Preparation of porous spodumene/zircon composite ceramics and its thermal and mechanical properties

Abstract

Porous β-spodumene/zircon (ZrSiO₄) composite ceramics were prepared by addition of zirconia to spodumene mineral using conventional solid reaction methods. The formation of the zircon was investigated by means of the differential scan calorimetry measurements and an X-Ray diffractometer. The microstructure of the composite ceramics was observed through a scanning electron microscope. The results show that the presence of zircon benefited the formation and stability of the porous structure and improved significantly the thermal endurance and mechanical properties of the spodumene matrix. The composites with 10–15% porosity exhibit an excellent thermal shock resistance, a low thermal expansion coefficient of approximately 1·4 × 10^?6 K^?1 in the range of 200–800°C and a high flexural strength about 100 MPa. It is found that the spodumene/zircon composites, widely used as a high temperature structure material, can be synthesised by a cost effective method.     

锆石/SiC复合物的抗热震性

测试锆石/碳化硅(30%)复合试样的抗热震性需要在高于1 000℃的温度下进行,并与气孔率值几乎相同的纯锆石试样相比较.结果证实了淬火试样的断裂应力未受到合成SiC微粒对淬火温度升高的影响.另一方面,发现重要的温差△T在复合物中要高于纯锆石试样,低于它时材料保持其初始强度.X-射线衍射分析显示了复合试样表面层的锆石分解并生成了由内核和外壳组成的试样.     

Thermal contact resistance and adhesion studies on thin copper films on alumina substrates

A new photothermal method for measuring the thermal contact resistance in the interfacial area is presented. Copper thin films were prepared on alumina substrates by physical vapour deposition. On the basis of a mathematical model developed here, thermal contact resistance was determined in samples of various thicknesses and processed under various argon pressures. The effects of these parameters on the films and interface properties are discussed. A correlation between the thermal contact resistance and the adhesion, as determined by the scratch test, is found. In order to understand the origin of the mean critical load and the thermal contact resistance evolution, observations were made by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results obtained have shown that the change in stress level in the copper film and the formation of a new compound in the interfacial area seem to be the main reasons for the enhancement of heat transfer.     

Thermal shock behavior of 3-dimensional C/SiC composite

The thermal shock behavior of a three-dimensional carbon fiber reinforced SiC matrix fabricated by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) technique was studied using the air quenched method. Damage to composites was assessed by a destructive technique of measuring mechanical properties using three-point flexure and SEM characterization. C/SiC composites displayed good resistance to thermal shock, and retained 83% of the original strength after quenching from 1300 to 300°C 100 times. The critical ΔT of C/SiC in combustion environment was 700°C. The critical number of thermal shocks for the C/SiC composite was about 50 times. When the number of thermal shocks was less than 50 times, the residual flexural strength of C/SiC composites decreased with the increase of thermal shock times. When the number of thermal shocks of C/SiC was greater than 50, the strength of C/SiC did not further decrease because the crack density was saturated.     

Effect of shrinkage constraint on damage of C/SiC composites during thermal cycles in oxidising atmosphere

Abstract

Thermal cycling response of a three-dimensional C/SiC composite subjected to a unidirectional shrinkage constraint in wet oxygen was investigated. Constraint stress generated on both ends of the composite specimens during thermal cycles is shown to decrease upon heating and increase with cooling. Nevertheless, the peaks of the constraint stress gradually reduced from the initial 41 MPa to the final constant value of 9·8 MPa after 20 cycles. Residual mechanical properties and microstructure characterisation suggest that the cycled composites suffer a little mechanical degradation and the shrinkage constraint is of advantage to oxidation resistance of the materials during thermal cycles.     

Thermal ageing and lifetime prediction for organic matrix composites

Abstract

During their thermal ageing in air, organic matrix composites undergo a superficial oxidation leading to a 'spontaneous' cracking. The aim of this article is to present a new strategy of investigation intended to minimise empirism in the field of lifetime prediction. It is based on a kinetic model starting from a radical chain mechanism, initiated by hydroperoxide decomposition, and coupling the oxygen diffusion and consumption kinetics. The model gives access to the thickness distributions of all the chemical changes happening during the exposure. All its parameters have a physical sense and are checkable experimentally. In addition, they obey Arrhenius law, which is not the case for the usual global properties. Some significant results showing the model efficiency are reported. Then, it is shown how, in the near future, the model will be usable to predict changes in mechanical properties.     

