The cutting performance of Al2O3 and Si3N4 ceramic cutting tools in the milling plywood

ABSTRACT

This research focuses on the cutting performance of Al₂O₃ and Si₃N₄ ceramic cutting tools in up-milling plywood, the results of which are as follows. First, whether the tool material is Al₂O₃ or Si₃N₄ ceramic, the cutting forces at low-speed cutting were less than those at high-speed cutting, and the machining quality at low-speed cutting was greater than that at high-speed cutting. Then, whether at low- or high-speed cutting, the cutting forces of Al₂O₃ cutting tools were higher than those of Si₃N₄ cutting tools, and the machining quality of plywood milled by Al₂O₃ ceramic cutting tools was poorer than that milled by Si₃N₄ ceramic cutting tools. Finally, Si₃N₄ ceramic cutting tools were more suitable to machine the wooden productions with much glue content than Al₂O₃ ceramic cutting tools for the better machined quality.     

Fabrication and characterization of Si3N4 whisker-reinforced SiO2 ceramic for radome materials

Fused silica ceramic has become one of the most widely used radome materials in the world since the 1970s. But its poor mechanical properties restricted its application to some extent. To improve the mechanical properties of the fused silica ceramic and keep its characteristic for radome materials, silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) whisker-reinforced fused silica ceramics were prepared by a slip-casting method in the work. The influence of Si₃N₄ whisker contents on the properties of the slurry was studied, indicating that the preferable pH values of the slurry were 4–6 and whisker contents were 10 wt.%. The flexural strength of as-prepared Si₃N_4w/SiO₂ ceramic was about 74.35 MPa, exhibiting an increase of 7.75% over that of the pure silica sample. Its dielectric constant in the range from 8 to 12 GHz and tanδ under 10 GHz were, respectively, 3.37 and .0011. It is of great interest to find that Si₃N_4w/SiO₂ has excellent oxidization resistance and its mass maintains even at 1270°C.     

Equiaxed β–Si3N4 ceramics prepared by rapid reaction‐bonding and post‐sintering using TiO2–Y2O3–Al2O3 additives

Sintered reaction‐bonded Si₃N₄ ceramics with equiaxed microstructure were prepared with TiO₂–Y₂O₃–Al₂O₃ additions by rapid nitridation at 1400°C for 2 hours and subsequent post‐sintering at 1850°C for 2 hours under N₂ pressure of 3 MPa. It was found that α–Si₃N₄, β–Si₃N₄, Si₂N₂O, and TiN phases were formed by rapid nitridation of Si powders with single TiO₂ additives. However, the combination of TiO₂ and Y₂O₃–Al₂O₃ additives led to the formation of 100% β–Si₃N₄ phase from the nitridation of Si powders at such low temperature (1400°C), and the removal of Si₂N₂O phase. As a result, dense β–Si₃N₄ ceramics with equiaxed microstructure were obtained after post‐sintering at high temperature.     

Effects of Al2O3–Y2O3/Yb2O3 additives on microstructures and mechanical properties of silicon nitride ceramics prepared by hot-pressing sintering

Silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) ceramics doped with two different sintering additive systems (Al₂O₃–Y₂O₃ and Al₂O₃–Yb₂O₃) were prepared by hot-pressing sintering at 1800℃ for 2 h and 30 MPa. The microstructures, nano-indentation test, and mechanical properties of the as-prepared Si₃N₄ ceramics were systematically investigated. The X-ray diffraction analyses of the as-prepared Si₃N₄ ceramics doped with the two sintering additives showed a large number of phase transformations of α-Si₃N₄ to β-Si₃N₄. Grain size distributions and aspect ratios as well as their effects on mechanical properties are presented in this study. The specimen doped with the Al₂O₃–Yb₂O₃ sintering additive has a larger aspect ratio and higher fracture toughness, while the Vickers hardness is relatively lower. It can be seen from the nano-indentation tests that the stronger the elastic deformation ability of the specimens, the higher the fracture toughness. At the same time, the mechanical properties are greatly enhanced by specific interlocking microstructures formed by the high aspect ratio β-Si₃N₄ grains. In addition, the density, relative density, and flexural strength of the as-prepared Si₃N₄ ceramics doped with Al₂O₃–Y₂O₃ were 3.25 g/cm³, 99.9%, and 1053 ± 53 MPa, respectively. When Al₂O₃–Yb₂O₃ additives were introduced, the above properties reached 3.33 g/cm³, 99.9%, and 1150 ± 106 MPa, respectively. It reveals that microstructure control and mechanical property optimization for Si₃N₄ ceramics are feasible by tailoring sintering additives.     

