Average Grain Size Research Articles

Superior combined strength and elongation by conducting elevated temperature constrained groove pressing on Al–Mg–Mn sheets

Al 5083 alloy has widely been employed in marine and offshore engineering as well as production of various types of superplastically formed parts in aerospace and automotive industries. The constrained groove pressing (CGP) is also one of important sheet severe plastic deformation (SPD) technique. In this study, The CGP process has been performed on Al 5083 sheets at an elevated temperature and up to three cycles. Complementary experiments, namely metallography, precipitation evolution, hardness and tensile tests as well as fractography were conducted for various deformed and undeformed sheets. The 1-passed workpiece represented the minimum average grain size (AGS) 8 μm due to huge strain induction. By computing the inhomogeneity factor (IF), it was also found that the 2-passed sample was the most inhomogeneous worksheet with an IF of 6.3. By performing three CGP cycles, superior elongation of 56.2% combined with UTS of 309 MPa were achieved for the 3-passed sample, making this workpiece very suitable for conducting any subsequent metal forming process. This was mainly due to the precipitation evolutions of Al6(Fe,Mn) and Al3Mg2 particles. Moreover, fractography of various specimens showed that by performing greater number of CGP cycles, the fracture mechanisms changed to a ductile mode due to creation of tiny and deep dimples.

Effect of manganese doping on structural, optical, morphological, and dielectric properties of Ba(Ti1-xMnx)O3 lead-free ceramics for energy storage in supercapacitors.

A supercapacitor (SC) is considered to be one of the best energy storage devices due to its high-power density, long lifespan, fast charge storage capability, and eco-friendliness. Ceramics with low-cost, nontoxic, high efficiency, and stability are the suitable and promising materials for performed supercapacitors at room temperature. As proposal, we synthesized by sol-gel method the ceramics Ba(Ti1-xMnx)O3 (where x = 0, 1, 2, or 3%) to study the effect a low rate of manganese doping on their morphological, structural, dielectric, and optical properties. The microstructure of the sintered ceramics was examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the results reveal that the average grain size (AGS) of the ceramics (0.663-1.018μm) increases with increasing Mn doping content. The optical behavior was studied by UV-visible spectroscopy, and the results indicate that Mn doping reduces the band gap (Eg) from 3.27 to 2.79eV thus, the possibility of using these materials in photocatalyze applications. The dielectric properties of all studied samples were investigated at the temperature range 30-400°C and frequency range 103-106Hz. Significant modification in dielectric permittivity and an appreciable decrease in dielectric losses were observed when adding Mn2+ ions to BaTiO3 ceramics. Variations in dielectric properties and AC conductivity, as a function of frequency, reveal a relaxation mechanism related to the Maxwell-Wagner interfacial polarization. The obtained results suggest the use of prepared ceramics in capacitor and actuator applications at room temperature (RT).

Co-deposition of nanocrystalline Co–Mo catalysts with a new fluffy microstructure for hydrogen evolution reaction based on N, N-dimethylformamide and ethylene glycol system

The co-deposition behavior of Co(II) and Mo(VI) in N,N-dimethylformamide and ethylene glycol system is observed. The result implies that Co–Mo co-deposition is typical induced deposition, while containing ordinary deposition process. Mo(VI) species in the system can suppress the reduction of Co(II) and its effect can be improved as the increase of Mo(VI) concentration, however, Co(II) species can promote the reduction of Mo(VI) and the effect can also be improved as the increase of Co(II) concentration. SEM micrographs indicate that all these films exhibit a fibrous surface morphology with a new fluffy microstructure. XRD pattern reveals that the Co–Mo film is a Mo solid solution in Co and its average size of crystalline grain is 9.5 nm. In addition, the electrocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on these Co–Mo films is investigated. These results indicate that its electrocatalytic activity can be improved as Mo content increases from 1.02 to 2.84 wt% and the prepared Co–Mo film with 2.84 wt% Mo presents a high electrocatalytic activity and stability for HER with an overpotential of 81 mV at 10 mA cm−2.

