Influence of bonding phases on properties of in-situ bonded porous SiC membrane supports

Porous SiC ceramic membrane supports are widely employed in a wide variety of high-temperature applications, such as hot flue gas filtration, porous burners and molten metal filters. Herein, SiC supports, with a porosity of ~37%, were prepared by using low-temperature bonding techniques and the influence of different bonding phases, such as mullite, cordierite and glass, on ambient-temperature flexural strength, hot modulus of rupture (HMOR), thermal shock resistance and oxidation resistance were systematically investigated. The results reveal that the glass-bonded SiC (GBSC) support exhibited the highest ambient-temperature flexural strength of 33.6 MPa, whereas the flexural strength of mullite-bonded SiC (MBSC) and cordierite-bonded SiC (CBSC) supports ranged from 22 to 25 MPa. However, the presence of glass phase deteriorated the high-temperature properties of the support. MBSC support rendered superior mechanical strength at high temperature and self-strengthening in a certain temperature range, such as HMOR improved 47.5% at 900 °C, but HMOR of glass-bonded support was only 57.4% of the ambient-temperature strength. Moreover, MBSC and CBSC supports exhibited better thermal shock resistance than GBSC supports and the critical temperature difference of water quenching for MBSC supports was ~200 °C higher than GBSC supports. In addition, MBSC support rendered superior oxidation resistance and exhibited a weight gain rate of ~0.1% at 1150 °C for 24 h, which is 54.4% and 42.2% lower than CBSC and GBSC supports, respectively.     

Stronger and tougher nanosized dense ceria-doped tetragonal zirconia polycrystals by sinter-HIP

Ceria-doped tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Ce-TZP) ceramics possess significant toughness and aging resistance, while their strength is relatively limited due to the high tendency of grain growth, which has long hindered their versatile applications. This work demonstrates an effective method to combine stereolithography with pre-sintering and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) to obtain dense Ce-TZP ceramics with a reduced grain size of about 420 nm. In addition to the contribution of smaller grains, the Ce-rich phase Ce_0.75Zr_0.25O₂ precipitates at the grain boundaries during HIP hinders grain growth and strengthens the grain boundaries, together leads to a transgranular-dominant fracture mode. As a result, the achieved Ce-TZP ceramic simultaneously reaches a high flexural strength of 770.90 ± 76.06 MPa and an excellent fracture toughness of 11.96 ± 1.31 MPa·m^1/2, which are 48% and 29% higher, respectively, compared to the pressureless-sintered samples. This method is expected to enable broader applications of pure Ce-TZP ceramics and to be further extended for designing and manufacturing densified and fine-grained components with complex structures.     

Influence of Processing Conditions on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Sintered Yttrium Oxides

High-purity (99.9%) yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃) powder has been consolidated, either by vacuum sintering (VS) or by hot isostatic pressing (HIP). As the dense polycrystalline ceramics contained point defects, mainly oxygen vacancies, oxidation treatment was applied at 1500°C for 2 h. The two materials were compared with respect to mechanical, elastic, and thermal properties, and this work demonstrated that the HIPed oxide had the best performance. The beneficial effect of the HIP technique was mainly due to the achievement of a slightly higher densiflcation at a much lower applied temperature. This technique prevented any grain coarsening and allowed us to obtain a more homogeneous structure. Consequently, improvements in microhardness, flexural strength, and thermal shock parameters were significant. Nevertheless, the elastic parameters and the toughness values of the two grades were very close to each other.     

膨胀珍珠岩对镁钙质陶瓷热震稳定性的影响

以煅烧白云石、工业氧化镁为主要原料,通过添加膨胀珍珠岩制备镁钙质陶瓷试样;探讨膨胀珍珠岩含量对试样显气孔率、体积密度、抗热冲击性能及热冲击对试样抗折强度的影响。试验结果表明：添加适量的膨胀珍珠岩能有效地提高镁钙质陶瓷的抗热冲击性能。     

Physical and mechanical properties of hexagonal boron nitride ceramic fabricated by pressureless sintering without additive

Hexagonal boron nitride hBN ceramic was successfully fabricated by pressureless sintering at 2100C using submicrometre hBN powders without any sintering additive. The as-prepared hBN ceramic showed a room temperature flexural strength of 30.7MPa. Its flexural strength increased with the increment of temperature in N₂ atmosphere, and it retained a strength of 57.2MPa nearly two times of the room temperature strength at 1600C due to clean grain boundaries with no glassy phase. Additionally, the as-prepared hBN ceramic showed a high thermal conductivity of 31.76Wm¹k¹ and a good thermal shock resistance, which retained a relatively high residual flexural strength of 22.6MPa 73.5 of the original flexural strength at T800C. The as-prepared hBN ceramic presents a good application prospect at high temperature.     

