Effects of rolling and hot pressing on mechanical properties of boron carbide-based ceramics

A study of hot pressed B₄C-based laminates, after rolling and without rolling, has been performed to elucidate the existence of fracture resistance/crack length anisotropy induced by this processing technique. While the crack lengths/fracture resistance was affected significantly by the presence of the residual stresses in B₄C/B₄C–ZrB₂ laminates, no differences in Vickers crack lengths were observed in B₄C/B₄C laminates prepared by rolling and hot pressing, as compared to the crack lengths seen in pure B₄C ceramics prepared by hot pressing without rolling. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that no texture has been formed during the rolling and hot pressing of B₄C ceramics.     

Micro-mechanism and mechanical properties of solid-powder hot isostatic pressing diffusion-bonded Ti2AlNb alloy

Achieving the near-net shaping of brittle and difficult-to-machine materials is still challenging. Thus, we explore a method to prepare Ti-22Al-25Nb alloy by solid-powder hot isostatic pressing (HIP) diffusion bonding. The grain size, microstructure, interface features and mechanical properties of the fabricated alloy were systematically investigated. The results show that the solid-powder interface realizes a complete metallurgical bonding, and the grain size, composition and microstructure in transition zone is formed on the side of preform through recrystallization. There is a huge difference for the grain size between the powder forming zone and the preforming zone. As a result, the fabricated sample for solid-powder transition zone exhibits an excellent mechanical properties, with a tensile strength of 940 MPa, elongation of 2.9% and torsional strength of 815 MPa, respectively. In response to the torsional force, the crack starts from the preforming zone, and the crack deflection and branching occurs in the transition zone, thereby preventing the crack from propagating to the powder forming zone. The torsional strength of the solid powder HIP diffusion bonding zone is basically the same as that of the preformed zone. This study proposes a new solution for fabricating brittle and difficult-to-process materials and is of great significance in the development of the overall near-net shaping technology for complex components of such material.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of low-pressure injection-moulded reaction-bonded alumina ceramics

Reaction-bonded alumina was fabricated using standard powder preparation methods and the low-pressure injection moulding (LPIM) forming technique, followed by reaction sintering. The feasibility of LPIM was investigated in terms of the compounding ability of a highly agglomerated mechanically alloyed powder in a non-polar organic vehicle, and the microstructural homogeneity and resulting reliability of sintered LPIM parts. The green density of LPIM parts after debinding, roughly corresponding to the solids loading in the LPIM feedstock, was in the range of fractional density achieved by dry pressing, although the powder packing and aluminium particle deformation during forming were not the same. LPIM forming and debinding induced microstructural inhomogeneities (i.e. larger voids due to trapped air and density fluctuations) which were reflected in a slightly lower Weibull modulus, while the average strength did not differ significantly from the values obtained with dry pressed samples. The microstructure and mechanical properties of sintered parts were also related to the purity of the starting powders. The presence of impurities in the starting aluminium powder resulted in a somewhat coarser microstructure, characterized by a broader Al2O3 grain-size distribution, as well as in the presence of a thin glassy phase on the grain boundaries and in partial destabilization of dispersed tetragonal (Y2O3-stabilized) ZrO2 particles. In spite of a less favourable microstructure, the room-temperature strength and Weibull modulus were still comparable to those obtained from high-purity starting powder. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Physical and mechanical properties of dense materials produced by hot isostatic pressing of amorphous boron

Dense boron samples with a glassy structure have been prepared for the first time by high-pressure sintering of amorphous boron powder at temperatures from 750 to 1100 K. Analysis of the mechanical properties of boron samples sintered at pressures from 2 to 8 GPa and different temperatures indicates that sintering proceeds most effectively near 750 K. Purification of amorphous boron in water is shown to be effective in removing products of boron oxidation in air.     

Improvement of optical properties of Nd:YAG transparent ceramics by post-annealing and post hot isostatic pressing

The Nd:YAG transparent ceramics were fabricated by vacuum sintering. The Nd:YAG samples were annealed at 1450 °C for 20 h in air and followed by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) at 1700 °C for 2 h in 200 MPa Ar and then re-annealed at 1250–1450 °C for 10 h in air. The experimental results showed that the optical properties of Nd:YAG samples varied markedly with different post treatments. After air annealing at 1450 °C for 20 h and HIP at 1700 °C for 2 h under 200 MPa of Ar and then air re-annealing at 1250 °C for 10 h, the transmittances of the samples increased from 51.2% to 77.2% (at 400 nm) and 78.4% to 83.6% (at 1064 nm), respectively. The annealing and HIP are effective post treatments to reduce oxygen vacancies and intergranular pores respectively in Nd:YAG transparent ceramics.     

Effect of additives on the microstructure and mechanical properties of commercial alumina ceramics

The effect of impurities or additives on the microstructure of some commercial alumina ceramic samples have been characterized by scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer and the mechanical properties investigated. Both the hardness and the toughness have been found to increase as the SiO₂ content decreases, and the theoretical density is reached in these materials. Grain size and distribution seem to be important factors in the mechanical properties of alumina ceramics. If the additives are controlled carefully, finer grain size and distribution can be obtained, together with a high relative density in terms of pore distribution characteristics and consequently enhanced mechanical properties.     

