Thermal Shock Behavior of Isotropic and Anisotropic Porous Silicon Nitride

The thermal shock behavior of isotropic and anisotropic porous Si₃N₄ was evaluated using the water-quenching technique. The critical temperature difference for crack initiation was found to be strongly dependent on the ratio of fracture strength to elastic modulus. Because of a very high strain-to-failure, anisotropic porous Si₃N₄ showed no macroscopic cracks and was able to retain its strength even at a quenching-temperature difference of ∼1400°C.     

High-Strength Porous Silicon Carbide Ceramics by an Oxidation-Bonding Technique

Porous silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics were fabricated by an oxidation-bonding process in which the powder compacts are heated in air so that SiC particles are bonded to each other by oxidation-derived SiO₂ glass. Because of the crystallization of amorphous SiO₂ glass into cristobalite during sintering, the fracture strength of oxidation-bonded SiC ceramics can be retained to a relatively high level at elevated temperatures. It has been shown that the mechanical strength is strongly affected by particle size. When 0.6 μm SiC powders were used, a high strength of 185 MPa was achieved at a porosity of ∼31%. Moreover, oxidation-bonded SiC ceramics were observed to exhibit an excellent oxidation resistance.     

Thermal Shock Behavior of Silicon Oxycarbide Foams

Silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) ceramic foams, obtained from the pyrolysis of a preceramic polymer, were subjected to thermal multiple cycles from 800°–1200°C to room temperature in a water bath. Flexural and compression strengths, as well as elastic modulus, were characterized before and after quenching. Excellent thermal shock and cycling resistance behavior was observed, with only moderate strength and stiffness degradation. The phase assemblage of the foam remained unchanged, and no crack formation in the foams was observed. However, microstructural characterization revealed the development of porosity in the struts and cell walls due to the oxidation of residual carbon in the amorphous SiOC material, thereby contributing to a small decrease in stiffness after quenching.     

Strength of Silicon Nitride after Thermal Shock

A water-quenching technique was used to evaluate the thermal-shock strength behavior of silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) ceramics in an air atmosphere. When the tensile surface was shielded from air during the heating and soaking process, the quenched specimens showed a gradual decrease in strength at temperatures above 600°C. However, the specimens with the air-exposed surface exhibited a ∼16% and ∼29% increase in strength after quenching from 800° and 1000°C, respectively. This is because of the occurrence of surface oxidation, which may cause the healing of surface cracks and the generation of surface compressive stresses. As a result, some preoxidation of Si₃N₄ components before exposure to a thermal-shock environment is recommended in practical applications.     

Crack-Healing Behavior of Liquid-Phase-Sintered Silicon Carbide Ceramics

Crack-healing behavior of liquid-phase-sintered (LPS) SiC ceramics has been studied as functions of heat-treatment temperature and crack size. Results showed that heat treatment in air could significantly increase the indentation strength. The heat-treatment temperature has a profound influence on the extent of crack healing and the degree of strength recovery. The optimum heat-treatment temperature depends on the softening temperature of an intergranular phase in each material. After heat treatment at the optimum temperature in air, the crack morphology almost entirely disappeared and the indentation strength recovered to the value of the smooth specimens at room temperature for the investigated crack sizes up to ∼200 μm. In addition, a simple heat treatment of SiC ceramics sintered with Al₂O₃–Y₂O₃–CaO at 1100°C for 1 h in air resulted in even further improvement of the strength, to a value of 1054 MPa (∼150% of the value of the unindented strength). Crack closure and rebonding of the crack wake due to oxidation of cracked surfaces were suggested as a dominant healing mechanism operating in LPS-SiC ceramics.     

Multiscale Genome Modeling for Predicting the Thermal Conductivity of Silicon Carbide Ceramics

Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics have been widely used in industry due to its high thermal conductivity. Understanding the relations between the microstructure and the thermal conductivity of SiC ceramics is critical for improving the efficiency of heat removal in heat sink applications. In this paper, a multiscale model is proposed to predict the thermal conductivity of SiC ceramics by bridging atomistic simulations and continuum model via a materials genome model. Interatomic potentials are developed using ab initio calculations to achieve more accurate molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Interfacial thermal conductivities with various additive compositions are predicted by nonequilibrium MD simulations. A homogenized materials genome model with the calculated interfacial thermal properties is used in a continuum model to predict the effective thermal conductivity of SiC ceramics. The effects of grain size, additive compositions, and temperature are also studied. The good agreement found between prediction results and experimental measurements validates the capabilities of the proposed multiscale genome model in understanding and improving the thermal transport characteristics of SiC ceramics.     

