Direct ink writing additive manufacturing of porous alumina-based ceramic cores modified with nanosized MgO

Alumina-based ceramic cores, widely applied to cast alloy, have been restricted by the increased complexity of castings, the resultant complex equipment and cost. In this research, to address the aforesaid disadvantages, direct ink writing, a green additive manufacturing method, is utilized to directly fabricate a new kind of nanosized MgO strengthened alumina-based ceramic cores. Slurries with various compositions exhibits ideal shear-thinning behaviors, owing to the hydrogen bond formed between polyvinylpyrrolidone and kaolin molecules. We notice that introducing nanosized MgO reduces drying shrinkage of green specimens and greatly promotes liquid-phase sintering, leading to rather more densified samples. Overall, it is anticipated that the current approach is effective in rapidly manufacturing alumina-based ceramics and some other ceramics with high strength, low shrinkage and high quality.     

Micromachining porous alumina ceramic for high quality trimming of turbine blade cores via double femtosecond laser scanning

Turbine blade cores are made of porous alumina ceramic and determine the molding accuracy of the cavity of turbine blades, which strongly affect thermal diffusion performance and service life of turbine engines. To get a high quality ceramic core, accurate trimming for a preliminarily processed core is needed and therefore, micromachining porous alumina ceramic, which differs from general alumina substrates, is crucial. This paper dealt with a processing technology for the special material via double femtosecond laser scanning. The materials ablation threshold was firstly determined through parameter fitting and then this material was machined at a combination of different laser processing parameters. Considering the produced debris blocks the lasers further propagation into the material, double femtosecond laser scanning was newly proposed and experimentally verified with the comparison of gas jet assist and underwater laser processing ways. The removal profiles of the machined material were characterized in terms of cutting width, cutting depth, deviation of linearity and surface morphology, which exhibited high dependence on the femtosecond laser processing parameters. The optimal laser operating window was identified and high quality laser cutting of the porous alumina ceramic was demonstrated. The developed processing technology has potential application in trimming for ceramic casting cores. In addition, it might also give a novel view for high quality laser micromachining another materials.     

Influence of powder particle size on microstructure and performance of calcium oxide based ceramic core

A calcium oxide (CaO) based ceramic core used for titanium alloy casting was prepared by injection moulding technology. Through quantitative characterisation and statistical analysis of the microstructure, the influence of powder particle size on the microstructure and properties of the ceramic core was investigated. The results show that, by increasing powder particle size, the size of pores and porosities after sintering were increased with decreased of grain boundary density. Meanwhile, the flexural strength of ceramic core at room temperature was found to decrease with increasing core porosity, and the creep resistance of ceramic core increased with decreasing grain boundary density. The increase in powder particle size of ceramic core is beneficial to reduce linear shrinkage and improve high temperature creep resistance.     

Preparation,mechanical, and leaching properties of CaZrO3 ceramic cores

The CaZrO₃ ceramic core materials with excellent mechanical and chemical properties were successfully prepared using single-phase CaZrO₃ powders. Effects of particle size ratio and sintering temperature on the mechanical and chemical properties of CaZrO₃ ceramic core materials were researched. The chemical property was analyzed by leaching research of core materials in 10 wt% and 20 wt% HNO₃ solution at the boiling point. Results showed that the suitable particle size ratio was important for the preparation of CaZrO₃ ceramic core materials with excellent comprehensive properties. The addition of fine particles in ceramic core materials promoted the densification process owing to the framework formed by coarser particles and sintering neck formed by fine particles between coarse particles, which was beneficial for further improving their bending strength. When the content of particles with 200 mesh size was 80wt%, the highest bending strength was obtained, 54.38 ± 5.28 MPa. The porosity was 17.45% and the volume density was 3.86 g/cm³. The increasing sintering temperature increased the densification of CaZrO₃ ceramic core materials by offering the sintering driving force, further leading to the improvement of bending strength. When the temperature was 1650℃, at the 20% content of particles with 200 mesh size, the highest bending strength of CaZrO₃ cores reached 51.01 ± 5.18 MPa. Meanwhile, the porosity was 18.65% and the volume density was 3.83 g/cm³. Additionally, the CaZrO₃ samples could be effectively leached in 10 wt% HNO₃ solution. Therefore, CaZrO₃ materials with good mechanical and leaching properties were believed to be a suitable candidate for ceramic core materials in the investment casting of alloys with high melting point.     

