Multi-component oxide lens glass with ultra-high mechanical properties inspired by the high-entropy concept

Lenses with high transmittance, high refractive index and excellent scratch resistance are in urgent need for cameras in high-end smartphones, and existing resin lenses exhibits intrinsic upper limits in those properties. Glass, with its naturally high refractive index and mechanical properties, is considered an ideal candidate for high-end lenses, however, due to the lack of targeted design, the intrinsic hardness, modulus and fracture toughness of conventional glass are low and its scratch resistance is inadequate. Here, we combined multi-compositional design and structural modulation of high mechanical lens glass with high-entropy concept, and successfully prepared multi-component 31.6RO-4.1Y₂O₃-23.7TiO₂-7.4ZrO₂-33.2Al₂O₃ (R = Ba, Sr, Ca) glasses with ultra-high hardness (11.06 GPa), modulus (147.6 GPa) and indentation fracture toughness (1.334 MPa m^0.5). The excellently comprehensive properties of the glass are attributed to the synergistic effect of multiple high dissociation energy and high field strength oxides, which leads to the movement of low-coordinated Al^[4] to the higher-coordinated Al^[5]/Al^[6].     

Effect of zirconia addition amount in glaze on mechanical properties of porcelain slabs

Applying toughened glaze layer on porcelain slabs can improve the fracture toughness of slabs and greatly reduce the production cost. In this study, porcelain slabs glaze with high toughness was fabricated by the processes of impregnation glazing and single firing method, using opaque frits, kaolin clay as the main raw materials, zirconia as an additive, and the effect of the addition amount of zirconia in glaze on fracture toughness of porcelain slabs was investigated. The results showed that the type and content of crystal phase of the glaze were greatly influenced by the addition amount of zirconia. Meanwhile, compared with the base glaze, the hardness and fracture toughness of the sample with zirconia glaze were significantly improved. Porcelain slabs with 10 wt% zirconia in glaze, sintering at 1200 °C, exhibited higher quality glaze and outstanding properties, including a water absorption of 1.95%, a Vickers hardness of 6.36 GPa, and a fracture toughness of 2.71 MPa m^1/2. The toughening mechanism of the glaze layer was as follows: a large number of zirconium silicate grains with high hardness were generated by the reaction of added zirconia with silica in the glass phase, which increased the content of crystal phase and then prevented the propagation of cracks; moreover during the martensitic transformation of the tetragonal zirconia grains, the volume and shear strain were generated to offset the stress field generated by the crack tip, thus toughening the material.     

Effect of mechanical properties on the ballistic resistance capability of Al2O3-ZrO2 functionally graded materials

Because Al₂O₃ exhibits high strength and hardness, it is prevalently used as a ceramic material. ZrO₂ is often added to increase the toughness of such a material. Therefore, this study mixed Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂ to formulate functionally graded materials (FGMs). four-layer and eleven-layer Al₂O₃-ZrO₂ FGM_S were produced from Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂ mixtures by sintering at 1500 °C. Moreover, testing sheets were created by mixing various ratios of Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂ to analyze their fracture toughness and hardness. The results revealed the 90% Al₂O₃-10% ZrO₂ sheet to exhibit a hardness of 15.12 GPa, and the 50% Al₂O₃-50% ZrO₂ sheet to attain a fracture toughness as high as 4.7 MPa m^0.5. The impact resistance test involved analyzing various types of testing sheets, including the four-layer Al₂O₃-(0%, 10%, 20%, 30%) ZrO₂ FGM, eleven-layer Al₂O₃-(0–100%) ZrO₂ FGM, 100% Al₂O₃ composite material, 90% Al₂O₃-10% ZrO₂ composite material, 70% Al₂O₃-30% ZrO₂ composite material, and 50% Al₂O₃-50% ZrO₂ composite material. The ballistic tests showed that FGMs of the same areal density (4.64 g/cm²) or thickness (11 mm) attained the highest energy absorption. The experimental results confirmed that FGMs can delay the formation and propagation of ceramic cones. Specifically, toughened alumina materials prevent the growth of radial and circumferential cracks, delay the formation of ceramic cones, decrease cones hitting against the back plane, and increase the penetrating resistant capability of the ceramic materials experiencing bullet impact, features important for applications in fields such as aerospace, aviation, automobile, the military industry, and biomedicine     

Preparation,microstructure and mechanical properties of MoAlB-0.15% Si ceramics with superior strength and toughness