碳化硅多孔陶瓷的制备工艺比较

多孔碳化硅陶瓷由于具有优良的高温强度、耐磨性、耐腐蚀性以及抗热震性而得到越来越广泛的关注.随着科技的发展,其已在环境保护、过滤分离、尾气吸收、吸声降噪、生物医学、航空航天和能源化工等方面发挥着重要的作用.本文着重分析了多孔碳化硅陶瓷的传统制备工艺与先进制备工艺的优缺点,并对其未来的制备工艺作出展望.     

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.     

Crack Healing Behavior of Silicon Carbide Ceramics

This study focuses on the crack healing behavior of three kinds of commercial SiC ceramics. Specimens with and without cracks were subjected to thermal treatment at different temperatures, and their strengths were measured by a three-point bending test in accordance with JIS standards. The tests were performed in air at both room temperature and elevated temperatures between 600° and 1500°C. The healed specimens showed a complete recovery of strength at room temperature for the investigated crack sizes of 2 c ≅ 100 μm and 2 c ≅ 200 μm, and their strength increased in accordance with the healing temperature. The behavior of the healed specimens at elevated temperatures was influenced by the material used and the test temperature. Generally, the strength decreased at a high temperature, but the degree of strength reduction was determined by the kind of ceramic. The most important difference between the healed and smooth specimens was exhibited in material A. It was observed that at 1400°C, the bending strength of the healed specimens made from this ceramic was about 37% of the value for specimens in an as-received state. Static fatigue tests were also performed for ceramic B at 900° and 1000°C. The experiment demonstrated that the static fatigue limit of a healed specimen is about 75% of the monotonic bending strength at the same temperature.     

氮化硅陶瓷的热等静压处理与抗热震性能研究

以氮化硅喷雾造粒粉为原料,通过高温常压烧结及热等静压处理烧坯两种制备方法获得的氮化硅陶瓷材料,进行了陶瓷显微组织结构、热导率与抗热震性能研究.结果表明热等静压处理能够消除烧结体的残余孔隙,有利于提高陶瓷的强度、热导率和抗热震性能.     

碳化硅/堇青石复相多孔陶瓷的制备及性能研究

采用碳化硅、烧高岭土、氢氧化铝、滑石为主要原料,石墨为造孔剂制备了碳化硅/堇青石复相多孔陶瓷.研究了烧结温度和烧结助剂二氧化铈对碳化硅/堇青石复相多孔陶瓷气孔率和强度的影响,并分别用XRD和SEM分析晶相组成和断面显微结构表明:制备出的SiC多孔陶瓷的主相是SiC,结合相是堇青石与方石英,多孔陶瓷具有相互连通的开孔结构;在1350℃烧结,并保温3h,当造孔剂含量为15％时,碳化硅/堇青石复合多孔陶瓷性能最佳,其气孔率31.80％,相应的弯曲强度为63.74 MPa.在1200℃下,添加不同含量的CeO2,对烧结样品的相组成有影响,能够降低生成堇青石的温度,在CeO2含量为3％的样品中,堇青石的峰最明显,但是过量的氧化铈会抑制了堇青石的生成;随着CeO2加入量的增加,其气孔率和弯曲强度也会随之变化,1200℃下,在CeO2加入量为4％时其弯曲强度最优.但随着CeO2的含量的增加,其气孔率逐渐下降.     

Thermal Shock Resistance of Sintered Alumina/Silicon Carbide Nanocomposites Evaluated by Indentation Techniques

The thermal shock resistance of sintered Al₂O₃/1, 2.5, and 5 vol% SiC nanocomposites was studied using two indentation techniques. In the first technique, "indentation thermal shock" measurements were made of the extension of median/radial cracks around Vickers indentations after quenching from various temperatures (up to 480°C) into a bath of boiling water. This technique allowed a critical thermal shock temperature, Δ T _C^Ind, to be quantitatively evaluated. In the second technique, "indentation fatigue" tests were conducted on the thermally shocked specimens; repeated indentations were made at the same site, and the number of load cycles needed to initiate lateral fracture was measured. The results showed that nanocomposites with an addition of SiC nanophase as low as 1 vol% had a thermal shock resistance superior to that of pure Al₂O₃.     

Fracture Toughness and Thermal Shock Behavior of Silicon Nitride–Boron Nitride Ceramics

Fracture toughness behavior, stress–strain behavior, and flaw resistance of pressureless-sintered Si₃N₄-BN ceramics are investigated. The results are discussed with respect to the reported thermal shock behavior of these composites. Although the materials behave linear-elastic and exhibit no R -curve behavior, their flaw resistance is different from that of other linear-elastic materials. Whereas the critical thermal shock temperature difference (Δ T _c) is enhanced by adding BN, the content of BN has no influence on the strength loss during severe thermal shocks.     