Thermal shock resistance and fatigue of Zircon-Mullite composite materials

Zircon-Mullite (ZrSiO₄-3Al₂O₃·2SiO₂) composites are refractory materials widely employed in many industries. Thermal shock behaviour of these materials must be considered because it is sometimes its failure mechanism.In this work both thermal shock resistance (TSR) and fatigue (TFR) of Zircon-Mullite composites with different compositions and microstructure configurations were experimentally evaluated by a non destructive measurement of the elastic modulus (E) and compared with the prediction made from the theoretical parameters (R, R? and R_ST).A typical solid brittle material behaviour was found; a simple mathematical expression facilitated the TFR analysis. Although the microstructural configurations studied differed, the experimental behaviour of this group of materials was almost equal. This fact was satisfactorily predicted by the theoretical parameters (R and R?) showing the importance and potential of the evaluation mechanical evaluation of the ceramic material that define these two parameters. On the other hand the slight difference evaluated in the TFR was correlated with the only parameter that takes into account the fracture toughness (R_ST) showing that the significance of this property in a more deep characterization of the ceramic materials.     

Fibre orientation structures and their effect on crack resistance of injection moulded transverse ribbed plate

Abstract

An extensive study of the fibre orientation structures developed in a transverse ribbed plate during injection moulding, and the use of these structures to investigate the effect of local fibre orientation state on crack initiation resistance, is reported. The fibre orientation results for the ribbed plate, measured using large area image analysis system developed at Leeds University, showed that after an initial settling down period, the central core region, where the fibres are aligned perpendicular to the flow direction, decreased in size monotonically, with an associated monotonic increase in the outer shell regions, where the fibres are aligned preferentially along the injection direction. Interestingly, the level of orientation in the two regions remained almost constant: only the proportions of the two regions were found to change with flow length. Across the plate, close to the gate, the central core region was found to have a lens-like shape, while at the other end of the plate the core was thinner and also consistent in thickness across the sample width. The transverse rib was found to cause little disturbance to the fibre orientation of the base plate. The different proportions of the shell and core regions at different locations over the ribbed plate provided an ideal case to test the proposition of Friedrich that the crack resistance of a short fibre reinforced material depends on the number of fibres that are perpendicular to the crack tip. The impact test results gathered in this way confirmed this hypothesis of Friedrich.     

Adhesion strength of sodium dodecyl sulfate-modified soy protein to fiberboard

Thermal and rheological properties of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-modified soy protein isolate (SPI) adhesives were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and rheometry. The ordered structure of native SPI was denatured as SDS concentration increased, and thermal stability of native SPI decreased at high SDS concentration. The enthalpy of SPI denaturation decreased significantly with increasing SDS concentration. Apparent viscosity of the SPI adhesives increased as SDS concentration increased. The SPI adhesives modified by high concentrations of SDS exhibited characteristics of a Newtonian-type flow. The SDS-modified SPI adhesives were applied to fiberboard, and effects of SDS concentration, press conditions, and assembly time on bond strength were investigated. Shear strength of the SPI adhesives increased with SDS concentration, reaching its maximum value at 3 wt% of SDS, and then decreased significantly. The shear strength increased as press time and/or press temperature increased. High press temperature (100 °C) and long press time (5 min) are needed to achieve relatively good adhesion properties. The shear strength also increased as assembly time increased. The shear strength of the SDS-modified SPI adhesives decreased after soaking in water for 24 h.     

Effects of preheating treatment on thermal property and adhesion performance of soy protein isolates

The objective of this research was to study the effects of preheating treatment and thermal-setting temperature on the thermal properties and adhesion performance of esterified and cross-linked soy protein isolates. Preheating treatment was achieved by heating a soy protein isolate suspension (5% solid) for 20 min at 60, 80, 110 or 130°C. Thermal-setting temperatures of 130, 160, 190 and 220°C were achieved by adjusting the temperature of the hot press. Differential scanning calorimetry and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were used to determine changes in the protein structure before and after preheating treatment. Preheating treatment had a significant effect on protein structure and adhesion performance. Adhesion strength of control and esterified soy protein isolates reached maximum at 80°C preheating temperature. Severe preheating (over 110°C) caused complete denaturation of proteins and loss of their native structure and was, therefore, detrimental to adhesion performance. Thermal-setting temperature also had a significant effect on protein structure and wet strength of the soy protein isolates. Wet adhesion strength of unmodified, esterified, and cross-linked soy protein isolates increased by 170%, 128% and 80%, respectively, as the thermal-setting temperature increased from 130 to 220°C.     