MoAlB has been regarded as a promising high-temperature structural ceramic, but the strength and toughness are still insufficient in the practical application. In this work, MoAlB ceramic bulk with superior hardness, strength and toughness has been fabricated by adding 0.15 mol. % Si. The MoAlB-0.15Si bulk is composed of Si-doped MoAlB, Mo(Al, Si)₂ and ultrafine Al₂O₃. The Vickers hardness ranges from 14.2 to 12.5 GPa with the tested load increasing from 10 to 200 N. The Vickers indentation remains the intact tetragonum in spite of the appearance of corner cracks, indicating the excellent damage tolerance. The flexural strength, fracture toughness and compressive strength of MoAlB-0.15Si are 518.46 MPa, 7.01 MPa m^1/2 and 2.62 GPa, respectively, obviously superior to the present MoAlB polycrystalline bulk. Si doping, grain refinement, strengthening effect of ultrafine Al₂O₃ and phase transformation from Al₈Mo₃ to Mo(Al, Si)₂ jointly account for the improvement of comprehensive properties of MoAlB bulk.     

Densification,microstructure and mechanical properties of hot pressed tantalum carbide

Monolithic tantalum carbide (TaC) ceramics were prepared by hot pressing in order to investigate the effect of hot pressing temperature on the densification behavior, microstructure and mechanical properties of TaC. Monolithic TaC sample hot pressed at 2000 °C for 45 min under 40 MPa, with relative density value above 97%, Vickers hardness of 15.7 GPa and fracture toughness of 4.1 MPa m^1/2 was obtained. Fracture surfaces investigations of the samples, which were carried out using the SEM analysis, showed a significant grain growth by increasing the hot pressing temperature from 1700 to 2000 °C. Also, based on the X-ray diffraction pattern, a decrease in the lattice parameter of hot pressed TaC sample was observed.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of directionally solidified Al2O3/GdAlO3 eutectic ceramic prepared with horizontal high-frequency zone melting

Directionally solidified eutectic oxide ceramics are very promising as a next-generation structural material for ultrahigh-temperature applications, above 1600?°C, owing to their outstanding properties of high corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, high fracture strength and toughness, and high hardness. Herein, Al₂O₃/GdAlO₃ eutectic ceramic was prepared with horizontal high-frequency induction zone melting (HIZM), and the effects of the processing parameters on the eutectic microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. The results indicated that the directionally solidified Al₂O₃/GdAlO₃ eutectic ceramic was composed only of the Al₂O₃ phase and GdAlO₃ phase penetrating mutually, and the Al₂O₃ phase was the substrate in which the GdAlO₃ phase was embedded. As the solidification rate increased from 1 to 5?mm/h, the eutectic microstructure underwent a transformation from an irregular pattern to a relatively regular “rod” or “lamellar” pattern, and the eutectic spacing constantly decreased, reaching a minimum value of 0.5?μm. The eutectic ceramic hardness and fracture toughness at room temperature increased continuously, reaching 23.36?GPa and 3.12?MPa?m^1/2, which were 2.3 times and 2.5 times those of the sintered ceramic with the same composition, respectively. Compared with the samples obtained from vertical high-frequency induction zone melting, the orientation of eutectic phases along the growth direction decreased significantly, and the size uniformity of the GdAlO₃ phase became poorer in the samples prepared with HIZM at the same solidification rate; nevertheless, the hardness and fracture toughness of the samples increased by 11% and 63%, respectively.     

Micro-scale evolution of mechanical properties of glass-ceramic sealant for solid oxide fuel/electrolysis cells

The structural integrity of the sealant is critical for the reliability of solid oxide cells (SOCs) stacks. In this study, elastic modulus (E), hardness (H) and fracture toughness (K_IC) of a rapid crystallizing glass of BaO–CaO–SiO₂ system termed “sealant G” are reported as determined using an indentation test method at room temperature. A wide range of indentation loads (1 mN–10 N) was used to investigate the load-dependency of these mechanical properties. Values of 95 ± 12 GPa, 5.8 ± 0.2 GPa and 1.15 ± 0.07 MPa m^0.5 were derived for E, H and K_IC using the most suitable indentation loads. An application relevant annealing treatment of 500 h at 800 °C does not lead to a significant change of the mechanical properties. Potential self-healing behavior of the sealant has also been studied by electron microscopy, based on heat treatment of samples with indentation-induced cracks for 70 h at 850 °C. Although the sealant G is considered to be fully crystallized, evidence indicates that its cracks can be healed even in the absence of a dead load.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti (C,N) based cermets reinforced with different ceramic particles processed by spark plasma sintering