Low-temperature sintering of porous silicon carbide ceramic support with SDBS as sintering aid

The sintering temperature of porous silicon carbide ceramic support (PSCS) is typically higher than 1500 °C. In this paper, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) was used as a sintering additive to fabricate PSCS with high gas permeance and high bending strength at a sintering temperature less than 1200 °C. The PSCS was prepared by the dry pressing method followed by in-situ reaction. The effects of SDBS loading on the porosity, bending strength, gas permeation performance, and microstructure of the PSCS were investigated. The results showed that without SDBS, the required sintering temperature was as high as 1550 °C and resulted in a bending strength of 6.5 MPa but the sintering temperature decreased to 1150 °C with 8% SDBS and the bending strength increased to 16 MPa. The main reason was that SDBS decomposed into Na₂O which reacted with SiO₂ and ZrO₂ to form strong bonding connections. The prepared PSCS with SDBS also showed good gas permeance of 900 m³/(m² h kPa), higher than the 750 m³/(m²·h·kPa) without SDBS. This work describes the effective use of SDBS as a ceramic additive to reduce sintering temperature, while achieving high gas permeation and bending strength. The use of the low cost and commercially available SDBS produces an excellent ceramic filter with much lower energy consumption, and could also be implemented in other ceramic systems.     

多孔陶瓷粒子电极电催化氧化降解2-氨基吡啶

采用以CuO-ZnO/多孔陶瓷粒子电极构建的三维电催化氧化反应器降解2-氨基吡啶,考察了初始pH值、槽电压、电解质投加量和曝气流速对降解效果的影响和反应的电流效率,并通过检测2-氨基吡啶降解过程中几种含氮产物,分析了2-氨基吡啶的降解过程。结果表明：酸性条件和碱性条件比中性条件更有利于2-氨基吡啶的降解,在初始pH值为8.4、槽电压为15 V、支持电解质用量为30 g/L、曝气流速为40 L/h的条件下,处理150 min,2-氨基吡啶和COD的去除率可分别达到83.98%和74.44%,粒子电极可以显著提高电流效率。2-氨基吡啶降解过程分析表明：在电催化条件下,N2和NO3?-N是2-氨基吡啶主要含氮矿化产物,且2-氨基吡啶的开环转化和矿化可以同步进行。     

Anisotropy management on microstructure and mechanical property in 3D printing of silica-based ceramic cores

Ceramic core is an essential component in the precise casting of hollow turbine blades, and the investigation on 3D printing of silica-based ceramic cores is crucial to the development of aviation industry; however, they are suffered from difficulty in high-temperature strength and structural anisotropy. In present work, silica-based ceramic cores were prepared via DLP stereolithography 3D printing, and the anisotropy management on microstructures and properties were explored based on the particle size of fused silica powders. In 3D printed ceramic cores with coarse powders, significant anisotropy was displayed exhibiting multilayer structure with large gaps in horizontal printing and uniform porous microstructure in the vertical direction, which was further explained by the particle deposition in printing. With finer silica powders, the uniformity in the microstructures was highly improved, attributed to the enhanced particle dispersion in ceramic slurries and promoted interlayer particle rearrangement during sintering. To evaluate the anisotropy in mechanical property, the ratio of vertical strength to horizontal strength (σ_V/σ_H) was proposed, which rose from 0.48 to 0.86 as the particle size decreased from 35 µm to 5 µm, suggesting enhanced mechanical uniformity. While the average particle size of silica powders was 5 µm, the flexure strengths of ceramic cores in different directions were up to 18.5 MPa and 16.3 MPa at 1540 °C with σ_V/σ_H ratio of 0.88, which well satisfied the demands for the casting of turbine blades. This work inspires new guidance on the anisotropy management in ceramic cores prepared by 3D printing, and provides new technology for fabrication of silica-based ceramic cores with superior high temperature mechanical properties.     

Reinforcement of silica-based ceramic cores based on amorphous and polycrystalline mullite fibers

In the investment casting of turbine blades, ceramic cores are key components to form complex hollow structures. Superior mechanical property and leaching rate are demanded for ceramic cores. Herein, ceramic cores were fabricated using fused silica powders as the matrix, and amorphous and polycrystalline mullite fibers as the reinforcement phases, respectively. The microstructure and property evolution of ceramic cores rely on the crystallization degree of mullite fibers are explored. Both of the mullite fibers lead to improved crystallization of cristobalite, reduced sintering shrinkage, increased apparent porosity, and benefited bending strength, creep resistance, and leaching rate of the cores. Compared to the polycrystalline mullite fibers, the amorphous fibers are metastable with large quantities of structural defects, promoting the diffusion mass transfer and forming strong interface between fibers and matrix. Therefore, the amorphous fibers have larger promotion on the bending strength and resistance to creep deformation of ceramic cores. Moreover, the structural defects of amorphous fibers ensures the high chemical activity in alkaline solutions and exhibits excellent leaching rate. The ceramic core with 4.5 wt% of amorphous mullite fibers exhibits excellent comprehensive performance with bending strengths of 28.9 MPa and 23.8 MPa at room temperature and 1550 °C, creep deformation of 0.3 mm, and leaching rate of 1.4 g/min, well meeting the casting requirements of hollow blades.     