Comparison of sintering behavior and reinforcing mechanisms between 3Y-TZP/Al2O3(w) and 12Ce-TZP/Al2O3(w) composites: Combined effects of lanthanide stabilizer and Al2O3 whisker length

The densification behavior, microstructural development, toughening and strengthening mechanisms of Al₂O₃ whisker-reinforced 3Y-TZP and 12Ce-TZP composites were systematically and comparatively investigated with varying whisker lengths. Compared with 3Y-TZP/A_w composites, the presence of a Ce-Al-Si-O amorphous phase, caused by the addition of Al₂O₃ whiskers, promoted the densification and grain growth of 12Ce-TZP/A_w composites. Crack deflection and bridging are proposed as the primary toughening mechanisms for 3Y-TZP/A_w composites, while the t-m martensitic transformation would dominate the toughening and strengthening processes of 12Ce-TZP/A_w composites. Changes in Al₂O₃ whisker length would vary the distributions of internal stress and amorphous phase within the ceria-stabilized ZrO₂ matrix, and hence affect the toughening and strengthening results. It indicates that effective toughening and strengthening of the Al₂O₃ whisker-reinforced TZP composites can be achieved by taking advantage of collaborative engineering control on the reinforcement morphology and the interface chemistry/structure.     

Mechanical properties and microstructure of Al2O3-SiCw ceramic tool material toughened by Si3N4 particles

Al₂O₃-SiC_w toughened ceramic tools play vital role in high-speed machining of nickel-based superalloys due to their superior mechanical properties. Herein, owing to synergistic toughening mechanism, α-Si₃N₄ particles are employed as reinforcement phase into Al₂O₃-SiC_w ceramic composite to optimize mechanical properties of Al₂O₃-SiC_w ceramic tools. Moreover, the influence of Si₃N₄ content and sintering parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al₂O₃-20 vol%SiC_w ceramic tool material is systematically investigated. Results reveal that appropriate amount of Si₃N₄ particles is required to effectively increase the density of Al₂O₃-SiC_w ceramic composites. The presence of Si₃N₄ particles leads to formation of novel β-sialon phase during hot-press sintering, which effectively enhances fracture toughness and flexural strength of Al₂O₃-SiC_w ceramic composites. It is observed that grain size of newly formed β-sialon phase is extremely sensitive to hot-pressing sintering conditions. The degree of chemical transformation of α-Si₃N₄ into Si_6-zAl_zO_zN_8-z (β-sialon) and z-value of Si_6-zAl_zO_zN_8-z are significantly influenced by sintering temperature. Overall, Al₂O₃-20 vol%SiC_w-15 vol%Si₃N₄ ceramic tool material, with 1.5 vol%Y₂O₃-0.5 vol%La₂O₃-0.5 vol%CeO₂ (YLC) sintering additive, rendered optimal mechanical properties after sintering at 1600 °C under 32 MPa for 30 min. Improved mechanical performance can be ascribed to synergistic toughening and strengthening influence of whiskers and particles.     

