Alumina Ceramic Samples Research Articles

Effect of applied load on wear of microwave sintered alumina-graphene ceramic composite material

The present work is mainly focussed on the preparation of alumina ceramic composite material reinforced with different weight proportions (wt%) of graphene ranging from 0.15 wt% to 0.45 wt% (with an interval of 0.1) and fabrication using microwave sintering method. Wear studies are performed on graphene reinforced alumina ceramic material samples using pin-on-disk apparatus at different loads of 5 N, 10 N, 15 N keeping speed of 0.8 m s−1 and sliding distance of 40 m constant. The obtained wear results are compared with wear performance of pure alumina samples which are prepared in the same condition. Wear tests even at higher load of 15 N revealed that the decrease in the wear rate of the ceramic composite samples reinforced with 0.35 wt% of grapheme is 35.14% and in the ceramic composite samples reinforced with 0.45 wt% of graphene is 34.85% when compared with the wear rate of samples prepared with pure alumina. The effect of different wt%s of graphene on wear properties of prepared ceramic composites is studied through SEM analysis, and observed that the abrasive wear phenomenon is found to be the dominant wear mechanism.

Aluminium Matrix Composite Materials Reinforced by 3D-Printed Ceramic Preforms.

This article employed the fused deposition modelling (FDM) method and gas-pressure infiltration to manufacture alumina/AlSi12 composites. Porous ceramic skeletons were prepared by FDM 3D printing of two different alumina powder-filed filaments. The organic component was removed using a combination of solvent and heat debinding, and the materials were then sintered at 1500 °C to complete the process. Thermogravimetric tests and DTA analysis were performed to develop an appropriate degradation and sintering program. Manufactured skeletons were subjected to microstructure analysis, porosity analysis, and bending test. The sintering process produced porous alumina ceramic samples with no residual carbon content. Open porosity could occur due to the binder's degradation. Liquid metal was infiltrated into the ceramic, efficiently filling any open pores and forming a three-dimensional network of the aluminium phase. The microstructure and characteristics of the fabricated materials were investigated using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy, computer tomography, hardness testing, and bending strength testing. The developed composite materials are characterized by the required structure-low porosity and homogenous distribution of the reinforcing phase, better mechanical properties than their matrix and more than twice as high hardness. Hence, the developed innovative technology of their manufacturing can be used in practice.

Dynamic compressive strength of alumina ceramics

Dynamic (220–510 s−1) and quasi-static (0.001 s−1) compression experiments are conducted on alumina ceramics implemented with two types of tungsten carbide inserts, cylindrical and step-shaped. Split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) tests with in-situ, high-speed optical imaging are adopted to capture the damage and failure of ceramic samples under dynamic compression. The compressive strength of alumina ceramic samples with step-shaped inserts is 15%–30% higher than that with cylindrical inserts commonly used in previous studies, under both dynamic and quasi-static loading. Damage occurs first at the two ends of ceramic samples with the cylindrical inserts, followed by edge fracture and splitting cracks penetrating the sample. However, damage is initiated in the sample region away from the sample ends for the step-shaped inserts, and oblique and secondary transverse cracks dominate the failure process. The different damage modes in the case of step-shaped inserts result in the delayed damage initiation and sample failure, and consequently high compressive strengths. Finite element modelling (FEM) of the SHPB tests provides strength and damage evolution features consistent with the experiment using the Johnson–Holmquist (JH-2) model. FEM reveals equivalent, tensile and shear stress concentrations at the two ends of samples with cylindrical inserts. The stress concentrations are responsible for the damage initiation and growth at the sample ends and the following splitting cracks, consistent with the high-speed images. In contrast, homogeneous stress distributions are achieved in the sample with the step-shaped inserts, ensuring simultaneous damage development across the sample. Overall, the step-shaped inserts in conjunction with cylindrical samples can yield reliable strength measurements for ceramics and ceramic-like materials.