The thermal shock behaviour of ductile particle toughened alumina composites

Over recent years, it has been established that the incorporation of metallic particles into a ceramic matrix can lead to enhanced fracture properties. Relatively few attempts, however, have been made to establish whether or not the improved fracture toughness typically observed in such composite systems can offer improved performance in demanding environments. The current study is concerned with the thermal shock behaviour of a ceramic matrix composite consisting of an alumina matrix containing 20 vol% of discrete iron particles. The composite material has been produced by both hot pressing and conventional sintering techniques. The hot pressed composite shows a greater resistance to thermal shock than the monolithic matrix, both in terms of the critical temperature differential and retained strength, whereas the sintered material has been found to behave as a typical low strength refractory ceramic. The calculation of thermal shock resistance parameters for the composites and the monolith has indicated possible explanations for the differences in thermal shock behaviour.     

Mechanical Properties, Thermal Shock Resistance, and Thermal Stability of Zirconia-Toughened Alumina-10 vol% Silicon Carbide Whisker Ceramic Matrix Composite

Zirconia-toughened alumina (Al₂O₃–15 vol% Y-PSZ (3 mol% Y₂O₃)) reinforced with 10 vol% silicon carbide whiskers (ZTA-10SiC _w ) ceramic matrix composite has been characterized with respect to its room-temperature mechanical properties, thermal shock resistance, and thermal stability at temperatures above 1073 K. The current ceramic composite has a flexural strength of ∽550 to 610 MPa and a fracture toughness, K _IC , of ∽5.6 to 5.9 MPa·m^1/2 at room temperature. Increases in surface fracture toughness, ∽30%, of thermally shocked samples were observed because of thermal-stress-induced tetragonal-to-monoclinic phase transformation of tetragonal ZrO₂ grains dispersed in the matrix. The residual flexural strength of ZTA–10 SiC _w ceramic composite, after single thermal shock quenches from 1373–1573 to 373 K, was ∽10% higher than that of the unshocked material. The composite retained ∽80% of its original flexural strength after 10 thermal shock quenches from 1373–1573 to 373K. Surface degradation was observed after thermal shock and isothermal heat treatments as a result of SiC whisker oxidation and surface blistering and swelling due to the release of CO gas bubbles. The oxidation rate of SiC whiskers in ZTA-10SiC _w composite was found to increase with temperature, with calculated rates of ∽8.3×10⁻⁸ and ∽3.3×10⁻⁷ kg/(m²·s) at 1373 and 1573 K, respectively. It is concluded that this ZTA-10SiC _w composite is not suitable for high-temperature applications above 1300 K in oxidizing atmosphere because of severe surface degradation.     

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.     

红柱石基刚玉-莫来石复相陶瓷的显微结构及性能

以红柱石颗粒为主要骨料,辅以莫来石颗粒和刚玉颗粒,硅微粉、铝微粉为基质料,经混合、困料及成型后,经不同温度下烧成4h,制得莫来石基刚玉-莫来石复相陶瓷,分析了烧成温度对复相陶瓷的物相组成、显微结构、烧成性能、力学性能及热学性能。结果表明:红柱石在高温下转化成针状和柱状莫来石改善复相陶瓷的烧成性能和抗热震性能;在1480℃烧成时,红柱石刚玉-莫来石复相陶瓷具有优越性能,其抗折强度为15.4MPa,耐压强度为91.6MPa,热膨胀系数为5.5×10-6/K,1100℃下水冷的抗热震次数达到99次。     

The Thermal Shock Resistance Analysis of Ceramic Foams

This article studies the thermal shock resistance behavior of ceramic foams under sudden thermal load induced by a sudden temperature variation. Two types of thermal shock loading conditions are considered: cold shock and hot shock. Variations of the stress and stress intensity factor with thermal shock time, location, crack size, medium thickness, and relative density of the ceramic foam are given. Crack growth behavior is studied and crack growth velocity is explained from energy equilibrium consideration. The thermal shock resistances of ceramic foams are established from the view points of energy criterion and fracture mechanics concept.     

