

Fabrication and Characterization of Glass-Ceramics Doped with Rare Earth Oxide and Heavy Metal Oxide

Cordierite-based glass-ceramics with non-stoichiometric composition doped with rare earth oxide (REO_2) and heavy metal oxide (M_2O_3) respectively were fabricated from glass powders. After sintering and crystallization heat treatment, various physical properties, including compact density and apparent porosity, were examined to evaluate the sintering behavior of cordierite-based glass-ceramics. Results show that the additives both heavy metal oxide and rare earth oxide promote the sintering and lower the phase temperature from μ- to α-cordierite as well as affect the dielectric properties of sintered glass-ceramics. The complete-densification temperature for samples is as low as 900 ℃. The materials have a low dielectric constant (≈5), a low thermal expansion coefficient ((2.80～3.52)×10^(-6) ℃^(-1)) and a low dissipation factor (≤0.2%) and can be co-fired with high conductivity metals such as Au, Cu, Ag/Pd paste at low temperature (below 950 ℃), which makes it to be a promising material for low-temperature co-fired ceramic substrates.

Synthesis and sintering of indium tin oxide nanoparticles by citrate-nitrate combustion method

Spherical indium tin oxide （ITO） nanoparticles were synthesized by combustion method using citric acid as fuel and nitrates as oxidizer. The obtained ITO nanoparticles were characterized by TG-DSC, FT-IR, XRD, BET, TEM, and SEM. The ITO nanoparticles grew steadily with the increase of heat treatment temperature, and the 700~C calcined particles had a crystallite size of 25.3 nm and a specific surface area of 26.1 m2.g i The avoidance of chlorine ions in the synthesis process decreases particle agglomeration and promotes powder densification. The 900~C sintered pellet had a density of 67.6% of theoretical density （TD） and increased steadily to 97.3% for the 1400℃ sintered ceramics, respectively.

SLIP LINE METHOD FOR SINTERED POWDER MATERIALS UNDER CONDITION OF AXIAL SYMMETRY DEFORMATION

Slip line method for sintered powder materials under condition of axial symmetry is proposed based on the simplified yield condition of sintered powder materials and Haar-von Karman perfect plastic criterion. The equations of slip line and stress along slip line are derived, and numerical solutions are given. Deformation load in closed die upsetting of sintered copper cylinder is calculated by slip line method, and theoretical solutions are compared with experimental results.

Effect of Main Material Ratio on Properties of SiC-Al_2O_3 Porous Ceramics via Polymeric Replication Method

In order to fabricate porous ceramics with good properties and proper production cost,SiC-Al2 O3 porous ceramics were prepared at 1 450 ℃ for 2 h from the powders of commercial silicon carbide and white fused corundum via a polymeric replication method. Effects of the mass ratio of SiC powder to white fused corundum powder（ 1 ∶ 3,1 ∶ 1 and 3 ∶ 1） on the appearance,phase composition,sintering properties and thermal shock resistance were investigated. The research results indicate that the as-prepared Si C-Al2 O3 porous ceramics have uniform pores,and their linear shrinkage ratio,apparent porosity and bulk density reach 4. 70%,67. 17%and 0. 83 g·cm-3,respectively. The thermal shock cycles from 1 400 ℃ to room temperature reach 23 including 15 cycles in air cooling condition and then 8 cycles in water cooling condition. Their main phases areα-Al2 O3 and Al6 Si2 O13 as well as a small amount of SiC and free SiO2. The as-prepared porous ceramic with the ratio of m（ SiC） ∶ m（ Al2 O3） = 1∶ 1 possesses prior comprehensive properties.