Non-destructive evaluation of ceramic porosity using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

Dielectric constants of Al2O3 (alumina) ceramic samples have been measured with non-destructive terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. Using an effective medium approximation, we demonstrated that the relative permittivity can be used to evaluate the porous alumina samples, with porosity fractions ranging from 0% to 20% per volume. This result makes it possible to control sample porosity, a key material parameter related to mechanical strength under compression load, hardness and wear resistance, or thermal stability. We also employed terahertz time-domain spectroscopy to differentiate alumina samples fabricated with different grain sizes, or reveal a small fraction of impurities, such as 5%vol of ZrO2, embedded in non-porous alumina. These results demonstrated the potential of terahertz radiation for non-destructive characterization of low loss high dielectric constant ceramics.

Comparison and Selection of Data Processing Methods for the Application of Cr3+ Photoluminescence Piezospectroscopy to Thermal Barrier Coatings

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are an indispensable part of the blades used in aeroengines. Under a high-temperature service environment, the thermal oxidation stress at the interface is the main cause of thermal barrier failure. Cr3+ photoluminescence piezospectroscopy has been successfully used to analyze the thermal oxidation stress of TBCs, but systematic and quantitative analysis results for use in data processing are still lacking, especially with respect to the identification of peak positions. The processing methods used to fit spectral data were studied in this work to accurately characterize TBC thermal oxidation stress using Cr3+ photoluminescence spectroscopy. Both physical and numerical experiments were carried out, where Cr3+ photoluminescence spectra were detected from alumina ceramic samples under step-by-step uniaxial loading, and the simulated spectra were numerically deduced from the measured spectral data. Then, the peak shifts were obtained by fitting all spectral data by using Lorentzian, Gaussian and Psd-Voigt functions. By comparing the fitting results and then discussing the generation mechanism, the Lorentzian function—not the Psd-Voigt function that is most widely utilized—was regarded as the most applicable method for the application of Cr3+ photoluminescence piezospectroscopy to TBCs because of its sufficient sensitivity, stability and confidence for quantitative stress analysis.

Influence research of temperature heat treatment on the microstructure of alumina ceramics

The JSC "URIR named after A. S. Berezhnoy" developed and introduced the technology of highly refractory alumina extra-dense ceramics. It is known that, the structure and properties of alumina ceramics in many cases depend on the temperature of its heat treatment, the holding time at the final temperature, the thermal unit, and a number of other factors. In order to study the processes of structure formation during of heat treatment the microstructure of alumina ceramic samples of two compositions (composition 1 with a moisture content of 30 %, as well as with dispersing and hardening additives, and composition 2 with a moisture content of 20 % only with dispersing additive) which were made by slip casting aqueous alumina slips based on reactive alumina α–from with Al2O3 content over 99 %, specific surface ~ 9 m2/g by electron microscopic analysis was studied. It was established that, after heat treatment at 1000 °C the beginning of sintering and recrystallization of corundum grains are observed, after heat treatment at 1200 °C take place packing of structure and recrystallization of α–Al2O3. After firing at 1400 °C the microstructure of samples composition 1 is represented to a large extent by crystals of tabular corundum with a particle size ~ 0.5—5.5 μm, predominant — ~ 2.5—3.0 μm. After firing at 1400 °C the microstructure of samples composition 2 is represented — by individual particles of a rounded and oval form with a size of ~ 0.5—3.5 μm, predominant — ~ 1.5—2.0 μm which are interconnected by intercrystalline layers. The microstructure of alumina ceramic samples of both compositions after firing at 1500 °C is similar and is composed of recrystallized corundum grains with a size of ~ 0.5—5.5 μm, predominant — ~ 1.5—2.0 μm, among which there are also larger α–Al2O3 grains, with a size of ~ 2—8 μm. After firing at 1580 °C the microstructure of samples is represented by a dense fine-grained structure of well-formed practically defect-free corundum grains, with a size of ~ 0.5—3.0 μm, among which grains of ~ 5—10 μm.

Ultrasensitive video extensometer using single-camera dual field-of-view telecentric imaging system.