Effects of multi-pass friction stir processing on mechanical and tribological properties of Mg–Zn–Zr alloys

Owing to high strength and good biocompatibility, Mg–Zn binary alloys have attracted significant attention as a potential candidate for producing human implants. However due to the formation casting defects and dendritic structure, these alloys show poor mechanical and wear performances. Alloying and applying severe plastic deformation methods are suggested as two techniques for modifying and improving the above properties. In this study, dry-sliding wear and friction behaviors of the Mg–0.5Zn (MZ) alloy were enhanced by micro-alloying with Zr (0.25 wt%) and applying multi-pass friction stir processing (FSP) technique. Adding Zr reduced the average grain size (AGS) from 1.5 ± 0.3 mm in the MZ sample to about 510 ± 50 μm through the formation of evenly distributed Zr-rich particles with the chemical composition of Mg: 8.84, Zn: 0.75, and Zr: 90.41 A% in the structure. Furthermore, the attendance of thermostable Zr particles stimulated the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) during FSP and reduced the AGS to less than ≈2 μm after the 3rd FSP pass. This substantial grain refinement along with the casting defects reduction, and the fragmentation and redistribution of Zr particles enhanced the hardness and tensile properties of the substrate. Thus, the improved substrate in the FSPed samples, increased the stability of the formed tribolayer on the worn surfaces and changed the wear mechanisms from severe adhesive/delamination in the MZ alloy to mild abrasive/adhesive in the FSPed Zr-modified samples. Therefore, in the optimal condition (3-pass FSPed Mg–0.5Zn–0.25Zr sample), the hardness and total elongation percentage (EL%) increased by 55% and 648% while the mass loss and average friction coefficient (AFC) were reduced by 54% and 39%, respectively, compared to the as-cast Mg–0.5Zn alloy (under a load of 30 N).

Grain size responsive uniaxial tensile behavior of polycrystalline nanocopper under different temperatures and strain rates

PurposeThe changes in tensile behavior of polycrystalline nanocopper lattice with changes in temperature, average grain size (AGS) and strain rate, have been explored. The existence of a critical AGS has also been observed which shows that the Hall–Petch relationship behaves inversely.Design/methodology/approachNanoscale deformation of polycrystalline nanocopper has been done in this study with the help of an embedded atom method (EAM) potential. Voronoi construction method has been employed for creating four polycrystals of nanocopper with different sizes. Statistical analysis has been used to examine the observations with emphasis on the polycrystal size effect on melting point temperature.FindingsThe study has found that the key stress values (i.e. elastic modulus, yield stress and ultimate tensile stress) are significantly influenced by the considered parameters. The increase in strain rate is observed to have an increasing impact on mechanical properties, whereas the increase in temperature degrades the mechanical properties. In-depth analysis of the deformation mechanism has been studied to deliver real-time visualization of grain boundary motion.Originality/valueThis study provides the relationship between required grain size variations for consecutive possible variations in mechanical properties and may help to reduce the trial processes in the synthesis of polycrystalline copper based on different temperatures and strain rates.

Inhomogeneous Superconductivity Onset in FeSe Studied by Transport Properties

Heterogeneous superconductivity onset is a common phenomenon in high-Tc superconductors of both the cuprate and iron-based families. It is manifested by a fairly wide transition from the metallic to zero-resistance states. Usually, in these strongly anisotropic materials, superconductivity (SC) first appears as isolated domains. This leads to anisotropic excess conductivity above Tc, and the transport measurements provide valuable information about the SC domain structure deep within the sample. In bulk samples, this anisotropic SC onset gives an approximate average shape of SC grains, while in thin samples, it also indicates the average size of SC grains. In this work, both interlayer and intralayer resistivity were measured as a function of temperature in FeSe samples of various thicknesses. To measure the interlayer resistivity, FeSe mesa structures oriented across the layers were fabricated using FIB. As the sample thickness decreases, a significant increase in superconducting transition temperature Tc is observed: Tc raises from 8 K in bulk material to 12 K in microbridges of thickness ∼40 nm. We applied analytical and numerical calculations to analyze these and earlier data and find the aspect ratio and size of the SC domains in FeSe consistent with our resistivity and diamagnetic response measurements. We propose a simple and fairly accurate method for estimating the aspect ratio of SC domains from Tc anisotropy in samples of various small thicknesses. The relationship between nematic and superconducting domains in FeSe is discussed. We also generalize the analytical formulas for conductivity in heterogeneous anisotropic superconductors to the case of elongated SC domains of two perpendicular orientations with equal volume fractions, corresponding to the nematic domain structure in various Fe-based superconductors.