Thermal Shock Behavior of Iron-Particle-Toughened Alumina

The thermal shock behavior of an alumina monolith and two alumina–iron ceramic-matrix composites has been investigated by superimposing the measured K _R-curves of the materials onto the theoretically generated curves of the thermally induced stress intensity factor. Predictions of the critical-temperature differentials and retained strengths after quenching are in good agreement with the experimental data. The inclusion of metallic particles into an alumina matrix improves the thermal shock resistance, although the increase in toughness is not solely responsible for this improvement. There is a decrease in thermal stress-intensity factor that is generated for the composites; this decrease is due to a reduction in the Young's modulus and/or Biot modulus. However, the increased toughness for large crack lengths may offer increased damage resistance for severe thermal shock treatments.     

发泡-淀粉固结法制备多孔碳化硅陶瓷

利用表面活性剂发泡,结合淀粉固结成型工艺,Al2O3-Y2O3为助烧剂的条件下,低温烧结制备了SiC多孔陶瓷,并对其气孔率、气孔形貌、强度等性能进行了研究。实验发现,制得的多孔材料中含有大、中、微三种大小的气孔;浆料的固相含量是影响材料密度和强度的主要因素,当固相含量为60％．72％时多孔陶瓷的相对密度为17％-36％,抗压强度为5—19MPa。     

Thermal Cyclic Fatigue Behavior of Porous Ceramics for Gas Cleaning

The thermal shock fatigue resistance of cordierite and SiC filters with a mullite filtration layer was evaluated under simulated reverse cleaning conditions. O-ring specimens were thermally shocked by cyclically blowing cold air outward through them while they were exposed to high-temperature flue gas. The calculated values of the tangential tensile stresses induced by the temperature differences between the inner and outer surfaces were found to be largest at the inner surfaces. It was also found that the elastic modulus and the thermal expansion coefficient of the filters affect the magnitude of the thermal stresses more than the thermal diffusivity and thermal transfer area, which were directly related to the microstructure of the filters. Failure of both filters is believed to have initiated at the inner subsurfaces because of the effects of thermal shock. The thermal shock fatigue lifetimes increased as thermal stresses decreased. The fatigue parameters for the SiC and cordierite filters were found to be 41 and 22, respectively. These parameters probably vary over different operating temperature ranges, especially in the case of SiC filters, where changes in their composite microstructures affect their high-temperature strength.     

氧化反应结合SiC基陶瓷的制备与性能

本文采用反应结合制备方法,通过对坯体进行预氧化使ＳｉＣ颗凿表面氧化形成ＳｉＯ２,而后在烧成中与添中剂ＡＩ２Ｏ３－Ｙ２Ｏ３反应,使坯体气化率减少,制备了多孔ＳｉＣ基陶瓷。文章探讨了坯体中ＳｉＣ的氧化特征、反应结合过程和相变化以及它们对烧结体性能的影响。     

低热导率磷酸锆结合氮化硅多孔陶瓷的制备

采用无压烧结工艺制备ZrP2O7结合Si3N4多孔陶瓷,研究了孔隙率对材料抗弯强度和热导率的影响.结果表明:当孔隙率为20％q3％时,热导率为0.4～1.9 W/(m·K);当孔隙率为20％时,热导率下降至1.9 W/(m·K),但力学性能并没有明显降低.当Effective Medium Theory模型的比例系数为0.3、Maxwell-Eucken2模型的比例系数为0.7时,计算所得热导率与实验结果相符.     

碳化硅材料热导率计算研究进展

从声子散射机制出发,介绍了Si C热导率的温度特性和微观导热机理。综述了Si C单晶热导率的2种主要计算方法。Boltzmann-弛豫时间近似(RTA)适用于各个温度段的热导率计算,而分子动力学方法更适用于高温热导率计算。分子动力学方法相比于Boltzmann-RTA方法的优点在于它可以考虑所有高次项的非谐作用。介绍了3种Si C陶瓷热导率近似计算模型,包括界面热阻模型、Debye-Callaway模型及多相系统热导率模型。下一步研究的主要方向仍然是优化计算模型及减少拟合参数。     

Crack-Healing Behavior Under Stress of Mullite/Silicon Carbide Ceramics and the Resultant Fatigue Strength

Mullite/SiC composite ceramics were sintered and subjected to three-point bending of specimens made according to the appropriate JIS standard. A semicircular surface crack 100 to 250 μm in diameter was made on each specimen. We systematically studied crack-healing behavior and cyclic- and static-fatigue strengths at room temperature and 1000°C (crack-healing temperature) by using three types of specimens (smooth, cracked, and crack-healed). The main conclusions are as follows: (i) mullite/SiC composite ceramics have the ability to heal after cracking; (ii) crack-healed specimens exhibited higher static and fatigue strengths than those of smooth specimens, which was caused by crack-healing; (iii) a sample crack-healed at 1000°C had a high fatigue strength at 1000°C; and (iv) mullite/SiC ceramics can heal a crack under stress at 1000°C, and this behavior was considered using crack-driving force and crack-healing force, qualitatively.