Thermal Shock Resistance and Fracture Behavior of ZrB2–Based Fibrous Monolith Ceramics

The thermal shock resistance and fracture behavior of zirconium diboride (ZrB₂)-based fibrous monoliths (FM) were studied. FMs containing cells of ZrB₂–30 vol% SiC with cell boundaries composed of graphite–15 vol% ZrB₂ were hot pressed at 1900°C. The average flexure strength of the FMs was 375 MPa, less than half of the strength of hot-pressed ZrB₂–30 vol% SiC. Flexure specimens failed noncatastrophically and retained 50%–85% of their original strength after the first fracture event. A critical thermal shock temperature (Δ T _c) of 1400°C was measured by water quench thermal shock testing, a 250% improvement over the previously reported Δ T _c values for ZrB₂ and ZrB₂–30 vol% SiC of similar dimensions (4 mm × 3 mm × 45 mm). The flexure strength was maintained with Δ T _c values of 1350°C and below. As Δ T _c increased, the stiffness of the flexure specimen decreased linearly. The lower stiffness and improvement in thermal shock resistance is attributed to crack propagation in the cell boundary and crack deflection around the load-bearing cells. The critical thermal shock was attributed to the fracture of the ZrB₂–30% SiC cell material.     

The Effects of Water Entry Postures on the Thermal Shock Behavior of Alumina

The effects of water entry postures on thermal shock behavior during quench tests were investigated for the first time using alumina ceramic. The differences in the crack patterns and residual strength for specimens with different water entry postures after the quench tests were shown. At the initial thermal shock temperature of 310°C, the average residual strength of the lateral posture specimens is 330.4 MPa, but the longitudinal ones' is 118.4 MPa. The results showed that water entry posture strongly affects the quenching thermal shock behavior; to better experimentally characterize the thermal shock resistance, the unified water entry posture during testing must be considered.     

Thermal shock behavior of 3-dimensional C/SiC composite

The thermal shock behavior of a three-dimensional carbon fiber reinforced SiC matrix fabricated by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) technique was studied using the air quenched method. Damage to composites was assessed by a destructive technique of measuring mechanical properties using three-point flexure and SEM characterization. C/SiC composites displayed good resistance to thermal shock, and retained 83% of the original strength after quenching from 1300 to 300°C 100 times. The critical ΔT of C/SiC in combustion environment was 700°C. The critical number of thermal shocks for the C/SiC composite was about 50 times. When the number of thermal shocks was less than 50 times, the residual flexural strength of C/SiC composites decreased with the increase of thermal shock times. When the number of thermal shocks of C/SiC was greater than 50, the strength of C/SiC did not further decrease because the crack density was saturated.     

Resistance of Alumina-Spodumene Ceramics to Thermal Shock

A processing strategy is presented for obtaining alumina-spodumene ceramics with controlled microstructures from a new, low-cost alumina powder and spodumene (Li₂OAl₂O₃·4SiO₂) mineral, both being produced in Western Australia. The addition of 15 wt%β-spodumene to alumina is used to produce ceramics with (i) high thermal expansion mismatch and (ii) a glassy phase to aid in liquid-phase sintering. Specifically, the effects of spodumene addition and grain size on tolerance to thermal shock are addressed. The thermal shock resistance of the alumina-spodumene ceramics is evaluated by water quenching and subsequent three-point bend testing of strength diminution. Comparisons are made with results from parallel experiments conducted using a pure monolithic alumina ceramic. The reference alumina shows the expected substantial strength losses when thermally quenched from ∼200°C above room temperature. By contrast, the alumina-spodumene ceramics, while displaying reduced strength relative to the reference aluminas, exhibit minimal strength degradation under severe thermal shock conditions.     

Thermal shock effects on the impact resistance,tolerance and flexural strength of alumina based oxide/oxide ceramic matrix composites

In this study the effects of thermal shock on the impact damage resistance, damage tolerance and flexural strength of Nextel 610/alumina silicate ceramic matrix composites were experimentally evaluated. Composite laminates with balanced and symmetric layup were gradually heated to 1200°C in an air-based furnace and held for at least 30 min before being removed and immersed in water at room temperature. The laminates were then subjected to low velocity impacts via a hemispherical steel impactor. The resultant damage was characterized non-destructively, following which the laminates were subjected to compression tests. Three-point bend tests were also performed to evaluate the effect of thermal shock on the flexural strength and related failure modes of the laminates. Thermally shocked laminates showed smaller internal damage and larger external damage areas in comparison to their pristine counterparts. For the impact energy and resultant damage size considered, the residual compressive strengths for the thermally shocked and pristine laminates were similar.     

Fracture Analyses of Alumina Subjected to Mechanical and Thermal Shock Biaxial Stresses

Disks of commercial alumina were fabricated by slip casting and sintering. Two surface finishes were performed: coarse (denoted as "C") using a 70 grit diamond wheel and fine (denoted as "F") with 120 and 320 grit SiC papers. The machined surfaces were analyzed by SEM, profilometry, and residual stresses measurements. The fracture strength was evaluated in biaxial flexure, and the thermal shock resistance was tested by cooling with a high-velocity air jet. The fracture of the specimens under both conditions was studied analyzing crack patterns and fracture surfaces in relation to the surface machining and type of loading, i.e., mechanical and thermal stresses.     