Effects of micro-sized mullite on cristobalite crystallization and properties of silica-based ceramic cores

Silica-based ceramic cores are extensively used in investment casting process, during which they must exhibit sufficient flexural strength and deformation resistance. In this study, micro-sized mullite was used as an additive to silica-based ceramic cores to optimize their high temperature properties. To investigate the effects of micro-sized mullite on cristobalite crystallization, mechanical and thermal properties of silica-based ceramic cores, ceramic cores with different amounts of micro-sized mullite were fabricated. The XRD results showed that additional micro-sized mullite diminished the crystallization of cristobalite at high temperatures, primarily caused by the mullite related compressive stresses on the surface regions of fused silica particles. Three-point bending tests and SEM results showed that micro-sized mullite had a more significant effect on the flexural strength of ceramic cores compared with conventional additives. Particularly, the fracture mechanism of silica-based ceramic cores had been changed from intergranular fracture into a mixed fracture consisting of both intergranular and transgranular fracture. The mechanical and thermal properties of ceramic cores were all reduced slightly as the mullite content exceed 4.6 wt%. Hence, to optimize the properties of silica-based ceramic cores, the micro-sized mullite content should not exceed 4.6 wt%.     

Investigation of microstructure and properties in short carbon fiber reinforced silica-based ceramic cores via atmosphere sintering

Short carbon fiber (C_sf) reinforced silica-based ceramic cores for investment casting were prepared by an injection molding approach and sintered in air and N₂ atmospheres, respectively. SEM and XRD results present that there are some in-situ formed silicon carbides (SiC) in sintered samples. Moreover, as for the ceramic cores sintered in N₂ atmosphere, the peaks in XRD patterns related to the cristobalite increase with an increment in C_sf content, which may be attributed to the adhesion interface provided by the C_sf and the decreased crystallization free energy. Interestingly, the sample sintered in N₂ exhibits a higher flexural strength about 16.2 MPa, which is 155 % times than that of the samples sintered in air. This is originated from an obvious composite coating consisting of fused silica, SiC and cristobalite on the C_sf. In addition, the sintering necks can further enhance the interfacial bonding strength between the fibers and ceramic cores matrix.     

Effect of zirconia content and particle size on the properties of 3D-printed alumina-based ceramic cores

Alumina-based ceramic cores are used to manufacture the internal structures of hollow alloy blades, requiring both high precision and moderate properties. In this work, zirconia is regarded as a promoter to improve the mechanical properties of sintered ceramic. The effect of zirconia content and particle size on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ceramics was evaluated. The results indicate that the flexural strength of sintered ceramics reached the maximum of 14.5 ± 0.5 MPa when 20 wt% micron-sized (10 μm) zirconia (agglomerate size, consistent with the alumina particle size) was added, and 26.5±2.5 MPa when 15 wt% 0.3 μm zirconia was added. Zirconia with submicron-sized (0.3 μm) particles effectively filled the pores between alumina particles, thus leading to the maximum flexural strength with a relatively low content. The corresponding sintered ceramics had a bulk density of 2.0 g/cm³ and open porosity of 59.6%.     

Fracture mechanics analysis of delamination buckling of a porous ceramic foam coating from elastic substrates

Ceramic foams are ideal materials for thermal protection systems such as those used as a thermal shield on the space shuttle. The working temperature difference between the outer and inner surfaces of the ceramic foam is extremely high. Under this adverse condition, the ceramic foam coating could buckle from its underneath structures. Therefore, the general problem of damage due to buckling delamination of a ceramic coating on an elastic substrate is investigated in this paper. The delamination buckling amplitude and the stress intensity factor at the tip of buckling region are derived in closed form in terms of the porosity of the ceramic foam. Based on the maximum amplitude and the critical stress intensity factor criteria, critical temperatures of coating buckling from the substrate are established. A fitting formula of maximum buckling amplitude as a function of outer surface temperature is given. It is found that higher porosity and length-to-thickness ratio of the coating will result in a smaller stress intensity factor. However, it seems that the buckling amplitude is independent of the porosity of ceramic foams.     