Video extensometer assesses mechanical properties of materials by measuring their length changes under different loadings with combined use of video recording and image processing. In this Letter, an ultrasensitive video extensometer implemented on a single-camera dual field-of-view (dual FOV) telecentric imaging system is proposed. The method integrates the idea of FOV separation and telecentric imaging, which can increase the strain resolution with an order of magnitude and enhance the strain accuracy significantly. Validation experiments indicate that the root mean square error of a video extensometer was effectively decreased from 25.2 to 4.4 microstrains after employing the proposed method. Time-varying thermal strains of Al alloy and alumina ceramic samples were also precisely measured by the established ultrasensitive video extensometer, confirming its accuracy and practicality.

Porous alumina ceramic via gelcasting based on 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate dissolved in tert-butyl alcohol

Abstract To obtain porous alumina ceramic with high strength, a novel gelcasting system based on 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) dissolved in tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) was developed. The polymerization of the HEMA–TBA gelcasting system, the thermal behavior of obtained green body, and the microstructures and mechanical properties of the sintered bodies were investigated by rheometer, TG–DSC, SEM and bending strength testing, respectively. The results show that, (1) 10 mg/mL of the initiator (benzoyl peroxide) is the optimal amount for polymerization of this gelscasting system at 25 °C; (2) The alumina suspension of the HEMA–TBA gelcasting system showing shear-thinning behavior is sufficiently low for gelcasting process; (3) The bending strength of porous alumina ceramic samples, whose porosities range from 42% to 56%, is from (8±0.5) to (91±4.5) MPa.

Charge trapping characteristics of alumina based ceramics

The space charge dynamics is very important for electrical breakdown of alumina based ceramics. In this paper, the charge trapping/detrapping characteristics of alumina based ceramics were studied by means of isothermal surface potential decay (ISPD) method. For alumina and zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA) ceramic samples, the ISPD curves charged by corona discharge as well as microstructure characterization were carried out. For the first time, crossover phenomenon and hollow shaped potential profile were observed and reported in alumina based ceramics, indicating a surface potential decay process dominated by charge injection and volume conduction affected by the trap states in materials. In addition, the comparative trapping characteristics were evaluated based on a charge detrapping controlled decay model. The correlation between trap distribution and microstructure of alumina based ceramics was investigated. It was proposed that different charge trapping characteristics of alumina based ceramic samples was caused by varied shallow trap density of grain boundary.

Surface analysis of alumina ceramic exposed to shock waves produced by plasma expander

Material surface treatment by plasma expander is relatively recent. Plasma expander is based on the inverse pinch effect. The shock waves produced by plasma expander may also promote modifications in ceramic materials exposed to the expander. These modifications are mainly made by ablation phenomenon. This work was intended to verify the shock wave effects on the ionic ceramic samples with high dielectric constant. The alumina ceramic samples were formed by both uniaxial and isostatic pressing methods and sintered at 1650 °C. They were also produced with addition 0.15 wt% of MgO in order to obtain a high densification. The ceramic samples were divided in groups and exposed to 700, 1000 and 1440 pulses during 20 min. These pulses were generated by nitrogen plasma expander at 13.0 Pa and 6 kV. After plasma exposure, there was an increase in roughness parameter values of Al2O3 ceramic surface. The treatment by plasma expander did not modify the hydrophilic characteristic of the alumina ceramic samples. The results of hardness test presented no significant changes on hardness mean values.

Gamma ray transmission technique applied to porous phase characterization of low-porosity ceramic samples

The aim of this study is to apply gamma ray transmission (GRT), a non destructive technique, in the structural characterization of low-porosity ceramic samples. GRT technique is based on the attenuation that photons of an incident radiation beam undergo when passing through the material. With this technique the porosity of alumina (Al2O3) and boron carbide (B4C) ceramic samples, was determined. The equipment employed comprises a 241Am (Americium) gamma ray source (59.6 keV and 100 mCi), a 50.8 mm × 50.8 mm NaI (Tl) scintillation detector coupled to a standard Gamma Ray Transmission system and a micrometric automated table for sample movement. The porosity profile of the samples shows a homogeneous porosity distribution, within the spatial resolution of the employed transmission system. The mean porosity values determined for Al2O3 and B4C were 17.8 (±1.3 %) and 3.87 (±0.43 %), respectively. Statistical treatment of these results was performed and showed that the mean porosity values determined by Gamma Ray Transmission technique are the same as those supplied by the manufacturer.

