Functionally Graded Ceramics Fabricated with Side‐by‐Side Tape Casting for Use in Magnetic Refrigeration

Functionally graded ceramic tapes have been fabricated by a side‐by‐side tape casting technique. This study shows the possibility and describes the main principles of adjacent coflow of slurries resulting in formation of thin plates of graded ceramic material. Results showed that the small variations of solvent and binder system concentrations have a substantial effect on slurry viscosity. Varying these parameters showed that side‐by‐side tape casting with a well‐defined interface area is possible for slurries with viscosities above 3500 mPa s at a casting shear rate of 3.3 s^?1. As it was expected, the choice of de‐bindering and sintering regimes significantly influences crack formation, and a three‐step heating programme was found to result in tapes of the highest quality. The interface regions of green graded tapes were investigated structurally by scanning electron microscopy; for a distinct identification of the interface region and analysing the degree of cross‐interface diffusion, the isothermal entropy change was measured by a vibrating sample magnetometer as the magnetic transition temperature (Curie temperature) is very sensitive to the dopant level in ceramics. Also the purpose of developing this graded ceramic tape casting was applications of these specific magnetocaloric properties within the magnetic refrigeration technology.     

Fabrication of Glass Matrix Composites by Tape Casting

A method has been developed to fabricate borosilicate glass matrix composites reinforced with monofilament SiC fibers by tape casting. Green matrix tapes are laminated with fiber mats of a uniform fiber spacing. The resulting laminate is sintered at 710°C to >98% relative density and HIP-consolidated to full density. The final specimens contain a high volume fraction of fibers (>35 vol%) in a uniform array. A variation of this technique can be used to mount "microcomposites" (i.e., coated fibers) in a glass matrix to facilitate fabrication of push-out test specimens.     

用流延法制备优质陶瓷基片的研究

本文概括了流延成型工艺的现状，介绍了有机基流延成型工艺中溶剂及添加剂的作用和选择原则，同时介绍了几种新的流延成型工艺。     

水基流延工艺制备陶瓷材料的研究

流延法作为制备片层材料的重要工艺已经被陶瓷研究者广泛应用.但是,有机流延体系带来的环境污染、毒性及易燃性等问题已被社会所关注.因此,研究无毒、无污染的水基流延工艺已得到材料界的广泛重视.本文主要概述了国内外水基流延工艺的研究现状,重点介绍了PVA体系、丙烯酰胺凝胶流延体系、纤维素类粘结剂体系及乳胶体系的不同特点;从粘结剂、分散剂、增塑剂等多个角度分析了影响水基流延工艺的技术因素,并提出了很好的解决方法,最后介绍了乳胶体系水基流延工艺在制备片状或层状陶瓷材料方面的应用.     

Fabrication of Oriented SiC-Whisker-Reinforced Mullite Matrix Composites by Tape Casting

Dense SiC-whisker-reinforced mullite composites with up to 50 vol% whiskers can be obtained by tape casting and hot pressing. The tape casting process results in high degrees of SiC whisker orientation as determined visually and by X-ray diffraction. The ability to achieve dense composites with as much as 50 vol % whiskers is attributed to the higher percolation threshold of aligned whiskers. The factors affecting the degree of whisker orientation during tape casting are described using a fluid dynamics model derived from Jeffery's equations and show that the orientation of anisometric particles is enhanced primarily by the casting rate and particle aspect ratio.     

Dry Powder Deposition and Compaction for Functionally Graded Ceramics

Functionally graded ceramics, with property variations realized via local compositional changes or porosity, are fabricated by powder deposition and compaction. A removable fixture is used to control the location of dry powders to produce a macroscopic powder array with 2-D or 3-D compositional variations. A new method is presented that relies on traditional powder pressing techniques to create spatial variation in composition and density. The fixture is removed before conventional powder compaction. This dry powder deposition and compaction method is capable of producing large monolithic bodies with functional gradients. This method produces designs with 3 mm discrete regions or pixels that have a normalized positional tolerance of 0.6% for a 39 mm substrate size. The method is used to realize a UHF antenna substrate with spatially variable dielectric properties.     