Influence of silicon carbide as a mineralizer on mechanical and thermal properties of silica-based ceramic cores

Ceramic cores have been designed with compounds based on fused silica due to its excellent thermal stability and chemical inertness against molten metals. To endure the high temperatures present during investment casting, mineralizers have been widely used to enhance the flexural strength and shrinkage of ceramic cores. In this study, we demonstrated a silica-based ceramic core with silicon carbide as a mineralizer for improving the mechanical and thermal properties. The SiC in the silica-based ceramic cores can enhance the mechanical properties (i.e., flexural strength and linear shrinkage) by playing a role as a seed for the crystallization of fused silica to cristobalite. The SiC also improves the thermal conductivity due to its higher value compared with fused silica. The results suggest that using the optimal amount of silicon carbide in silica-based ceramic cores can provide excellent mechanical properties of flexural strength and linear shrinkage and improved thermal conductivity.     

Single-source-precursor synthesis,microstructure and high temperature behavior of TiC-TiB2-SiC ceramic nanocomposites

Newly developed TiC-TiB₂-SiC ceramic nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by a novel single-source-precursor approach, with allylhydridopolycarbosilane (AHPCS), bis(cyclopentadienyl) titanium dichloride (Cp₂TiCl₂) and triethylamine borane (TEAB) as starting materials. The obtained single-source-precursor was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), which confirms that hydroboration (C=C/B-H) and dehydrochlorication (Si-H/Cp₂TiCl₂) reactions were involved to introduce B and Ti elements into the AHPCS chains. The structural evolution of single-source-precursors, phase composition and chemical composition of the obtained ceramics were investigated by FT-IR, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and elemental analysis. High temperature behavior of the resultant TiC-TiB₂-SiC ceramic nanocomposites with respect to decomposition as well as crystallization was carefully checked by XRD and mass loss after annealing at high temperatures of 1600 and 1800 °C. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to further observe the microstructure of TiC-TiB₂-SiC nanocomposites, which again confirms the crystalline phases consist of nanoscaled β-SiC, TiC and TiB₂.     

Improved mechanical properties of SiB6 reinforced silica-based ceramic cores fabricated by 3D stereolithography printing

Silica-based ceramic core is an extremely critical component in the manufacture of hollow blades during investment casting. However, the traditional preparation methods rely more on the molds, and the manufacturing costs are relatively high. In this study, silica-based ceramics with silicon hexaboride (SiB₆) addition were prepared via 3D stereolithography printing. And the effects of the SiB₆ content on mechanical properties of the obtained ceramic samples were explored. As the SiB₆ content increased to 2.0 wt%, the linear shrinkage gradually decreased, while the room temperature and high temperature flexural strength were enhanced at the SiB₆ content from 0 to 1.0 wt% and reduced as the SiB₆ content further rose. As the SiB₆ content increased to 1.0 wt%, the linear shrinkage was reduced to 1.86% resulting from the oxidation reaction of SiB₆. Furthermore, with 1.0 wt% SiB₆ addition, the flexural strength of the samples at room temperature was enhanced from 6.75 MPa to 14.63 MPa due to the sintering promotion of oxidation product B₂O₃, and the flexural strength at 1550 °C was improved from 7.68 MPa to 13.08 MPa because of the enhanced β-cristobalite content, which is suitable for high temperature casting of ceramic cores. Therefore, it demonstrates the capability of fabricating SiB₆ reinforced silica-based ceramic cores with high performance via stereolithography.     

活性污泥对管式多孔α-Al_2O_3陶瓷膜支撑体性能影响的初步研究

以剩余活性污泥作为支撑体的成孔剂,采用滚压成型及熔膜芯法制备管状多孔α-Al2O3陶瓷膜支撑体,研究了粘结剂羧甲基纤维素（CMC）和活性污泥的加入量对氧化铝陶瓷膜支撑体品质的影响。结果表明,随着成孔剂和粘结剂的增多,支撑体孔隙率和渗透通量呈增大趋势,孔隙率最大可达43.07%,纯水通量在0.4~1.0 MPa压力下变化范围为12 786.67~37 617.84 L/（m2·h·MPa）。     

Effects of particle size on microstructure and mechanical strength of a fly ash based ceramic membrane