The addition effect of different ceramic particles such as TiB₂, TiN and nano-Si₃N₄ on the microstructure and mechanical properties of TiCN-WC-Co-Cr₃C₂ based cermets, which are prepared by spark plasma sintering, was studied. Microstructural characterization of the cermets was done by scanning electron microscope. X-ray diffraction was performed to study the crystal structures. Mechanical properties such as hardness and fracture toughness were measured for the different developed cermets. The hardness and fracture toughness of the TiCN-WC-Co-Cr₃C₂ cermets without TiN, TiB₂, and nano-Si₃N₄ were 8.4 GPa and 3.4 MPa m^1/2, respectively. It was found that 5 wt% TiB₂ addition alone improved the corresponding hardness and fracture toughness to 19.2 GPa and 6.9 MPa m^1/2, respectively. The addition of 5 wt% TiN, improved the hardness and fracture toughness to 16.7 GPa and 6.9 MPa m^1/2, respectively. With the combination of 5 wt% TiN and 5 wt% TiB₂, the hardness and fracture toughness were improved to 15.5 GPa and 6.6 MPa m^1/2, respectively. But, the addition of 5 wt% Si₃N₄ showed a balanced improvement in both hardness (17.6 GPa) and toughness (6.9 MPa m^1/2). Fracture toughness did not change much for all the above cermets with different ceramic inclusions.     

Improvements in microstructural and mechanical properties of ZrO2 ceramics after addition of BaO

The effects of the addition of BaO on the sinterability, phase balance, microstructure, and mechanical properties of 8 mol% yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (8YSZ) were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, and micro-hardness testing. The 8YSZ powder was doped with 0–15 wt% BaO using a colloidal process. The undoped and BaO-doped 8YSZ specimens were sintered at 1550 °C for 1 h. The XRD analyses results showed that the specimens doped with up to 1 wt% BaO did not exhibit BaO-related peaks, indicating that BaO was completely solubilized in the 8YSZ matrix. However, when more than 1 wt% BaO was added, BaZrO₃-related peaks appeared, suggesting that the overdoped BaO did not dissolve in the 8YSZ matrix but formed a secondary phase of BaZrO₃ at high temperatures. Grain size measurements showed that the grain size of 8YSZ decreased with an increase in the amount of BaO added. The decrease in the grain size was owing to the fact that the grains of BaZrO₃, which precipitated at the grain boundaries and grain junctions of 8YSZ, increased the grain boundary cohesive resistance because of the pinning effect. This resulted in a decrease in the grain boundary mobility, and an increase in the grain boundary energy. Furthermore, while the addition of BaO to 8YSZ caused a slight decrease in the hardness of 8YSZ, the fracture toughness of 8YSZ increased from 1.64 MPa m^1/2 to 2.08 MPa m^1/2, owing to the resulting decrease in the grain size.     

Double cantilever beam fracture toughness measurement method for glass

A simple method of measuring Mode I fracture toughness, K_IC, of glass using the double cantilever beam (DCB) geometry is presented. An inert atmosphere is created at the crack tip to prevent subcritical crack growth and enable “pinning” the crack while the specimen is loaded to failure. This was achieved experimentally using liquid toluene or a glovebox with dry argon. K_IC values measured by this method showed good agreement with published literature values for selected glasses. Applicability of the analytical stress intensity factor solution based on crack length, crack front curvature, and the height of the crack guiding groove are confirmed through experimental data and finite element analysis. The experimentally observed crack front curvature, which leads near the edges for small groove heights and leads in the center for larger groove heights, is predicted from the geometry of the DCB specimen for a linear elastic solid through finite element modeling.     

The formation and properties of Sialon-ZrN composites produced by reaction bonding combined with post gas-pressure sintering