Fabrication of Functionally Graded Materials Via Inkjet Color Printing

A new method for fabricating functionally graded materials (FGMs) via inkjet color printing is reported in this paper. Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂ aqueous suspensions were stabilized electrostatically and placed in different color reservoirs in inkjet cartridges. The volume and composition of the suspensions printed in droplets at a small area were controlled by the inkjet cyan–magenta–yellow–black color printing principle. The analysis of energy-dispersive spectrometry shows that with multi-layer printing, the composition profile of the printed FGM is consistent with the designed profile. The new method shows the potential for fabricating FGMs with arbitrarily designed three-dimensional composition profiles.     

Calculation of the Composition Profile of a Functionally Graded Material Produced by Centrifugal Casting

Functionally graded materials have designed inhomogeneous distributions of different components on the scale of the material. They can be made by suspension processing, in which particles are stacked in a controlled manner. Segregation effects can be used to obtain the required gradient if the particles in suspension have different velocities. A model is derived for the composition profiles that develop as a result of these effects. The model can be used to determine the most suitable process conditions. The outcome of the model shows fair agreement with experiments found in the literature in which an Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ composite has been produced by uniaxial centrifugal casting.     

Fabrication of Functionally Graded SiO2‐Mo Material by Centrifugation and Floc‐Casting of Highly Concentrated Slurry

To fabricate functionally graded materials, a highly concentrated slurry of SiO₂‐Mo system was prepared and centrifugal force was applied in an attempt to achieve a graded composition. Subsequently, we formed a homogeneous green body with compositional gradation by floc‐casting at 80°C, which was then fired at 1750°C for 10 min in Ar. The sintered body had compositional ratios of SiO₂ and Mo as well as electrical conductivities that changed gradually along the direction of centrifugal force. The results demonstrate that centrifugation and control of slurry characteristics such as flocculation are effective in fabricating functionally graded SiO₂‐Mo materials.     

Superplastic Forming of SiAlON Ceramics

Superplastic SiAlON's of the nominal composition Y _{m /3}-Si_{12-( m + n )}AL _{m + n} O _n N_{16– n} are reported in this study using a transient-phase-forming approach. They encompass the fields of single-phase α'-SiAlON, single-phase β'-SiAlON, and their two-phase mixtures. Excellent formability is obtained at 1550°C for the β'and α'+β'materials, and at 1600°C for the α'material. Typically in the nonequilibrium state before deformation, these fine-grained materials undergo dramatic phase and microstructure evolutions during superplastic forming. In particular, the stress-biased α-Si₃N₄→β'-SiAlON reaction is found to result in elongated and aligned grains with fiber-strengthening effect and excellent formability.     

Tape Casting and Properties of Mullite and Zirconia–Mullite Ceramics

Mullite and ZrO₂-mullite ceramics have been prepared by tape casting mixtures of Al₂O₃, quartz, and ZrO₂ powders and subsequent reaction sintering. Tape casting leads to homogeneous, high-density green materials with good sinterability. The design of a thermal cycle which favors densification with respect to mullitization allows the preparation of nearly dense, nearly fully reacted materials at sintering temperatures below 1600°C. ZrO₂ additions limit grain growth, but the ZrO₂ content must not be too high when a high tetragonal:monoclinic ratio is required.     