Densification behaviors and high-temperature characteristics of Si3N4 sintered bodies using Al2O3–Yb2O3 additives

The densification behaviors (include α–β transformation) and high-temperature characteristics (especially oxidation resistance and high-temperature strength properties) of Si₃N₄ sintered bodies using Al₂O₃–Yb₂O₃ based sintering additive are investigated.Densification and α–β transformation behaviors were investigated by varying the compositions of Al₂O₃–Yb₂O₃ additives. In terms of the influence of the Y₂O₃/Al₂O₃ ratio on densification behavior, a greater Yb₂O₃/Al₂O₃ ratio tends to inhibit densification. The α–β transformation tended to be delayed in sintered bodies with a small additive amount of 3.4 mass%. Compared with the transformation behaviors of the sintered bodies using Al₂O₃–Y₂O₃ additives, those using Al₂O₃–Yb₂O₃ additives exhibited a narrower temperature zone for α–β transformation, which attributed to the finer structure for the sintered body using Al₂O₃–Yb₂O₃ additives. This is affected by the difference in solubility of Si₃N₄ in the two kinds of glass phase.High room temperature strength of 900–1000 MPa was obtained for sintered bodies with a 10.0 mass% addition of additives, and this is considered to be due to the finer micro-structure. Precipitation of a Yb₄Si₂N₂O₇ phase at the grain boundary glass phase, as induced by crystallization processing, enables the improvement of 1300 °C strength to about 650–720 MPa. Crystallization processing resulted in a 30% reduction in the amount of weight change during oxidation (from 3.42 to 2.46 mg/cm²), demonstrating the effectiveness in improving oxidation resistance.     

Fabrication and mechanical properties of Al2O3-SiCw-TiCnp ceramic tool material

Whiskers and nanoparticles are usually used as reinforcing additives of ceramic composite materials due to the synergistically toughening and strengthening mechanisms. In this paper, the effects of TiC nanoparticle content, particle size and preparation process on the mechanical properties of hot pressed Al₂O₃-SiC_w ceramic tool materials were investigated. The results showed that the Vickers hardness and fracture toughness of the materials increased with the increasing of TiC content. The optimized flexural strength was obtained with TiC content of 4 vol% and particle size of 40 nm. The particle size has been found to have a great influence on flexural strength and small influence on hardness and fracture toughness. It was concluded that the flexural strength increased remarkably with the decreasing of the TiC particle size, which was resulted from the improved density and refined grain size of the composite material due to the dispersion of the smaller TiC particle size. SEM micrographs of fracture surface showed the whiskers to be mainly distributed along the direction perpendicular to the hot-pressing direction. The fracture toughness was improved by whisker crack bridging, crack deflection and whisker pullout; the TiC nanoparticles in Al₂O₃ grains caused transgranular fracture and crack deflection, which improved the flexural strength and fracture toughness with whiskers synergistically. Uniaxial hot-pressing of SiC whisker reinforced Al₂O₃ ceramic composites resulted in the anisotropy of whiskers’ distribution, which led to crack propagation differences between lateral crack and radical crack.     

Tribological behavior of ceramic materials (Si3N4, SiC and Al2O3) in aqueous medium

The friction and wear behavior of self-mated Si₃N₄, SiC and Al₂O₃ in water were investigated by varying the test conditions of applied load and sliding speed. It was found that, for self-mated Si₃N₄ and SiC ceramics, the tribochemical reaction resulted in surface smoothening with low friction coefficient at high load and high speed condition. Al₂O₃ shows high friction coefficient, but better wear rate (10⁻¹¹ mm²/N) than other ceramic materials.     

The influence of Y2O3-containing sintering additives on the oxidation of Si3N4-based ceramics and the interfacial interactions with liquid Al-alloys

Sintering additives containing Y₂O₃ influence the microstructure and the crystalline-state of Si₃N₄-ceramics produced via pressureless sintering, and determine their response towards oxidation. Y₂SiO₅ and Y₂Si₂O₇ were formed after sintering and oxidation, respectively. The superficial layers formed after oxidation are thinner and formed faster on the surface of the compositions 90Si₃N₄–5Y₂O₃–5Al₂O₃ and 90Si₃N₄–5Y₂O₃–5AlN than on 90Si₃N₄–5Y₂O₃–2.5Al₂O₃–2.5AlN (in wt.%). The 90Si₃N₄–5Y₂O₃–5Al₂O₃/liquid Al interface features strong interfacial adhesion while mild diffusion should govern the interfacial interactions. Compounds, whose formation results from the yttria-containing sintering aids, such as yttrium aluminates, should act as diffusion barriers at the ceramic/liquid metal interface. The experimental results indicate attractive features for applications in both Al-foundry industry and production of Si₃N₄–Al composites.     