A Mineralogical Model for Thermal Transport Properties of Rocks: Verification for Low-Porosity, Crystalline Rocks at Ambient Conditions

AbstractThermal conductivity (K) describes the response of matter to temporal or spatial variations in temperature (T). To quantify the effect of varying mineralogy on heat transport of rocks, an accurate (±2%) contact-free heat transfer method was applied at ambient T to multiple sections from 33 different low porosity, continental, igneous and metamorphic rocks. Thermal diffusivity (Dheat) was measured using laser-flash analysis, which was previously used to construct our large mineralogical database and which mitigates spurious radiative transfer found in other techniques. These measurements constrain K, because K is the product of Dheat with the known (or calculable) properties of density and specific heat measured at constant pressure (P). Compositions, proportions, and orientations of minerals, plus rock density, average grain-size (L), and porosity were characterized for 61 sections from 29 silicate rocks plus 5 sections from 3 marbles. Our database was used to evaluate component summation (averaging) formulae that were recently developed by considering Fourier’s laws, and to quantify the dependence of K and/or Dheat on key rock descriptors. We found that: (1) phase proportions and compositions are the main cause of variations; (2) minor porosity and foliation have minor effects; and (3) within ~5%, isotropic rocks follow Dheat = ½{[Σ(fi/Di)]−1 + Σ(fiDi)} where fi is volumetric mineral fraction, analogous to the Voigt-Reuss-Hill average for elastic moduli. Using this formula predictively depends on the accuracy of fi and Di. Quartzo-feldspathic rocks can be described by a new formula that uses only quartz fraction and plagioclase composition. Combining our mineralogical model with a universal formula for Dheat(T) and a thermodynamic identity for K(P) accurately constrains conductive thermal transport for Earth’s low porosity, crystalline rock layers.

The influence of NbB inoculation on dendritic spacing and grain size of an aluminum 2017 alloy at different cooling rates

The Al-4Cu-Mg 2017 alloy is a significant Al extrusion alloy. As a result, knowing its behavior in terms of grain refining during casting stages becomes critical for the next processing steps. In the face of the shortcomings exhibited by TiB inoculants, the addition of NbB could be tested for this alloy as an alternative. The present article investigates the effects of NbB addition on grain size (GS), on secondary dendrite arm spacing (λ2), and on hardness of centrifugally cast (CC) and directionally solidified (DS) 2017 alloy samples, encompassing a broad range of cooling rates and solidification conditions. The λ2 did not change much as a result of the NbB inoculation, either for DS or CC samples, decreasing from 7.2 to 7.0 μm in the case of the 4-mm-thick CC samples and increasing from 17.0 to 22.5 μm in the case of the DS samples. The average GS, on the other hand, reduced from 293 to 136 μm for the NbB-containing CC samples and from 756 to 313 μm for the DS samples associated with cooling rates of 10 K/s. Both processes can achieve nearly the same GS reduction ratio, namely 2.2 for the CC and 2.5 for the DS. This implies that GS reduction ratio was barely affected if similar cooling rates were compared while taking the experimental range for both processes into account. Moreover, Vickers hardness results revealed that GS had little influence on this property for both alloys studied. The experimentally obtained data translated a variety of solidification condition outlines for the 2017 alloy. Through this data, the understanding of an alternative inoculant in a significant Al alloy series advanced significantly.

Effect of Abrasive Grain Size on the Abrasion Volume Loss of Subfossil and Recent Oak Wood in Three Characteristic Sections

Subfossil wood is a valuable and rare material often used for production of expensive furniture and decorative artistic items of unique beauty. Its mechanical and tribological properties are still being studied and are considered specific due to the particular conditions of its long-lasting formation in aqueous sediment sludge. Various elements that have been impregnated into the wood tissue over many years make the machining and grinding of this type of wood rather difficult compared to normal recent wood. The main objective of this study was to determine the influence of the abrasive grain size of sandpaper on the abrasion volume loss of recent and two subfossil oak samples in three characteristic sections (cross, radial, and tangential). The results showed that the average size of abrasive grains and the orientation of the wood structure have an influence on the abrasion volume loss of all three samples. The phenomenon of the critical size of abrasive grains was observed in all samples and on all sections. As the size of abrasive grains increased to the critical size, the abrasive volume loss of the sample increased simultaneously. The lowest abrasion volume loss was observed on recent oak. In all samples, the lowest volume loss was measured on the cross sections, and the tangential and radial sections had mutually equal values. It was also found that the increase in the size of abrasive grains to a critical value resulted in the increasing value of the absolute difference between the abrasion volume loss of the cross, radial, and tangential section samples, while the relative relations between the abrasive volume loss values of three different sections (C/R, C/T, R/T) within the same grit of sandpaper remained quite similar.