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 the microstructure on the thermal shock behavior of cemented carbides

The influence of single and repetitive sudden changes of temperature on the mechanical integrity of cemented carbides was investigated as a function of their microstructure. Thermal shock resistance was assessed by testing the residual flexural strength of hardmetal beams after being subjected to thermal shock by water quenching. Results indicate that hard cemented carbides tend to exhibit a superior resistance to the nucleation of thermal shock damage but a lower resistance to the propagation of this damage mechanism than tough grades, and vice versa. These trends are in agreement with those expected from the evaluation of the thermal shock Hasselman’s parameters. The evidenced strength loss after thermal shock may be related to the subcritical growth of intrinsic flaws driven by localized microcracking surrounding them. Results also point out on Ni-base hardmetals to exhibit a slightly higher resistance to abrupt changes of temperature than Co-base ones.     

Alumina/NiCu Laminate under Thermal Shock up to 1000°C: II, Prediction of the Laminate Behavior

In this investigation, a multilayered, multimaterial system with strong interface subjected to thermal shock loading was analyzed. The analysis was based on a one-dimensional spatio-temporal finite difference scheme of the temperature field, and the thermal residual stresses and zero misfit stress temperature were considered. Using a failure criterion based on crack initiation, the number of broken layers due to thermal shock and residual mechanical strength at room temperature could be predicted. Furthermore, the room temperature residual strength of the laminate as a function of thermal shock temperature was constructed, demonstrating steplike behavior. Using this model, the mechanical behavior of the alumina/NiCu laminate system subjected to thermal shock loading of up to 1000°C was predicted. The model revealed the superiority of this material system over monolithic ceramics under thermal shock conditions.     

Effects of Damage on Thermal Shock Strength Behavior of Ceramics

When subjected to severe thermal shock, ceramics suffer strength degradation due to the damage caused by the shock. A fracture-damage analysis is presented to study the effects of damage on the thermal shock behavior of ceramics. It is assumed that a narrow strip damage zone is developed at the tip of a preexisting crack after a critical thermal shock and the damage behavior can be described by a linear strain-softening constitutive relation. Damage growth and strength degradation are determined based on fracture and damage mechanics. Numerical calculations are carried out for two ceramic materials, and the strength degradation agrees quite well with experimental results. The effects of bridging/damage stress, the fracture energy of the bridging/damage zone, and specimen size on thermal shock strength behavior are studied. A higher fracture energy can enhance the residual strength of thermally shocked ceramics and, for a given fracture energy, a higher bridging stress is needed to reduce the strength degradation. It is also shown that the thermal shock strength behavior is size-dependent, and a high value of ( K _IC/O_b)², where K _IC is the intrinsic fracture toughness and O_b is the bending strength, can improve significantly the residual strength.     

Residual Strength of a Low‐Strength Ceramic with a Precrack Induced by Thermal Shock

A method of introducing a single sharp crack with controllable length and position in brittle materials by thermal shock is proposed. This method is simple to conduct and suitable for the precise testing of critical fracture parameters, with accurate values of fracture toughness of brittle ceramics, such as ZrB₂–SiC–graphite (ZSG), able to be obtained. Moreover, this provides an experiment foundation for the study of the relationship between mechanical properties and cracks: The effects of crack length and specimen thickness on the residual strength of ZSG were investigated here. Further comparison between the experimental data and the results of the extended finite‐element calculation was made. Through proper control over the thermal shock, a desired number of uniformly distributed and roughly parallel cracks can be obtained.     

Fe-Al/Al2O3复合材料与ZTA陶瓷的抗热震性研究

对Fe-Al／Al2O3复合材料的抗热震性进行了测定。通过与ZTA陶瓷的抗热震性对比，分析了该复合材料具有较好抗热震性的原因。试验发现：Fe-Al／Al2O3复合材料的残余硬度和抗压强度随AT的变化有明显差异。在热震温差很高时，Fe—Al相的高温热强性改善了Fe-Al／Al2O3复合材料的抗热震性。     

Thermal Stress Failure of Ceramics under Repeated Rapid Heatings

A plasma jet thermal shock testing method was developed for evaluating the mechanical response of ceramics to repeated thermal shock heat up. The extent of damage involving changes in the populations of critical microstructural heterogeneities was characterized through statistical distributions of residual strengths. This thermal shock testing method was applied to silicon-based ceramics, including two grades of silicon nitride and a commercial silicon carbide. The thermal fatigue behavior was finally simulated using failure probability computations produced by the CERAM computer code for reliability analysis.     