Hot isostatic pressing of beta-alumina

The effect of hot isostatic pressing on the properties of sintered beta-alumina has been investigated. The mechanical strength is increased as compared with as-sintered material. The ionic resistivity is decreased by hot isostatic pressing but this has been shown to be related to the heat treatment rather than the application of pressure. The changes in mechanical and electrical properties are related to changes in ceramic microstructure.     

Effects of hot isostatic pressing and heat treatment on cast cobalt alloy

Investment cast biomedical alloys are often heat treated to refine the microstructure and improve mechanical properties. Test specimens of American Society for Testing and Materials F75 alloy (Co–28 wt-%Cr–6 wt-%Mo) were cast and solidified at two cooling rates, which influenced the size and area fraction of secondary phases (carbides) precipitated at grain boundaries and in interdendritic zones. The specimens were then subjected to hot isostatic pressing and age hardening. This produced smaller globular carbides of reduced area fraction, and reduced the size of micropores, independent of as cast characteristics. Strength and hardness were not significantly altered. The most significant effect of the post-casting treatment was to increase the ductility of the alloy, most likely due to the dissolution of brittle intergranular carbides and reduction in pore size.     

Chemical reaction assisted transient liquid phase bonding of alumina in combination with cold isostatic pressing

Abstract

A new method of transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding of alumina specimens has been developed using a mixture of aluminium powder and silica powder as insert materials. A chemical reaction of aluminium with silica occurs in the inter layer to produce alumina and silicon. Some of the specimens were subjected to cold isostatic pressing (cipping) before bonding to improve the bonding strength. Specimens with an interlayer of powder mixture were joined for Al/SiO₂ ratios of 1 : 0.84 and 1 : 0.42, but did not join for an interlayer with a theoretical ratio of 1 : 1.67. When specimens were subjected to cipping before bonding, bonds were far stronger than bonds without cipping in a temperature range from room temperature to elevated temperatures above the melting point of aluminium. In the mechanical test (bending test), fracture occurs at the boundary between the alumina matrix and the interlayer at room temperature, and in the interlayer at temperatures above the melting point of aluminium.     

Shape distortion under isostatic pressing

Abstracts are not published in this journal This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of chromium and chromium/nickel particulate reinforced alumina ceramics

A range of Al₂O₃-Cr and Al₂O₃-Cr/Ni composites have been made using either pressureless sintering in the presence of a graphite bed or hot pressing. Examination of the microstructures shows that they are fully dense (typically 98–99% of the theoretical density) and that the micrometre-scale metallic particles remain discrete and homogeneously dispersed in all composites. All of the hot pressed specimens had higher flexural strengths than the sintered materials. Within each processing route, the composites had slightly lower strength values than the equivalent monolithic alumina specimens. This was attributed to weak interfacial bonding. Fracture toughness behaviour was investigated using indentation and double cantilever beam methods. All of the composites were found to be tougher than the parent alumina and to show resistance-curve behaviour. For the composites, maximum fracture toughness values were 5–6 MPa m^1/2 (about double the value for alumina) for process zone sizes of a few millimetres, although steady state was not reached in the limited number of specimens tested. Examination of fracture surfaces and indentation cracks showed that the toughening potential of the metal particles was not exploited to any significant extent. This was mainly due to weak metal-Al₂O₃ interfaces, but also because of carbon embrittlement of the metallic particles in which chromium was the major constituent.     

Effects of heteroflocculation of powders on mechanical properties of zirconia alumina composites

Zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) composites colloidally processed from dense aqueous suspensions (>50 vol% solids) had ZrO₂ content varying from 5 to 30 vol%. Tetragonal zirconia (TZ) was used in the unstabilized, transformable form (0Y-TZ), in the partially transformable form, partially stabilized with 2 mol% yttria (2Y-TZ), and in the non-transformable form stabilized with 3 mol% yttria (3Y-TZ). After sintering in air to 99% theoretical density, the elastic properties, flexure strength and fracture toughness were examined at room temperature. Dynamic moduli of elasticity of fully deagglomerated compositions did not show the effects of microcrack formation during sintering, even for materials with unstabilized zirconia. In all compositions made from submicron powders and with low content of dispersed phase (less than 10 to 20 vol %), the strength increased with increasing ZrO₂ content to a maximum of 1 GPa, irrespective of the degree of stabilization of t-ZrO₂. With increasing content of the dispersed phase (> 20 vol%), heteroflocculation of powder mixtures during wet-processing led to the formation of ZrO₂ grain clusters of increasing size. Residual tensile stresses built within cluster/matrix interfaces upon cooling not only facilitated the t-m ZrO₂ phase transformation in final composites with transformable t-ZrO₂, but also led to lateral microcracking of ZrO₂/Al₂O₃ interfaces. This enhanced fracture toughness, but at larger ZrO₂ contents the flexure strength always decreased due to intensive microcracking, both radial and lateral. The important microstructural aspects of strengthening and toughening mechanisms in ZTA composites are related in discussion to the effects of heteroflocculation of powder mixtures during wet-processing.     

Processing and properties of zirconia-toughened alumina ceramics

Al₂O₃:ZrO₂ ceramics have been prepared from physically mixed pure oxide powders. The results indicate that careful processing of the starting powders and a two-stage sintering process can avoid expensive processing methods like hot pressing/hot isostatic pressing used for achieving high densification. The mechanical properties were measured and the resultant microstructure studied to explain the toughening behaviour of this material.