Sialon-ZrN composites have been fabricated by a combination of reaction bonding and post-gas-pressure sintering. Composites with different amount of ZrN were post sintered at 1600, 1700 and 1800?°C under a nitrogen pressure of 0.7?MPa for 6?h. The results showed that mass loss due to decomposition increased with increasing sintering temperature. The mass loss at 1600 and 1700?°C was comparable, and below 3% even for the highest ZrN content of 50?wt%, but ranged between 6% and 9% for samples post sintered at 1800?°C with 10–50?wt% ZrN. Composites sintered at 1700?°C had the highest relative density (> 97%) and lowest open porosity (< 2%), and this was independent of ZrN content. The incorporation of the ZrN particles was observed to have an effect on the mechanical properties of the composites. The highest hardness (16.05?±?0.17?GPa) was observed for the composite sintered at 1700?°C with 20?wt% ZrN but decreased with higher ZrN contents, due to a weak bonding between the ZrN particles and the Sialon matrix. The fracture toughness showed a continuous increase with increasing ZrN content, due to the effect of the weak bonding on toughening mechanisms such as crack branching, crack deflection and crack bridging. The highest fracture toughness (5.35?±?0.18?MPa?m^1/2) was observed for the composited sintered at 1700?°C with 50?wt% ZrN.     

Chemical and mechanical properties of vinyl-ester/ABS blends

Various experimental techniques and finite element modelling (FEM) were employed to assess mechanical and chemical properties of vinyl-ester (VE)/poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) (ABS) blends with different ABS particle content. The blends were to be used as a toughening agent for interlayer toughened VE/glass composite material. Firstly, the materials' fracture toughness and tensile properties were examined, the results showing excellent toughening potential of the blends as well as a non-linear trend for fracture toughness as a function of ABS weight content. The tensile testing of the blends served to define the yield point of the materials and to obtain their stress-strain curves, which were then used as input into finite element analysis models. The mechanical testing results suggested that a chemical reaction may have occurred between the constituents of the blends. Based on the Raman spectroscopy results and mechanical testing data, 7% of ABS was believed to be the critical ABS content where significant changes in the materials' chemical composition and consequently in mechanical properties occurred. Finally, FEM was undertaken to further verify the existence of this sudden variation in material's properties.     

Investigation of europium-doped aluminium phosphate glass for red light generation

Europium doped phosphate glasses (KPEu) with various concentrations of Eu₂O₃ were prepared by a melt-quenching method for red light application. The prepared samples were characterized using physical, absorption, photoluminescence, X-ray induced luminescence (XEL) and J-O analysis techniques. Density, molar volume and refractive index of the investigated glasses increased with increasing concentration of Eu₂O₃. Eight absorption peaks were observed, with six peaks in the visible region (350–550) nm and two in the infrared region (2000–2200). Four emission peaks were observed in the visible region when the glass was excited at 394 nm. Judd-Ofelt (JO) intensity parameters (Ω_λ λ = 2, 4, 6) were determined using the JO-theory for the prepared glass samples. The radiative properties of the glasses were determined using JO-parameter, refractive index and emission spectra. The trend of JO parameters for the present KPEu₆ glass sample were Ω₂ > Ω₄ > Ω₆. These glasses also showed higher branching ratios and stimulated emission cross section (σ_e) values, making these suitable for red laser applications. XEL showed the same peaks and trend as emission spectra but its peaks were shifted and had high intensity. The luminescence colours of these glass samples entirely fall in the reddish orange region (x = 0.653–0.654, y = 0.346–0.347) as confirmed by CIE 1931 diagram. The CCT values of the prepared glass samples were in the range of 2394–2431 K.     

AlB12-AlB12C2-TiB2 hard and tough composites synthesized by reactive plasma activated sintering

AlB₁₂-AlB₁₂C₂-TiB₂-based hard and tough composites were fabricated using ball milled B, Al, and Ti powders as the starting materials, and sintered by reactive plasma activated sintering (PAS). The mechanical properties and microstructures were investigated, and the effects of the composition and microstructures on the reinforcing and toughening of the composites were determined. The results showed that the composite with 10 vol% TiB₂ showed excellent mechanical properties, a lightweight of 2.76 g cm⁻³, Vickers hardness of 37 GPa, and fracture toughness of 7.1 MPa m^1/2. In addition, the main strengthening and toughening mechanisms were due to the twin structures, dislocation defects, and stacking faults in the specimen in addition to grain pull-out, crack deflection, crack bridging, and crack branching caused by elongated TiB₂ particles.     

Importance of finding the proper ratio of alkaline earth oxide in a lithium-bismuthate-phosphate glass in order to enhance the tailoring of structural and electrical properties

Structural features of the glass family xLi₂O- yMgO (4.8 Bi₂O₃ 47.6 P₂O₅) obtained by melt quenching technique were studied taking into account the density, FTIR and UV–vis spectra and also the electrical response observed by impedance spectroscopy. In this work it becomes clarified how the alkaline earth oxides stabilize the glassy matrix and also, the fundamental importance of determining the optimal proportion in order to obtain a flabby easily polarizable matrix to enhance the electrical behavior due to a boosted cation mobility. It is evidenced that when the glass composition becomes complex it is needed to take into account a larger number of structural parameters to understand, to predict or to design the resulting physical properties.     