Synthesis mechanism of AlN–SiC solid solution reinforced Al2O3 composite by two-step nitriding of Al–Si3N4–Al2O3 compact at 1500 °C

The in-situ controllable synthesis of AlN–SiC solid solution reinforcement in large-sized Al–Si₃N₄–Al₂O₃ composite refractory by two-steps nitriding sintering was examined. In the first step, a dynamic Al@AlN structure was constructed in the composite by pre-nitriding at 580 °C. During the subsequent sintering process, it cracked above ∼900 °C, and micronized Al cluster (mixture of droplets and vapor) was extracted out gradually. As a result, multiple AlN mesophases were formed through different reaction paths, including i) initial AlN shell formed by solid Al with N₂, ii) reaction of Al cluster with N₂, and iii) reaction of Al cluster with Si₃N₄ from 900 °C to 1500 °C. The Si₃N₄ precursor serves as both a solid nitrogen source and an active Si source, and the controllable reaction between Al and Si₃N₄ leading to uniformly distributed AlN and Si mesophases. AlN–SiC solid solution is significantly formed when liquid Si appears. The shell, granule and whisker SiC–AlN solid solution were observed mainly depending on the dynamic AlN mesophase. The SiC–AlN solid solution reinforced Al₂O₃ materials is a novel promising refractory for large-scale blast furnace lining.     

Fabrication of highly dense Si3N4 via record low-content additive system for low-temperature pressureless sintering

Dense Si₃N₄ ceramics were fabricated by pressureless sintering at a low temperature of 1650°C with a short holding period of 1 h under a nitrogen atmosphere. The role of ternary oxide additives (Y₂O₃–MgO–Al₂O₃, Y₂O₃–MgO–SiO₂, Y₂O₃–MgO–ZrO₂) on the phase, microstructure, and mechanical properties of Si₃N₄ was examined. Only 5 wt.% of Y₂O₃–MgO–Al₂O₃ additive was sufficient to achieve >98% of theoretical density with remarkably high biaxial strength (∼1200 MPa) and prominent hardness (∼15.5 GPa). Among the three additives used, Y₂O₃–MgO–Al₂O₃ displayed the finest grain diameter (0.54 μm), whereas Y₂O₃–MgO–ZrO₂ produced the largest average grain diameter (∼0.95 μm); the influence was seen on their mechanical properties. The low additive content Si₃N₄ system is expected to have superior high-temperature properties compared to the system with high additive content. This study shows a cost-effective fabrication of highly dense Si₃N₄ with excellent mechanical properties.     

Low temperature sintering of Si3N4 ceramics by spark plasma sintering technique

Abstract

Abstract

Low temperature sintering of α‐Si₃N₄ matrix ceramics was developed in the present study using 4?wt‐%MgO together with Al₂O₃ or AlPO₄ as the sintering additives and spark plasma sintering technique. The results suggested that α‐Si₃N₄ ceramics could be densified at low sintering temperature by adjusting both the sintering temperature and sintering additive content. For low temperature sintered α‐Si₃N₄ ceramics, using MgO and Al₂O₃ as the sintering additives, the densification is not complete at a temperature lower than 1600°C, and the mechanical strength is <200?MPa. When MgO and AlPO₄ were used as the sintering additives, the increase in AlPO₄ content not only declines the sintering temperature but also promotes the mechanical property of the sintered Si₃N₄ ceramics. It was the AlPO₄ phosphate binder that played a significant role in low temperature sintering of Si₃N₄ ceramics.     