Fabrication of Net-Shape Functionally Graded Composites by Electrophoretic Deposition and Sintering: Modeling and Experimentation

It is shown that electrophoretic deposition (EPD) sintering is a technological sequence that is capable of producing net-shape bulk functionally graded materials (FGM). By controlling the shape of the deposition electrode, components of complex shapes can be obtained. To enable sintering net-shape capabilities, a novel optimization algorithm and procedure for the fabrication of net-shape functionally graded composites by EPD and sintering has been developed. The initial shape of the green specimen produced by EPD is designed in such a way that the required final shape is achieved after sintering-imposed distortions. The optimization is based on a special innovative iteration procedure that is derived from the solution of the inverse sintering problem: the sintering process is modeled in the "backward movie" regime using the continuum theory of sintering incorporated into a finite-element code. The experiments verifying the modeling approach include the synthesis by EPD of Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ 3-D (FGM) structures. In order to consolidate green parts shaped by EPD, post-EPD sintering is used. The fabricated deposits are characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The experimentally observed shape change of the FGM specimen obtained by EPD and sintering is compared with theoretical predictions.     

Fabrication of SiC-Whisker-Reinforced MoSi2 Composites by Tape Casting

In this paper, we describe a procedure for the processing of SiC-whisker-reinforced MoSi₂ composites via tape casting. Based on the characteristics of SiC whiskers and MoSi₂ powder in aqueous and nonaqueous solvents, a slip formulation (solvent, dispersant, binder, etc.) has been developed. The formulation developed allows for a uniform distribution of SiC whiskers in the matrix, easy separation of the tapes from the polymeric carrier, convenient control of both tape thickness and orientation of SiC whiskers, and a low binder burnout temperature. The latter is important for the prevention of the oxidation of MoSi₂ powder during the binder burnout in an oxidizing atmosphere.     

Tape Casting of Fine Alumina/Zirconia Powders for Composite Fabrication

Ceramic films, containing AI₂O₃, with up to 40 vol% ZrO₂, have been fabricated using the tape casting process. Finer powders (average mean diameter of 250–300 nm) than have generally been reported for tape casting were used in this study. The optimum formulation for tape casting is affected substantially by decreasing particle size. For example, the amount of dispersant needed is increased. Moreover, the amount of plasticizer/binder must be increased so as to maintain the solids content in the dried tapes below a critical level (about 55 vol% in this case), which decreases with particle size. Rheological studies on the effectiveness of menhaden fish oil and phosphate ester as dispersants show that phosphate ester can be used in lower concentrations, for the preparation of higher solids loading slurries, and was therefore selected for further study. The amount of dispersant required to obtain minimum slurry viscosity was found to be primarily dependent upon the effective particle surface area, defined as that available to the dispersant molecules. In the case of particles composed of agglomerated crystallites (such as the ZrO₂, powder used here), this may be considerably less than that measured by nitrogen absorption. Moreover, the porous internal structure of such powders is filled with solvent, which increases the effective solids loading of the slurry, and thus its viscosity. Particle morphology also influences the packing efficiency; i.e., the green density decreases as ZrO₂, is added.     

Spectral and Laser Properties of Yb:LuAG Transparent Ceramics Fabricated by Tape Casting Method

Yb³⁺‐doped LuAG laser ceramics with different Yb³⁺‐doping concentrations were successfully fabricated by nonaqueous tape casting method and vacuum sintering technology. XRD patterns and SEM morphologies of the ceramics were presented. The optical in‐line transmittance of the Yb‐doped LuAG ceramics was about 83% at 1030 nm. The fluorescence lifetime of annealed and unannealed ceramic samples was compared. From the spectroscopic properties, it can be seen that the ceramics had a large emission cross section of 2.9 × 10^?20 cm² with a FWHM of about 7.2 nm at 1030 nm. Under 100% population inversion, the maximum gain coefficient was estimated to be 12.4 cm^?1 at 1030 nm. With a fiber‐coupled diode laser as pump source, CW laser at 1030 nm was demonstrated and the maximum output power of 338.9 mW was achieved with a slop efficiency of 19%. A tuning range from 1028 to 1036 nm was obtained.     