Structural and magneto-optical properties of ferric oxide quantum dots embedded phosphate glass

In this study, phosphate glasses embedded with Fe₂O₃ quantum dots were prepared via a conventional melt quenching technology with further heat treatment. The effect of Fe₂O₃ content on the structural, optical and magneto-optical properties was investigated. The results showed that the addition of Fe₂O₃ had no obvious influence on the structure units that built up the host glass and the amorphous nature of glass. In the glass matrix, the existence of Fe₂O₃ quantum dots was confirmed by high resolution transmission electron microscope. Meanwhile, optical study clearly demonstrated a red shift in optical cut-off wavelength resulted from the size quantization effect. The highest Verdet constant (22.33°/T-cm) was measured for the glass containing 1 mol% Fe₂O₃, which was ~ 7 times higher than that of the glass matrix. As the increment of Fe₂O₃ contents, a phase evolution of Fe₂O₃ quantum dots from amorphous phase to γ-Fe₂O₃ phase was recorded due to the Ostwald Ripening effect. Interestingly, a concentration quenching phenomenon in Verdet constant was observed along with the phase evolution of Fe₂O₃ quantum dots. When the content of Fe₂O₃ is up to 2 mol%, the glass exhibited paramagnetism with the Verdet constant of ? 2.833°/T-cm. This finding can provide a new idea for the development of quantum dot embedded magneto-optical glass.     

Nucleation and crystallization of Ba2Si3O8 spherulites in a barium aluminum silicate glass,and mechanical properties of the obtained glass-ceramics

The effect of spherulitic crystallization on the elastic moduli and fracture toughness of a barium aluminum silicate glass was investigated. The crystallization process results in Ba₂Si₃O₈ phase and is initiated from Ba rich nuclei. Nucleation is optimal in the 690-720 °C interval. Young’s modulus is increased by 12.5% when the glass-ceramic conversion is nearly complete. Nevertheless, as the size and the volume fraction of crystals are increased, some microcracking shows up upon cooling from the crystallization temperature. An optimal improvement of the fracture toughness (SEPB method) by 27 % is observed for a 49 % volume fraction of 5 to 10 μm large spherulites.     

Lithium disilicate glass produced at high pressure: Characterization of structural,thermal and mechanical properties

In this work, high-density lithium disilicate (LS₂) vitreous systems were produced by melting and quenching under high pressure (7.7 GPa) following two distinct experimental routes. In the first case, LS₂ glass was remelted at 7.7 GPa and 1600°C and, then, quenched. In the second case, a stoichiometric mixture of precursor oxides (Li₂O and SiO₂) was melted at 1600°C and 7.7 GPa before quenching. A reference LS₂ glass sample was produced at atmospheric pressure using conventional melting and quenching procedure. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, and instrumented ultramicro hardness measurements. X-ray diffraction confirmed that all samples were amorphous and thermal analysis suggests that different glassy structures were produced depending on the route of synthesis. Hardness and elastic modulus of the glasses produced under high pressure were higher than those of the reference glass, reflecting the irreversible densification effect induced by the high-pressure processing.     

Water-induced CsBr crystalline transition to CsPbBr3 and the change of luminescence properties in borophosphate glass

The application of all-inorganic perovskite CsPbBr₃ nanocrystal glasses recently has enjoyed increasing and diverse attention due to their excellent optical properties. However, a full understanding of their formation process and mechanism still remains uncharted. In an attempt to develop and improve the properties of these glasses, it is significant to explore the formation of CsPbBr₃ nanocrystals (NCs) in it. Herein, a borophosphate-based precursor glass with bright blue emission was prepared by melt quenching, and CsPbBr₃ NCs were precipitated in it by water induction; the glass powders’ photoluminescence gradually changed from blue to green (478–525 nm). It is proven that the blue luminescence originated from the combination of CsBr and oxygen vacancies in the glass, and the crystal transformation mechanism of CsBr to CsPbBr₃ in glass is proposed; the potential application in anti-counterfeiting is explored based on its special properties. The findings of this study are significant to the basic research for the CsPbBr₃ NCs glasses, and also contribute new insights toward their application in different fields.