Особенности формирования микроструктуры алюминиевых сплавов АК4-1 и АК12Д после их совместной обработки трением с перемешиванием

Friction stir processing is one of the modern methods of local modification of the surface of aluminum alloys in the solid-phase state, which provides the dispersion of structural components. In heat-hardened aluminum alloys with a matrix type structure, heat treatment following after friction stir processing can lead to abnormal grain growth in the stir zone. However, in alloys with the structure close to microduplex type, a fine-grained structure can be formed after friction stir processing and heat treatment. This work is aimed at evaluating the possibility of increasing the microstructure thermal stability of the AK4-1 (Al–Cu–Mg–Fe–Si–Ni) matrix-type aluminum alloy. For this purpose, AK12D (Al–Si–Cu–Ni–Mg) aluminum alloy with the structure close to microduplex type was locally mixed into the studied alloy by friction stir processing. Subsequent Т6 heat treatment was carried out according to the standard mode for the AK4-1 alloy. Studies showed that the stir zone had an elliptical shape with an onion-ring structure. This structure comprised alternating rings with different amounts and sizes of excess phases. At the same time, in the stir zone center, the width of rings and the average area of excess phases were larger compared to the stir zone periphery, where the width of rings and the average area of particles were smaller. The average area of excess phases in the rings with their higher content was smaller than in the rings with their lower content. This distribution of excess phases leads to the formation of a fine-grained microstructure, where the average size of grains depends on the interparticle distance in the α-Al solid solution.

Effect of Mo content on impact toughness of CGHAZ in offshore engineering steels at different low temperatures

The effect of Mo content on impact toughness of the coarse-grained heat-affected zone (CGHAZ) in 420 MPa offshore engineering steels after 15 kJ/cm welding simulations is studied at low temperatures of −40, −60 and −80 °C. With increasing Mo content from 0.08 to 0.16 wt.%, the average size of the prior austenite grain in the CGHAZ is decreased from 150 to 70 µm, which mainly consists of lath bainite (LB). The fraction of high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) increases from 45.3% to 58.2%. The EBSD characterizations on the propagation and deflection of the main and secondary cracks in the CGHAZ indicate that the cleavage planes of the main crack mainly comprise of {100}, {110} and {112}. The way of fracture is changed from ductile fracture to quasi-cleavage fracture and cleavage fracture with decreasing the impact test temperature. As the Mo content is increased from 0.08 to 0.16 wt.%, the impact toughness values at −40, −60 and −80 °C are changed from 137, 101 and 40 J to 195, 117 and 88 J, respectively. With increasing the Mo content, the absorbed energies of the CGHAZ is improved because the sizes of PAG (Prior Austenite Grain) and LB are refined, and the fraction of HAGBs is increased to provide larger resistance for propagation of crack in CGHAZ.

Особенности магнитных текстур в многослойных периодических структурах Co/Pt

The results of systematic experimental studies of the magnetic state and crystal structure of multilayer films based on a ferromagnet/heavy metal pair (Co/Pt) by optical magnetometry, magnetic force microscopy, Lorentz and analytical transmission electron microscopy are presented. It is shown that with an increase in the number of Co/Pt periods in the films, an increase in the average size of crystal grains is observed, which leads to an increase in the dispersion of perpendicular anisotropy and, as a consequence, to a decrease in the size of magnetic domains and magnetization reversal fields. In addition, in films with n≥6 periods, the domain wall becomes hybrid; has an intermediate structure between the walls of the Neel and Bloch types.

Effect of Nb2O5 on ZnBiMnO varistor ceramic prepared by solid-state sintering at 850°C

Nb 2 O 5 is a commonly used donor dopant for ZnO-based varistor ceramics, but its effect, especially on the low-temperature sintered ZnO varistor ceramics, is not fully understood. To provide a possible answer to this problem, ZnO–Bi 2 O 3 –MnCO 3 (ZnBiMnO) based varistor ceramics with 0.05%–0.3% (in mole ratio) Nb 2 O 5 were fabricated by solid-state sintering at 850 °C for 3 h. Their microstructure and nonlinear electrical properties were studied by XRD, SEM and the standard current-voltage (I–V) tests to reveal the effect of Nb 2 O 5 . With the increase of Nb 2 O 5 from 0.05 mol% to 0.3 mol%, more solid Bi 5 Nb 3 O 15 inter-granular particles form within the ceramic during sintering, thereby decreasing the Bi-rich liquid phase. As a result, the average size of ZnO grain decreases from 4.35 μm to 1.67 μm. This microstructural change leads to the increase of the breakdown voltage in the range of 821 V/mm to 1851 V/mm. The ZnBiMnO varistor ceramic with 0.1 mol% Nb 2 O 5 shows the best nonlinear properties. The optimum nonlinear coefficient is 35.81, the breakdown voltage is 907.51 V/mm, and the leakage current is 7.72 μA/cm 2 . The result of this study provides a promising candidate material for manufacturing the multilayered low-voltage varistor that may use Ag, Ni or even Cu as the inner electrodes.