The effect of BaTiO3 addition on the dielectric constant of Si3N4 ceramics

Si₃N₄ ceramics with different BaTiO₃ contents have been fabricated by pressureless sintering in a N₂ atmosphere at 1680°C for 2 h. Al₂O₃ and Nd₂O₃ were used as sintering additives to promote the densification of Si₃N₄ ceramics. The effect of BaTiO₃ addition on the densification, mechanical properties, phase compositions, microstructure, and dielectric properties of Si₃N₄ ceramics was investigated. The relative density and flexural strength of Si₃N₄ ceramics increased with the addition of BaTiO₃ up to 15 wt% and then decreased, while the dielectric constant increased continuously as the BaTiO₃ contents increased. The dielectric constant of Si₃N₄ ceramics can be tailored in the range from 8.42 to 12.96 by the addition of 5 wt%‐20 wt% BaTiO₃. Meanwhile, these Si₃N₄ ceramics all had flexural strength higher than 500 MPa.     

In situ Incorporation of Sintering Additives in Si3N4 Powder by a Combustion Process

A novel approach for in-situ incorporation of Al₂O₃ and Y₂O₃ additives into Si₃N₄ powder by a combustion technique is described. A suspension is made by mixing an alcoholic solution of Al/Y nitrates and citric acid with Si₃N₄ powder. The suspension forms a gray precipitate upon heating at 60°C. This precipitate undergoes a combustion reaction upon heating at 200°C and produces an amorphous phase of Al₅Y₃O₁₂ (YAG) on the Si₃N₄ powder. The amorphous YAG phase shows a homogeneous distribution on the Si₃N₄ powder. Pellets of the composite powder are fabricated by cold isostatic pressing and sintered at 1750°C for 2 h at 5 bar of nitrogen pressure. The microstructure of the sintered body prepared by this method reveals a high density, the fracture toughness (K_1C) is increased by 13·4%, compared to that of a sintered Si₃N₄ body formed with identical amounts of alumina and yttria additives prepared by planetary milling.     

Effect of Si3N4 mesophase on the formation of Al2OC-AlNss in resin-bonded Al–Al2O3 composites

In this study, we developed a novel method for synthesising Al₂OC-AlNss using a solid nitrogen source: a Si₃N₄ mesophase. The two-step sintered Al–Al₂O₃ and Si₃N₄–Al–Al₂O₃ samples were prepared under an atmosphere of nitrogen to investigate the effect of Si₃N₄ on the formation of Al₂OC-AlNss in resin-bonded Al–Al₂O₃ composites. The samples were investigated via XRD and SEM. The results indicated that the synthesis of Al₂OC-AlNss with different morphologies was achieved via the Si₃N₄ mesophase, and its morphology was influenced by the source of AlN. Both Al₂OC-AlNss and Al₄O₄C were formed in the two-step sintered Al–Al₂O₃ sample, whereas only Al₂OC-AlNss was formed in the two-step sintered Si₃N₄–Al–Al₂O₃ sample. Induced by the AlN formed by the nitridation of Al, needle-like Al₂OC-AlNss was generated. Compared to that formed by the nitridation of Al, more AlN nuclei were provided by the reaction between Si₃N₄ and Al. Subsequently, columnar and granular Al₂OC-AlNss were formed. Furthermore, fibre-like Al₂OC-AlNss was also generated via the VS and VLS mechanism. The reaction model was established in this study.     

The effect of whisker orientation in SiC whisker-reinforced Si3N4 ceramic matrix composites

Si₃N₄ ceramic matrix composites reinforced by nearly unidirectionally aligned SiC whiskers have been prepared by extrusion and hot pressing. Unlike the case in traditional Si₃N₄ ceramic matrix composites reinforced by random SiC whiskers, the mechanical properties of the composites exhibit a significant dependence on whisker orientation. In the direction of whisker alignment for SiC(w)/Si₃N₄ composites, increments in bending strength and fracture toughness of 200 MPa and 3 MPa·m^1/2 are obtained respectively, compared to the values in the direction perpendicular to whisker alignment. Based on microscopic fractographic observation and micromechanics analyses, the effects of whisker orientation on toughening mechanisms are discussed. The results indicate that the whisker orientation, θ, is a decisive factor for the essential toughening mechanisms of whiskers. Only in the case of small θ and weak interface can whisker pullout occur, and whisker has maximum toughening effect. The results show that effects of whisker strengthening and toughening can be improved simultaneously through whisker oriented alignment. ©     

