Abstract
Although ceramics have many advantages when compared to metals in specific applications, they could be more widely applied if their low properties (fracture toughness, strength, and electrical and thermal conductivities) are improved. Reinforcing ceramics by two nano-phases that have different morphologies and/or properties, called the hybrid microstructure design, has been implemented to develop hybrid ceramic nanocomposites with tailored nanostructures, improved mechanical properties, and enhanced functionalities. The use of the novel spark plasma sintering (SPS) process allowed for the sintering of hybrid ceramic nanocomposite materials to maintain high relative density while also preserving the small grain size of the matrix. As a result, hybrid nanocomposite materials that have better mechanical and functional properties than those of either conventional composites or nanocomposites were produced. The development of hybrid ceramic nanocomposites is in its early stage and it is expected to continue attracting the interest of the scientific community. In the present paper, the progress made in the development of alumina hybrid nanocomposites, using spark plasma sintering, and their properties are reviewed. In addition, the current challenges and potential applications are highlighted. Finally, future prospects for developing alumina hybrid nanocomposites that have better performance are set.
Highlights
Most ceramic materials [1] have high melting temperatures, high stiffness, and high thermal stability
The use of spark plasma sintering (SPS) allowed for the sintering of alumina hybrid nanocomposites to either near-theoretical density or high relative density values despite the poor sinterability of alumina and the fact that the presence of the reinforcement in a ceramic matrix reduces the densification [41]
Alumina reinforced with graphene platelets (GNPs) and silicon carbide (SiC) hybrid nanocomposites with high relative density values of at least 97.35% were produced by SPS (1500 ◦C, 3 min., and 50 MPa) [39]
Summary
Most ceramic materials [1] have high melting temperatures, high stiffness, and high thermal stability. Comprehensive review papers on the synthesis, processing, microstructure, properties, and performance of ceramic matrix composites, including alumina nanocomposites reinforced by SiC, ZrO2, CNTs, and graphene, were published [6,11,29,30,31]. It is believed that spark plasma sintering (SPS) will continue to be a process of choice for developing alumina hybrid nanocomposites that have preferred microstructures and novel properties [41] This is because of the advantages of SPS over other sintering methods, which include high heating rate, low sintering time and temperature, and enhanced densification due to the role of the electric current. Future research directions for developing nanocomposites that have enhanced comprehensive performance are set
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