Barium Aluminosilicate Reinforced In Situ with Silicon Nitride

Advanced ceramic composite materials that exhibit high strength and toughness with good thermal shock resistance are needed for emerging high-temperature engineering applications. A recently developed in situ reinforced barium aluminosilicate glass-ceramic shows promise of meeting many of the requirements for these types of applications with the added benefit of low-cost fabrication through densification by pressureless sintering. The material is toughened through in situ growth of rodlike β-Si₃N₄ grains resulting from the α–β silicon nitride phase transformation. Microstructural development and material properties for temperatures up to 1400°C are discussed. When compared to monolithic barium aluminosilicate, barium aluminosilicate reinforced with 70% by volume of Si₃N₄ shows a significant increase in flexural strength (from 80 to 565 MPa) and fracture toughness (from 1.8 to 5.74 MPa·m^1/2) with a high resistance to thermal shock.     

Comparative investigation of ultrafast thermal shock of Ti3AlC2 ceramic in water and air

In this work, ultrafast thermal shock of Ti₃AlC₂ ceramic was evaluated in water and air by utilizing the induction heating method. First, the annealed samples were heated to the set temperature in tens of seconds and dropped into the cooling water within 0.1 s which is rather short not to degrade the sample temperature. Compared to the traditional thermal shock method when quenching in water, the abnormal thermal shock phenomenon did not occur, which is owing to that no dense oxide layers were formed on the samples’ surface to act as the thermal barrier. The continuous decrease in residual flexural strength when quenched in water is associated with water infiltration, chemical reaction, and large surface tensile stress. The residual strength has 27.25 MPa upon 1250°C. Second, at the same testing temperature, the residual flexural strength when quenched in air maintains a high value of 388 MPa up to 1400°C. Dense oxide scales existed on the quenched surface of Ti₃AlC₂ samples. The results exhibit that Ti₃AlC₂ ceramic possesses excellent thermal shock resistance in water and air, suitable to be applied in extreme environments.     

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.     

Thermal shock and thermal fatigue resistance of Al2O3/(W,Ti)C/TiN/Mo/Ni multidimensional graded ceramics

Al₂O₃/(W, Ti)C/TiN/Mo/Ni multidimensional graded ceramics and homogeneous reference ceramic were prepared by two step hot press sintering. The thermal shock and thermal fatigue resistance of the multidimensional graded ceramics were tested using the water quenching method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscope were used to investigate microscopic failure mechanism of ceramics. The results showed that the retained flexural strength of two-dimensional and one-dimensional graded ceramics was almost same, but higher than that of the homogeneous ceramic. The crack growth (∆c) of homogeneous ceramic increased rapidly, while that of two-dimensional graded ceramics is the lowest. Hence, thermal fatigue resistance of the two-dimensional graded ceramics was highest. The residual compressive stress in the first layer induced by the optimal graded structure played an important role. In addition, the increasing toughness on the crack propagation path by adding different amounts of metals was also a contributing factor.     

Thermal shock damage assessment of a BNW/SiO2 ceramic: Insight from temperature-dependent material properties

The high-temperature service performance of nearly fully dense 20 wt% BN_W/SiO₂ ceramic was systematically investigated. The oxidation damage and strength degradation of the whiskers combined with the surface microstructures of the samples predominantly influence the flexural strength from RT to 1000 °C. In previous work, the temperature dependence of the material properties is invariably ignored when evaluating thermal stress crack initiation and propagation behaviour. In this work, modified thermal shock models that include temperature-dependent material properties were established based on thermal-shock fracture (TSF) theory and thermal-shock damage (TSD) theory. Then, the thermal shock resistance (TSR) of the BN_W/SiO₂ ceramic was evaluated by preforming a water quenching test. The modified models could better explain the TSR behaviour of the ceramic, indicating that considering the temperature-dependent material properties will reveal the thermal shock damage mechanism more precisely.     