Recycling fly ash for ceramic membrane fabrication not only reduces solid waste discharge, but also decreases the membrane cost. Now, fly ash is becoming a promising substitute material for ceramic membrane preparation. A significant difference between fly ashes from different plants is the particle size, which makes performances of fly ash membranes unpredictable. The novelty of this work is to clarify the effects of the particle size of fly ash on ceramic membranes, thereby giving practical suggestions on fly ash selection for ceramic membrane preparation. Ceramic membranes were fabricated with different sizes of fly ashes. Effects of particle size on porosity, pore size, microstructure, mechanical strength and gas permeability of the membrane were investigated. Results indicate that a broader particle size distribution of fly ash leads to a denser structure of membrane with a lower porosity. Pore size and gas permeability of membrane increase while bending strength decreases with the particle size increasing. Bending strength of a fly ash membrane is largely determined by large particles in the fly ash because the large particles lead to cracks in the membrane. This work provides experimental bases for developing high performance ceramic membranes from fly ash.     

Surface microstructure evolution of Cf/SiC ceramic matrix composite microgrooves processed by ultrafast laser

Modern aviation components have higher requirements for high temperature resistance, high strength and lightweight materials, and ceramic matrix composites have superior overall performance. However, its high brittleness and anisotropy lead to a challenge for manufacturing. In order to understand the formation conditions and the evolution of surface microstructures of the C_f/SiC microgrooves processed by ultrafast laser comprehensively, we designed a single-factor experiment and performed sensitivity analysis. The experiment results showed that the pulse energy had great effects on the depth of the microgroove, and the intense ablation caused more active oxidation of SiC to occur, generating more SiO(g). However, too much pulse energy may cause the material removal mechanism to be more due to the photothermal effect rather than the plasma effect. Low repetition frequency caused a large number of laminated connections in the microgroove and the oxide gradually changed from lumpy to flocculent as the repetition frequency increased. The more scanning times, the more ablation products sputtered onto the sample surface, including unablated carbon fibers. Shallow depth and ablation residues remained in the microgroove occurred under few scanning times. Although too fast scanning speed leaded to a rapid decrease in the microgroove depth, too slow scanning speed also generated more unablated carbon fibers sputtering out of the microgrooves. The microgroove depth had the highest sensitivity to the repetition frequency, followed by the pulse energy and scanning speed. The pulse energy and scanning speed had a greater effect on the oxide layer height, the repetition frequency affected the oxide layer width, and the scanning speed affected the microgroove width significantly. According to the processing requirements and the hot spot map, the processing parameters that can be adjusted effectively will be able to be obtained.     

Enhanced thermal properties of silica-based ceramic cores prepared by coating alumina/mullite on the surface of fused silica powders

In this study, an alumina/mullite coating was synthesized on the surface of fused silica powders to form an alumina/mullite-silica core-shell structure. The effects of the alumina/mullite coating on the cristobalite crystallization, thermal properties, and leachability of the silica-based ceramic cores were investigated using the simulated casting process. The X-ray diffraction results indicated that the crystallization of cristobalite was significant at the simulated casting temperature of approximately 1400 °C. An increase in the cristobalite content during this stage resulted in a large thermal expansion because of its higher coefficient of thermal expansion compared with that for fused silica. The addition of optimum amounts of the alumina/mullite powders resulted in an increase in the initial shrinkage temperature and a decrease in the shrinkage of the specimens. When the coating powders were added at 43 wt%, the initial shrinkage temperature increased from 1092 °C to 1200 °C and the shrinkage decreased sharply. Leaching tests showed that the silica-based ceramic cores were removed in the form of stripped layers. The washing and shaking process accelerated the disintegration of the ceramic core and improved its leachability.     

Thermal shock resistance of the porous boron nitride/silicon oxynitride ceramic composites

The thermal shock resistance of the porous boron nitride/silicon oxynitride (BN/Si₂N₂O) ceramic composites were tested by the quenching‐strength method with temperature differences of 600‐1400°C. The residual flexural strength of the composites decreased with increasing temperature difference from 600°C to 900°C. This weakening in flexural strength was attributed to the formation of microcracks in the matrix caused by thermal stress damage. Afterward, as the formation of a dense oxidized layer sealed the surface and hindered further oxidation, the residual flexural strength increased with the further increase of temperature difference from 900°C to 1100°C. Finally, when the temperature differences were above 1100°C, the residual flexural strength gradually decreased with increasing temperature difference, which was attributed to the further oxidation and large thermal stress damage. And the thermal shock resistance of the porous BN/Si₂N₂O ceramic can be improved by the introduction of high contents of sintering aids and h‐BN.