Improved Mechanical Behavior and Plastic Deformation Capability of Ultrafine Grain Alumina Ceramics

The nanoindentation and nanoscratch behavior under ramp loading conditions of three dense bulk alumina ceramic samples with average grain size regimes of ~290 nm, 750 nm, and 1.3 μm, respectively, has been investigated using a nanoindenterXPSsystem in indentation and scratch modes. The mechanical behavior, including hardness from nanoindentation tests, scratch hardness, scratch resistance, and coefficient of friction from nanoscratch tests, can be improved with grain refinement. Moreover, the surface roughness of the scratch grooves and the distinct morphologies of the nanoscratch debris from each sample reveal that alumina ceramic samples with ultrafine grain size exhibit an increase in plastic deformation capability at the nano‐ and micro‐scale.

Experimental and theoretical investigation of the drilling of alumina ceramic using Nd:YAG pulsed laser

Alumina ceramics have found wide range of applications from semiconductors, communication technologies, medical devices, automotive to aerospace industries. Processing of alumina ceramics is rather difficult due to its high degree of brittleness, hardness, low thermal diffusivity and conductivity. Rapid improvements in laser technologies in recent years make the laser among the most convenient processing tools for difficult-to-machine materials such as hardened metals, ceramics and composites. This is particularly evident as lasers have become an inexpensive and controllable alternative to conventional hole drilling methods. This paper reports theoretical and experimental results of drilling the alumina ceramic with thicknesses of 5 mm and 10.5 mm using milisecond pulsed Nd:YAG laser. Effects of the laser peak power, pulse duration, repetition rate and focal plane position have been determined using optical and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images taken from cross-sections of the drilled alumina ceramic samples. In addition to dimensional analysis of the samples, microstructural investigations have also been examined. It has been observed that, the depth of the crater can be controlled as a function of the peak power and the pulse duration for a single laser pulse application without any defect. Crater depth can be increased by increasing the number of laser pulses with some defects. In addition to experimental work, conditions have been simulated using ANYS FLUENT package providing results, which are in good agreement with the experimental results.

Laser Ablation of Alumina Ceramic in Sodium Hydroxide Solution with Nd:YAG Laser

In this paper, alumina ceramic samples were ablated with HGW-300 solid laser in sodium hydroxide solution medium. The morphology and structure of the ablated surface were investigated by SEM and XRD. The results show that, the mass loss increased with increased processing voltage. With the laser scanning speed increasing, the mass loss of alumina ceramic sample decreasing. While pulse width is 1.4ms, the mass loss of the sample gets maximum.When the repeat frequency is 40Hz, the mass loss of the sample in 20g/L sodium hydroxide solution reaches a maximum and then drops down. Corrosive medium can increase the mass loss of alumina. When the samples were tested in 20g/l sodium hydroxide solution, their mass losses is higher than in any other solutions.

Manufacturing of Porous Alumina Scaffolds with Bio-Glass and HAp Coating: Mechanical and <i>In Vitro</i> Evaluation

The objective of this study was to manufacture porous scaffolds with bioinert and bioactive materials to join mechanical properties and bony integration. Porous alumina ceramic matrices were produced using the slurry technique followed by isostatic pressing, leaching and sintering. Porous alumina samples presented 75.0vol% porosity and 52.27MPa of compressive strength. Bioglass/hydroxyapatite ceramic slurry was used as coating on alumina matrices. The infiltration was performed by dipping the alumina porous samples into bio-glass/hydroxyapatite ceramics slurry under vacuum and followed by sintering. The evaluation of the alumina ceramic scaffolds samples were made using EDX, mechanical and in vitro tests. For the in vitro tests, fibroblastic VERO cell line was employed. The porous alumina ceramic coated acquired a higher strength and more pronounced cell interaction than the non coated alumina scaffolds.