Pressure Slip Casting of Graded Coarse Grained Oxide Ceramics for Refractory Applications

In the present study the fabrication of graded coarse grained ceramic bodies for refractory applications was investigated using a pressure filtration cell,which uses pressurized air as the pressure medium. The pressure filtration cell was used to examine the influence of different ceramic raw materials,two dispersants,and of the particle size distribution on the filtration behavior and on the filter cake surface quality. Pressure slip casting of spinel based slips resulted in crack-free filter cakes,while alumina based slips resulted in filter cakes,which always stuck on the used PMMA filter medium. Furthermore,citric acid as an electrostatic dispersant resulted in a much lower filtration cake resistance and hence shorter filtration times than an electrosteric dispersant. A broader particle size distribution with a higher addition of the finest particle fraction caused an increase in the filter cake resistance but also yielded much better surface qualities. Finally,graded filter cakes with three layers of alumina rich magnesium aluminate spinel with a maximum grain size of 3 mm,1 mm,and 0. 5 mm,respectively,were fabricated. The computed X-ray analyzes indicated a perfect bonding between the three layers,which is a significant improvement to previous studies. However,the graded filter cakes exhibited frequently cracks at the bottom,which was probably caused by tensile stresses from the friction of the filter cakes with the pressure filtration cell. This will be further investigated in subsequent studies. The achieved results demonstrate thefeasibility to produce coarse grained oxide ceramics for refractory applications by pressure slip casting,which eventually allows the production of composites with tailored compositions,microstructure and functionality.     

曲面流延法制备ZrO_2/不锈钢梯度管

将ZrO_2和316 L不锈钢浆料分别在圆柱模具外表面上多次流延制备出了氧化锆和316L不锈钢管,研究了在模具曲面上流延时浆料粘度对管壁生坯层均匀性的影响,然后将6种不同比例的ZrO_2/316L不锈钢浆料按照ZrO_2体积含量减小的顺序分别曲面流延成型,通过优化各梯度层粘合剂含量来降低管壁层间由于成分不同而引起的残余应力,得到外形规则的ZrO_2/316L不锈钢梯度管样品.结果表明,当浆料粘度为1200～2000 mPa·s时,在直径为1 cm的圆柱模具外表面流延所得的生坯层均匀,厚度误差≦±5%;在满足浆料粘度的前提下,粘合剂比例应随着ZrO_2含量的增加而增加,来减小各梯度层收缩的差异,从而降低了层间的残余应力.     

"Classical" Superplasticity of SiAlON Ceramics

"Classical" superplasticity of SiAlON ceramics with the nominal composition (Y _x Li _y )_{0.6/(3 x + y )}Si_8.9Al_3.1O_2.5N_13.5 is reported in this study. During deformation, these materials exhibit little microstructural evolution, with negligible growth of elongated β'-phase grains and minimal texture formation. Excellent formabilities are obtained in the temperature range of 1500°-1600°C in compression, where a strain rate of 10⁻² s⁻¹ has been achieved, and in punch stretching, where a strain rate of 1.2 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹ has been used successfully. Flow stresses are found to be dramatically affected by the viscosity of the grain-boundary phase and decrease as the amount of lithium addition increases. Fracture stress also is compositionally dependent and decreases as the lithium content increases. As the overall formability is determined by the competition between fracture and deformation, maximum formability coincides with a maximum ratio of fracture stress to forming stress at an intermediate lithium composition. Finally, all materials exhibit higher room-temperature bend strength after postforming annealing. Thus, transient superplastic deformation does not impair the ultimate mechanical properties of the materials.     

Particle Orientation During Tape Casting in the Fabrication of Grain-Oriented Bismuth Titanate

Slurries containing platelike Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ particles have been tape cast to prepare green sheets with aligned particles. The slurries contain well-dispersed particles and show nearly Newtonian flow behavior. The effect of slurry composition and casting conditions on the particle orientation has been examined. The particle orientation in the green sheet is determined mainly by powder content; other parameters, such as binder content, casting speed, and blade opening, have little effect. The interaction between particles is a main cause for particle alingnment. The slurry with a large powder content is favorable for preparing dense grain-oriented ceramics.