Design Data for Engineering Ceramics: A Review of the Flexure Test

The uniaxial strength of engineering ceramics is often measured by the well-known flexure strength test method there is a risk that flexure data are not representative of the properties of fabricated components. Reliability estimates for components based upon statistical extrapolation techniques from flexure data may not be valid. This paper reviews the problem and judges the usefulness of flexure data for design purposes. It is shown that some of the limitations of flexure data apply; to other modes of testing, including direct tension testing     

纳米/纳米型和晶间型ZTM/Al_2O_3复相陶瓷抗热震性能的研究

利用典型的湿化学法制备了两种ZTM/Al2 O3复相陶瓷材料 :晶间型和纳米 /纳米型 ;分别对高温和低温深冷条件下 ,两种不同结构材料的抗热震损伤性能进行了研究。结果表明 :对ZTM/Al2 O3 复相陶瓷材料 ,高温热冲击下 ,纳米 /纳米型材料的残余强度的衰减变化大于晶间型材料 ;晶间型材料的抗热冲击性能优于纳米/纳米型材料。低温深冷条件下 ,晶间型材料由于ZrO2 马氏体相变的失效和残余微量玻璃相的脆化 ,表现出与普通耐火材料相似的残余强度衰变趋势 ,而纳米 /纳米型材料却呈现与高温热冲击条件下相似的变化趋势     

基质相对莫来石-刚玉窑具性能的影响

研究了基质相组成,对莫来石-刚玉窑具性能的影响.研究发现:基质相对窑具的性能影响较大,硅线石的加入可以提高窑具的常温强度和高温强度,莫来石生粉加入可以提高窑具的抗热震性.     

Repeated thermal shock behavior of ZrB2-SiC-graphite composite under prestress

The thermal shock resistance of ZrB₂-SiC-graphite composite under nominal prestress of 0, 20, 30, 40 or 50 MPa after subjected to 10 and 30 cycles of thermal shock was evaluated by measuring the residual flexural strength of the tested specimen. In each test the applied prestress kept constant and in each cycle the specimen center was heated to 2000 °C within 5 s through electrical resistance heating method and cooled down naturally to room temperature. A lot of broken SiO₂ bubbles in the tested specimens were observed with a SEM. For the specimen subjected to 10 cycles of thermal shock, the residual flexural strength does not show big change under different levels of prestress, although the thickness of oxide layer increases at larger prestress, which is presumably attributed to the effect of the oxide layer that heals the cracks and the pores and enhances the strength. For the specimen subjected to 30 cycles of thermal shock, the residual strength decreases, in general, with the increase of prestress level. The thermal shock fatigue under different levels of prestress was also tested, and it was found that the increase of prestress may speed the failure of the specimen, indicating that the level of prestress may fatally affect the failure of the material.     

Thermal shock behavior of nano-sized ZrN particulate reinforced AlON composites

Aluminum oxynitride (AlON) has been considered as a potential ceramic material for high-performance structural and advanced refractory applications owing to its excellent stability and mechanical properties such as high rigidity and good chemical stability. Thermal shock resistance is a major concern and an important performance index of refractories and high-temperature ceramics. While zirconium nitride (ZrN) particles have been proven to improve mechanical properties of AlON ceramic, the thermal shock behavior has not been evaluated yet. The aim of this investigation was to identify the thermal shock resistance and underlying mechanisms of hot-pressed 2.7% ZrN–AlON composites by a water-quenching technique over a temperature range between 225 °C and 275 °C. The residual strength and Young's modulus after thermal shock decreased with increasing temperature range and thermal shock times due to large temperature gradients and thermal stresses caused by abrupt water-quenching. The presence of nano-sized ZrN particles exhibited a positive effect on the improvement of both residual strength and critical temperature difference of AlON ceramic due to the toughening effects, the higher thermal conductivity of ZrN, the refined grain size and the reduction of porosity. Different toughening mechanisms including crack deflection, crack bridging and crack branching were observed during thermal shock experiments, thus effectively enhancing the crack initiation and propagation resistance and leading to a considerable improvement in thermal shock resistance in the ZrN–AlON composites.     

耐火材料抗热震疲劳行为评价的研究

提出了热震条件下的强度衰减方程,用多种耐 试验结果对该方程进行了拟合,强度衰减速率和残余强度两者的对数值间存在或人段存在直线上此可将材料分成３种类型,并可更精确评价其抗热震性。     

Thermal shock behavior of co-continuous TiCx-Cu cermets in air and anaerobic environment

The present work investigated the microstructure and mechanical properties of TiC_x-Cu cermets before and after thermal shock tests. Thermal shock temperature was from 800 °C to 1200 °C and number of cycles was from 1 to 20. The results indicated that TiC_x-Cu cermets with co-continuous structure exhibited a stable and excellent thermal shock resistance. When quenched at 1000 °C for 1 cycle, the residual flexural strength of the cermet increased to 882 MPa, which was 10.1% higher than that without thermal shock. After 20 cycles of thermal shock, the residual flexural strength still maintain 760 MPa. When quenched at 800 °C and 1200 °C, the strengths of cermet decreased correspondingly, which were caused by the thermal mismatch between metal and ceramics and effusion of Cu or collapses of oxide layer, respectively. Herein, the recrystallization and refinement of metal phase grains caused during the thermal shock process, resulting in the superior thermal shock performance of cermet.