Study on the microstructure evolution and dynamic recrystallization mechanism of selective laser melted Inconel 718 alloy during hot deformation

In this work, isothermal compression testing, electron back scattered diffraction (EBSD) technology and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to investigate the hot deformation behavior, microstructure evolution, and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) behavior of selective laser melted (SLM) 718 alloy. The results show that the deformation condition has significant impact on the flow behavior and DRX grain. With the increase of the deformation temperature or the decrease of the strain rate, the volume fraction and average size of DRX grains show an increasing trend. The DRX mechanism of SLM 718 alloy includes discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) and continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX), in which DDRX is characterized by initial grain boundary and regenerated grain boundary bulging. CDRX occurs inside the grain, characterized by progressive subgrain rotation and homogeneous misorientation increase.

Lithology of the Upper Triassic Sedimentary Rocks of Chukotka and Wrangel Island and Their Relationship with Coeval Rocks of the Eastern Arctic

Abstract—The correlation between the sedimentologic characteristics of the Upper Triassic deposits of Wrangel Island and the Chukchi Peninsula (Chukotka) is discussed. These deposits are similar in isotopic, petrographic, and geochemical features. It has been established that the Upper Triassic sand strata accumulated at different sites of a single sedimentary basin, in shallow-water prodeltas of Wrangel Island and in deeper-water environments of Chukotka. In the latest Triassic, the portion of the sand component in the sections increased. At the same time, the average size of the sand grains decreased, which indicates weakening of the tectonic factor in some zones of the provenance and its general peneplanation with the formation of a weathering crust. The eroded complexes are composed of granitoid, metamorphic, and metavolcanic rocks. They stayed on land for a long time, being subjected to chemical weathering. The depth intervals with the large amount of sandy material in the section of Wrangel Island and Chukotka are correlated with those in the sections of the Sverdrup Basin and the northern slope of Alaska.

Surface integrity and bending fatigue behavior of aeronautic gear steel under combined carburized treatment and shot peening

The carburized treatment combined with shot peening were introduced to improve fatigue behavior of aeronautic gear steel. Surface integrity and fatigue behavior after carburizing and combined treatment were systematically analyzed. Results indicated that surface roughness, microhardness and residual compressive stress were increased after combined. Meanwhile, average size of ultra-fine grains was reduced to 0.495 μm. Fatigue limit was increased from 720 MPa of carburized samples to 890 MPa treated by combined. Moreover, higher shot peening jet presure in combined treatment does not necessarily lead to better fatigue limit. Residual compressive stress was an important factor affecting fatigue cracks propagation mode.

Investigation on the dual-phase co-deformation behavior and strengthening mechanism in cold-drawn Cu–20Fe alloy

In this work, cold drawing deformation was applied aiming to achieve a good combination of strength and electrical conductivity of Cu–20Fe alloy, and also such underlying mechanisms for microstructure evolution and strengthening, as well as variation in conductivity were clarified. It is also found that both Cu matrix grains and Fe-rich dendrites can be significantly refined and transformed into fibrous structure with increasing of drawing strain. The average size of Cu grains and thickness of Fe fiber are 0.47 ± 0.05 μm and 25 ± 5 nm, respectively for alloy subjected to the drawing strain of η = 5.78. In addition, the Fe dendrites exhibit a strong <110> fiber texture, while the corresponding Cu matrix forms a <111> fiber texture. It is demonstrated that the excellent properties with the yield strength of 1173 MPa and the electrical conductivity of 41 %IACS can be reached for cold-drawn Cu–20Fe alloy. In addition, the quantitative analysis on strengthening contributions shows that the high strength of as-drawn Cu–20Fe alloy is dominantly originated from high-density Fe fibers. Meanwhile, the lower electrical conductivity is ascribed to the high solute Fe content and high-density Cu/Fe heterogeneous phase interface.