Physical and Mechanical Properties of Bulk Ta4AlC3 Ceramic Prepared by an In Situ Reaction Synthesis/Hot-Pressing Method

Bulk Ta₄AlC₃ ceramic was prepared by an in situ reaction synthesis/hot-pressing method using Ta, Al, and C powders as the starting materials. The lattice parameter and a new set of X-ray diffraction data were obtained. The physical and mechanical properties of Ta₄AlC₃ ceramic were investigated. Ta₄AlC₃ is a good electrical and thermal conductor. The flexural strength and fracture toughness are 372 MPa and 7.7 MPa·m^1/2, respectively. Typically, plate-like layered grains contribute to the damage tolerance of Ta₄AlC₃. After indentation up to a 200 N load, no obvious degradation of the residual flexural strength of Ta₄AlC₃ was observed, demonstrating the damage tolerance of this ceramic. Even at above 1200°C in air, Ta₄AlC₃ still retains a high strength and shows excellent thermal shock resistance, which renders it a promising high-temperature structural material.     

Structure and properties of clay ceramics for thermal energy storage

In this paper, the structure‐property relationships of a clay ceramic with organic additives (biomass and biochar) are investigated to develop an alternative material for thermal energy storage. The firing transformations were elucidated using X‐ray pair distribution function analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the biomass increased the porosity, which resulted in a decrease of the specific heat capacity. On the other hand, the biochar remained in the clay ceramic without any interaction with the clay matrix up to 950°C. The specific heat capacity of the clay ceramic increased from 1.20 to 1.49 kJ/kg·K for a 30 wt% addition of biochar. The clay ceramic with a 30 wt% addition of biochar also conserved a high flexural strength of 11.1 MPa compared to that of the clay ceramic without organic additives (i.e., 18.9 MPa). Furthermore, the flexural strength only decreased by 23% after 100 thermal cycles. The crack growth associated with the thermal fatigue was limited by crack bridging and crack trapping. Hence, the current results suggest that clay/biochar ceramics can be as efficient as molten salts in thermal energy storage with the added benefit of an ease of use in the physical form of bricks.     

Fabrication and Properties of Multilayer Ceramics in the SiC – TiB2 System

The influence of the structure and residual stresses on the strength of multilayer composite ceramic materials in the SiC – MeB₂ system is studied. The composites are produced using slip casting of thin films, stacking and rolling of packets, and hot pressing. The use of β-SiC makes it possible to obtain SiC layers with a porous arch structure reinforced with columnar crystals. The high relaxation capacity of such structures eliminates the formation of cracks in fabrication of the material and provides a high strength. A thermal shock causes progressive local spalling with formation of spit-outs without macroscopic fracture of the material. A pilot process for fabricating multilayer ceramic composites is described.     

Fabrication of fine-grained undoped Y2O3 transparent ceramic using nitrate pyrogenation synthesized nanopowders

Y₂O₃ ceramic is a promising optical material for mid-infrared (IR) windows and domes. Improvements in the mechanical and thermal performance of this material have become urgent if it is to perform adequately under extreme conditions. Herein, Y₂O₃ nanopowders were produced through the nitrate pyrogenation method. The final Y₂O₃ transparent ceramics were fabricated with a hybrid sintering method combining low temperature presintering and a subsequent hot isostatic pressing (HIP) treatment. The synthesis of nanopowders and the fabrication of the final ceramic products were investigated in detail. The Y₂O₃ ceramic sample that was presintered at 1350?°C provided the optimum microstructure for HIP treatment and resulted in an average grain size of 0.5?µm. Owing to the reduced grain size, the flexure strength and Vickers hardness of the sample were improved to 180?MPa and 8.4?GPa, respectively. Furthermore, the achieved pure Y₂O₃ ceramic demonstrated an excellent thermal conductivity at high temperature.     

Strength and thermal shock resistance of fiber-bonded Si-Al-C-O and Si-Ti-C-O ceramics

Silicon carbide-based fiber-bonded ceramics, obtained from hot pressing of woven silicon carbide fibers, are a cost-effective alternative to ceramic-matrix composites due to their ease of fabrication, involving few processing steps, and competitive thermomechanical properties. In this work, we studied the high-temperature strength and thermal shock resistance of Si-Al-C-O and Si-Ti-C-O fiber-bonded SiC ceramics obtained from hot pressing of two types of ceramic fibers, by mechanical testing in four-point bending. The bending strength of Si-Al-C-O-based fiber-bonded ceramics at room temperature is ∼250–260 MPa and remains constant with temperature, while the bending strength of Si-Ti-C-O increases slightly from the initial 220 to ∼250 MPa for the highest temperature. Both materials retain up to 90% of their room temperature strength after thermal shocks of 1400°C and show no reduction in elastic moduli. After thermal shock, failure mode is the same as in the case of as-received materials.