Sintering behavior and morphology control of porous Al2O3-SiO2 ceramics for radome applications

Ceramics from porous Si₃N₄ and its derivatives SiAlON and Si₂N₂O were once considered the most promising high-temperature wave-transmitting materials. However, their large-scale application in the field of radomes is greatly restricted due to their poor oxidation resistance, high preparation costs, and expensive raw materials. Therefore, the development of low-cost porous oxide ceramics remains of significant interest to the field of high-temperature wave transmission. Surprisingly, mullite ceramics, which are representative of the Al₂O₃-SiO₂-system of ceramics, are ultra-low-cost materials with the potential to replace ceramics from Si₃N₄ and its derivatives. In this paper, integrated porous Al₂O₃-SiO₂-system ceramics were successfully prepared for load-bearing/wave-transmitting applications, using inexpensive calcined kaolin and alumina powder as the main raw materials. Calcined kaolin can provide seeds for the growth and development of mullite crystals in the ceramic system. High-strength and high-porosity ceramics were obtained with the mullite morphology controlled through the molar ratio of Al₂O₃ to SiO₂ and the resulting content of mullite seeds. With increasing of mullite seed content, the length and radial width of mullite whiskers with “interlocking structure” gradually change from rod-shaped “long and thick” to needle-like “short and thin.” The prepared porous Al₂O₃-SiO₂ ceramics have high flexural strength, fracture toughness, and good dielectric properties.     

Evolution of microstructure and properties of Si3N4 whisker reinforced composites during densification by polymer infiltration and pyrolysis

Si₃N₄ whisker (Si₃N_4w) reinforced composites were prepared by a near-net shaping process, i.e., gel-casting of the Si₃N_4w preform followed by polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) densification using polysilazane as precursor. The densification process by PIP was described mathematically, after which several key parameters affecting densification efficiency were discussed. The small pore size (0.04 ～ 1 μm) of Si₃N_4w preform can cause filtration effect (low permeability of precursor with a molecular size bigger than pore size), which resulted in the density gradient of the composites. Porosity (P) dependence of flexural strength and elastic modulus of Si₃N_4w/Si₃N₄ followed a power law of (1 – P). With increasing density, the response of Si₃N_4w when confronting cracks transformed from whisker debonding to whisker fracture, which was supposed to be due to the increase of whisker/matrix interface strength. The Si₃N_4w/Si₃N₄ developed by us achieved a good balance between high strength and low dielectric constant, making it promising for high-temperature wave-transparent application.     

Densification and Thermal Stability of Hot‐Pressed Si3N4–ZrB2 Ceramics

Densification and thermal stability of hot‐pressed Si₃N₄–ZrB₂ ceramics with and without additives were investigated in N₂ atmosphere. The addition of MgO–Yb₂O₃, MgO–Y₂O₃, and Al₂O₃–Yb₂O₃ resulted in significant increase in relative density of the ceramics hot‐pressed at 1500°C from 48.5% to 98.0%, 97.3%, and 95.6%, respectively. There was weak reaction of ZrB₂ with N₂ to form ZrN in hot‐pressed ceramics. Then heat treatment at 1550°C resulted in the further reactions to produce ZrN, ZrSi₂, and BN. The Si₃N₄–ZrB₂ ceramics with MgO–Yb₂O₃ showed much better thermal stability as compared to the ceramics with Al₂O₃–Yb₂O₃. The small difference in density led to the obvious difference in thermal stability. Therefore, Si₃N₄–ZrB₂ ceramics should be densified to full density, to obtain high thermal stability.