Mechanisms of extrusion-ratio dependent ultrafine-grain fabrication in AZ31 magnesium alloy by continuous squeeze casting-extrusion

Ultrafine-grained AZ31 alloy was successfully fabricated by the novel continuous squeeze casting-extrusion process with different extrusion ratios (ER). The average grain size (AGS) reduced first and then grew as the extrusion ratio increased from 4 to 36. Increasing the extrusion ratio cannot ensure the refinement of AGS. The dynamic recrystallization behavior was successively promoted by the increase of ER. But the average grain size reached the minimum with ER of 25, since the size of recrystallized grains increased in large extrusion ratio. The rise of extrusion temperature contributed to the growth of recrystallized grains. The texture evolution resulted in some extruded rods with different ERs exhibiting distinct mechanical property characteristics, despite similar AGS. The ultrafine-grained AZ31 alloy with ER of 16 presented a strong texture, and the AGS of 1.90 μm is achieved. It displayed a high ultimate tensile strength of 332.08 MPa, yield strength of 221.04 MPa, and elongation of 16.9%. When ER increased to 25, the finest microstructure was obtained with the AGS of 1.85 μm. Its elongation reached maximum of 20.9% due to the weak texture and ultrafine-grained microstructure, although the ultimate tensile strength and yield strength slightly reduced. Microstructure distribution, dynamic recrystallization behavior, and texture evolution were investigated and discussed in this study.

Microstructure evolution and static recrystallization kinetics in hot-deformed austenite of coarse-grained Mo-free and Mo containing low-carbon CrNiMnB ultrahigh-strength steels

The static recrystallization characteristics and microstructure evolution in hot-deformed austenite were evaluated for a newly developed low-carbon CrNiMnB ultrahigh-strength steel with and without molybdenum addition. The time for 50% static recrystallization (t 50% ) over a wide range of strains and hot-deformation temperatures were obtained using the stress-relaxation technique on Gleeble thermomechanical simulator. Moreover, effect of deformation parameters on the size distribution and average size of prior austenite grains are investigated. A novel semi-automatic stress relaxation test reading tool with a graphical user interface was created and used successfully for the current study. The obtained results of strain´s power and the apparent activation energy are within the range stated in literature for C-Mn and microalloyed steels. Addition of molybdenum increase the power of strain and the apparent activation energy from -1.9 to -2.6 and 206 to 212 kJ/mol, respectively. The retardation effect of molybdenum addition was shown by a new regression equation devised for calculating t 50% . The developed equations show a good agreement with the experimental data and can be used in the designing of roughing during thermomechanical processing. The deformation parameters i.e., temperature, strain and holding time have a significant effect on the size distribution and average size of prior austenite grains. • The static recrystallization characteristics and microstructure evolution in hot-deformed austenite were evaluated for Mo-free and Mo-containing ultrahigh-strength steels. • A novel semi-automatic stress relaxation test reading tool with a graphical user interface is created to overcome the difficulties in determination of the onset of static recrystallization manually from stress relaxation curves. • SRX kinetic equations are derived for explaining static recrystallization in hot-deformed austenite of Mo-free and Mo-containing ultrahigh-strength steels. • Quantitative analysis of microstructural feature during SRX is performed.

Effect of Two-Step Sintering on Properties of Alumina Ceramics Containing Waste Alumina Powder.

This study aims to evaluate the recycling potential of solid waste alumina powder (WAP) by utilization of the two-step sintering (TSS) process. For the study, WAP was collected as an industrial scrap after the machining process for the formation of green alumina compacts. The alumina samples were prepared according to the slip casting method by preparing suspensions containing commercial alumina with 0.8 μm average particle size and by adding up to 20 dwb. % (i.e., expressed on a dry weight basis) of WAP with 3.4 μm average particle size. The samples were sintered at optimized TSS conditions and compared with conventional one-step sintering (OSS) by conducting morphological analyses. The average grain size (AGS) was determined from the obtained field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images, while the sample porosity was calculated based on apparent densities. The obtained micrographs after TSS implementation revealed a partially textured microstructure. Furthermore, a comparison of the mechanical properties of alumina samples lacking or containing 20 dwb. % of WAP obtained after sintering is presented. The indentation fracture toughness (~3.2 MPa m1/2) and Vickers hardness data (~14.5 GPa) showed a positive effect of adding WAP to alumina samples. The slightly improved mechanical properties of ceramic samples containing waste alumina are a consequence of lower porosity, which is due to the remaining sintering additives in WAP. The collected results demonstrate the possibility of using TSS for sintering ceramic materials that contain WAP.