Effect of fillers on morphological properties in NR/SBR blends for OTR tyres

Abstract

The blends of styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) and natural rubber (NR) are prepared using a two-roll mixing mill in the presence of different types of carbon blacks as reinforcing filler. The effects of fillers on cure characteristics and thermal, dynamic–mechanical, morphological properties of the blends are studied. The ISAF N231 type of carbon black shows a significant effect on tensile, tear and modulus properties by reacting at the interface between SBR/NR matrixes. The dynamic characteristics and storage modulus of SBR/NR with SAF N110 and SRF N774 types of carbon black show distinct characteristics in respect to all other blends in this system. The thermal stability of the rubber vulcanizates containing SAF N110 and SRF N774 types of carbon blacks is higher than other blend types. With the increasing percentage of SBR to NR, the thermal stability of the blend is increased. However, the heat buildup of the blends increases with the increase in SBR percentage.     

Thermal shock resistance and hoop strength of triplex silicon carbide composite tubes

Multi‐layered SiC composites have been considered as a nuclear fuel cladding material of light water reactors, LWRs, because of their excellent high temperature strength and corrosion resistance under accident conditions. During a design basis accident of a LWR such as a loss‐of‐coolant accident, the peak temperature of the fuel clad rapidly increases as the production of decay heat continues. The emergency core cooling systems then automatically supply the reactor core with emergency cooling water. The fuel clad consequently suffers from thermal shock. In this study, the structural integrity of multi‐layered SiC composite tubes after thermal shock was investigated. Several kinds of multi‐layered SiC composite tubes consisting of CVD SiC and CVI SiC_f/SiC were water‐quenched from 1200°C to room temperature. The triplex SiC composite tube retained its tubular geometry during quenching. The strength degradation after thermal shock was <13% for the specimens with a PyC interphase. The residual stress distribution within the tubes during thermal shock was evaluated by a finite element method.     

Modification of epoxy resin by polysulfone to improve the interfacial and mechanical properties in glass fibre composites. III. Properties of the cured blends and their structures in the polymer/fibre interphase

Thermal and mechanical properties (linear expansion coefficient, glass transition temperatures, Young's modulus, tensile and bending strengths, and failure energies under quasistatic and impact loadings) of cured epoxy-polysulfone (PSF) blends, as well as their structures have been studied. It was shown that PSF incorporation did not lead to appreciable changes in the linear thermal expansion coefficients and glass transition temperatures of the cured blends. According to this observation, incorporation of PSF into the epoxy matrix should not result in a significant increase in the internal stresses in the system. No drop in the modulus and strength of the bulk blends was observed when compared with unmodified epoxy matrix. The failure energy of the epoxy-PSF matrices increased as the PSF content increased under all loading conditions, whereas the strength of the polymer blend matrices increased only under impact loading. Optimal PSF content was found to be 10 wt%. It was shown that all the blends investigated were homogeneous before curing and became heterogeneous after curing. For epoxy-PSF/fibre joints a mixed (interfacial-cohesive) failure mode was observed for all the samples investigated. The results from the rheology, wetting, thermal, mechanical and structural tests, described in a set of papers, are compared with each other to explain the reasons for the adhesion strength behaviour of epoxy-PSF/glass fibre joints. Based on the finding here, an epoxy-10% PSF matrix is recommended for composite production.     

Effect of waste glass and zircon on ceramic properties and microstructure of porcelain tiles

Abstract

The possibility of using waste glass as a flux in porcelain tiles without deterioration in mechanical properties has been assessed. Waste glass was added to a typical porcelain tile body, replacing feldspar by up to 15%. Zircon was also added at 5% in partial replacement of quartz. The prepared batches were fired at temperatures of 1160 to 1240°C with 20 min soaking time. Addition of 5% zircon in the presence of 5% waste glass resulted in unusual mechanical and physical characteristics. Further additions of waste glass enhanced vitrification and consequently some surface and mechanical properties, but worsened modulus of rupture (MOR) and toughness. Generally specimens containing zircon had better physicomechanical properties.     