Dielectric Performance of Alumina Ceramics Sintered at Different Temperatures

This paper investigated the influence of sintering temperature on the dielectric performance of alumina ceramic. Three different kinds of alumina ceramic samples were prepared using the same formula with three different sintering temperatures. The flashover voltage and surface charge distribution of the test samples were measured with a finger type electrode system under a positive pulse voltage application in a 1×10-4Pa vacuum circumstance. The experimental results showed that the samples with higher sintering temperature have worse dielectric performance. Based on the SEM observation, the change of dielectric performance could be attributed to the change of microstructure of alumina ceramics.

The relation of trap distribution of alumina with surface flashover performance in vacuum

Alumina ceramic samples prepared under different sintering temperatures and varied additives were measured to indicate the trap density and trap energy located in alumina materials by using thermally stimulated current (TSC). The surface charges on alumina in vacuum after applying a negative pulse voltage (0.7/4 /spl mu/s), and flashover performances of the materials in vacuum also were measured. We found that the trap distribution in alumina has a correlation with surface charges and flashover performances in vacuum. It is shown that the higher is the trap density in the material, the higher is the surface charge density, and the lower is the flashover voltage on alumina surface. It is believed that the trapping and de-trapping mechanisms of carriers could play an important role during the development of the discharge processes, together with the secondary electron emission mechanism.

Optical studies of surface discharge under dc voltage in vacuum

Utilizing a high-sensitivity photomultiplier tube (PMT) and an intensified charge coupled device (ICCD) camera, the light emission from the surface of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and alumina ceramic samples was investigated in vacuum under a stepped dc voltage in order to study the initiation and development of surface discharge. Different from the classical electrode contact by butting electrodes on a sample directly, to achieve a fine contact between electrodes and the surface of a sample, the metalized electrodes were employed by sputtering two additional gold contacts on each sample in advance. The two types of materials showed quite different optical characteristics. It was suggested that there were several processes possibly related to the initiation mechanism of the surface discharge. Besides the field electron emission from the cathode triple junction (CTJ) for the classical electrode contact, there were charge injection and transport in the surface states of dielectrics, and charge trapping and detrapping phenomena. Electroluminescence (EL) emission was emitted due to the radiative recombination of electrons and holes injected. These processes were strongly dependent on the electrode contact manner and the surface states of insulating materials.

Uncertainty estimation for emissivity measurements near roomtemperature with a Fourier transform spectrometer

A Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer was developed to measurespectral radiance of thermal-infrared emission near ambient temperatures withhigh accuracy at the NMIJ (former NRLM). The spectrometer uses a simple Michelsoninterferometer that consists of corner cube mirrors and a KBr beam splitter.The spectral range between 5 µm and 12 µm was covered by a liquid nitrogencooled photovoltaic HgCdTe detector operated in the photoamperic mode. Opaquesolid samples with good thermal conductivity were heated directly by thethermostatic fluid up to 100 °C. To reduce the effect of absorption by air,all of the optical components were operated in the vacuum. The spectrometerwas calibrated against two high quality reference blackbodies: afixed-temperature blackbody cooled by liquid nitrogen and avariable-temperature blackbody operated in the temperature range between -20 °C and100 °C. We measured the normal spectral emissivity of alumina ceramic samples anddetermined the uncertainties. The combined standard relative uncertainties forthe alumina samples at 100 °C was smaller than 1% when the emissivity wasclose to unity, and less than 3% when the emissivity was approximately 0.2.

Effects of geometry and polarity on the prebreakdown and flashover behavior of conical high-voltage insulators in vacuum

Concurrent optical and electrical measurements have been used to characterize the physical phenomena associated with the prebreakdown and flashover behavior of high-voltage alumina ceramic insulator samples having both conventional and unconventional conical geometries. The critical parameters are the threshold voltage for initiating flashover events, the stable interelectrode current-voltage relationship, the luminescence pattern, and the breakdown rate as a function of time. These measurements have revealed that a well-conditioned sample of unconventional conical geometry can have very low, i.e., approaching zero, breakdown rate. Physical explanations of the findings are based on the current understanding of flashover mechanisms and the prediction from simulations using a field plotting technique.