The effect of edge banding thickness of white oak bonded with different adhesives on withdrawal strengths of beech dowels in composite materials

Dowel joints are widely used in furniture frame construction as a load-bearing connection structure, as well as a simple locator for parts. Joints constructed with dowels were subjected to withdrawal, bending, shear, and tensile forces. The aim of this study was to determine the withdrawal strengths of 6, 8, 10 mm diameter beech dowels embedded into matching holes drilled into the edges of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and particleboard (PB) with solid wood edge banding of white oak with 5, 10 and 15 mm thickness, bonded with hot-melt, poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and Desmodur-VTKA (D-VTKA), a polyurethane-based one-component adhesive. The effects of edge banding thickness, dowel dimension, type of composite material and type of adhesive used for edge banding on the withdrawal strength were determined. According to the interaction results from the Duncan test the highest withdrawal strength (7.019 N/mm²) was obtained in beech dowels with 6 mm diameter for MDF with solid wood edge banding of white oak with 10 mm thickness bonded with the hot-melt adhesive. Should the dowels be subjected to withdrawal, it is advised that a beech dowel should be used for MDF with solid oak edge banding with 10 mm thickness bonded with a hot-melt adhesive in furniture production and decoration applications.     

BN-O’-SiAlON复合材料抗热震性能研究

采用热压烧结合成了BN-O’-SiAlON复合材料,通过XRD、SEM、TEM对材料的显微结构进行了表征,并采用水冷法研究其在不同热震温差(400～1 500℃)下的抗热震性能。研究表明,柱状的O’-SiAlON晶粒的弥散强化和桥联作用等增韧机制,材料内部存在的亚临界自发微裂纹,以及无规则取向的BN和O’-SiAlON晶粒相互交叉生长构成的网状结构,均有利于改善BN-O’-SiAlON复合材料的抗热震性能。虽然理论计算近似得出在热震过程中BN-O’-SiAlON复合材料中存在的热性能失配将导致较大的热应力,但实际上,在低于900℃的热震温差下材料的强度并没有明显降低,而在高于900℃的热震温差下才有较明显下降,直到达到1 500℃的热震温差时,其强度仍然保持在原来的40%左右,这说明BN-O’-SiAlON复合材料具有良好的抗热震性能。     

A Method to Evaluate Water Resistance of Acrylic Adhesives

A number of two-part acrylic adhesives were examined for the effect of immersion time in water at 23°C, 80°C and 100°C on the tensile lap shear strength. The mechanism of acrylic bonded joint failure in water was discussed based on the observed results. The relative water resistance between these adhesives was compared from shear strength retention values. The dependence of the water resistance of these adhesives at 23°C and at elevated temperatures was discussed. It has been found that for acrylic adhesives, the water resistance at room temperature can be evaluated on the basis of the shear strength retention values after aging in water at 80°C.     

Fabrication of porous SiC nanostructured coatings on C/C composite by laser chemical vapor deposition for improving the thermal shock resistance

Recently, fabricating one-dimensional (1D) nanomaterials on C/C composite has been recognized effective to improve the thermal shock resistance of the coated composites. However, the remaining metal catalyst in CVD process and the week bond of 1D nanomaterials with substrate limit the strengthening effect. Herein, laser chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) was proposed for fabricating porous SiC nanostructured coating on C/C composite without metal catalyst. The laser heating resulted in a temperature gradient between the top and bottom of the coating, providing an external driving force for the vertical growth of whiskers with side-branches, forming a porous network nanostructure. The porous nanostructure was beneficial to reduce CTE and effectively relieve thermal stress. After 10 times of thermal shock test from RT to 1723 K, the porous SiC nanostructured coating remained intact. This work provides a novel methodology to produce functional coating on C/C composite with outstanding thermal shock resistance.     

Thermal and frictional properties of modified sisal fibre/phenolic resin composites

Abstract

In order to enhance the bonding force of sisal fibres (SF) and polymer matrix, different surface modifiers (alkali, coupling agent and borax) were used to treat the fibres. The SF/phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin composites were prepared through compression moulding. Thermal properties of the treated SFs and fibre composites were studied by thermogravimetric analysis and thermal expansion analysis. The effect of SF modification on the friction and wear properties of composites was investigated using wear tester under dry condition. The treated fibre surface and the worn surfaces of SF/PF composites were observed by SEM. The results showed that the surface of SF became rough after borax treatment, and the initial decomposition temperature increased by 13·6°C, compared to untreated SF. Thermal stability and wear properties of the PF composites with treated fibre were obviously increased due to the fibre modification. For example, wear volume of the composites with sisal treated by borax decreased by 73·3%. Scanning electron microscopy photos showed that the wear mechanism changed from fatigue wear to slight plough wear.