Silicon Carbide Ceramic Materials Research Articles

Grinding Force Model and Experimental Study on Ultrasonic Assisted Spiral Grinding of Silicon Carbide Ceramic Materials

In order to reveal the mechanical properties of silicon carbide ceramic materials during the drilling process, based on the indentation fracture mechanics theory, a grinding force model of ultrasonic assisted spiral grinding for hole making was established, and the experimental results of ultrasonic assisted spiral grinding for hole making verified the mechanical model. The results showed that the experimental results had the same change trend as the predicted results of the established mechanical model, and the values were close to each other, indicating the accuracy of the established prediction model. The influence of different process parameters on the size accuracy of the hole inlet and outlet aperture after machining is analyzed. It is found that it should be selected as large rotation speed, moderate axial feed speed and small feed pitch to ensure the accuracy of the aperture and effectively suppress the aperture defects during ultrasonic assisted spiral grinding.

Comparative study of methods for obtaining silicon carbide ceramic materials

At the moment, about ten different methods for obtaining silicon carbide ceramic materials have been developed. This paper presents the mechanisms and describes the advantages and disadvantages of the most commonly used in practice methods of forming and sintering SiC powders. The main properties and applications of the resulting ceramic products are indicated.

Finite Element Analysis of Ceramic–Composite Structures for Ballistic Applications: Effect of Ceramic Thickness and Cell Structure

This study employs finite element simulation to conduct a numerical modeling of ceramic–composite structure armors. The numerical armor models consist of a ceramic plate and a composite backing plate. Alumina oxide and silicon carbide ceramic materials with two different cell structures are used: hexagonal and square cell structures, respectively. A Kevlar composite is used as the back plate. The ceramic plate's thickness is altered among 7, 8, and 9 mm to explore its influence on the ballistic performance of the armors. The damage fracture is compared with experimental results, and the ballistic resistance is further examined by determining the projectiles’ velocities at the conclusion of the simulation and the evolution of the average velocity during the impact period. The findings of the numerical modeling reveal that the ceramics sustain damage consistent with the experimental damage. However, as perforation is observed in every sample, the overall performance of the samples is deemed unsatisfactory.

Precision Grinding Technology of Silicon Carbide (SiC) Ceramics by Longitudinal Torsional Ultrasonic Vibrations.

Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic material has become the most promising third-generation semiconductor material for its excellent mechanical properties at room temperature and high temperature. However, SiC ceramic machining has serious tool wear, low machining efficiency, poor machining quality and other disadvantages due to its high hardness and high wear resistance, which limits the promotion and application of such materials. In this paper, comparison experiments of longitudinal torsional ultrasonic vibration grinding (LTUVG) and common grinding (CG) of SiC ceramics were conducted, and the longitudinal torsional ultrasonic vibration grinding SiC ceramics cutting force model was developed. In addition, the effects of ultrasonic machining parameters on cutting forces, machining quality and subsurface cracking were investigated, and the main factors and optimal parameters affecting the cutting force improvement rate were obtained by orthogonal tests. The results showed that the maximum improvement of cutting force, surface roughness and subsurface crack fracture depth by longitudinal torsional ultrasonic vibrations were 82.59%, 22.78% and 30.75%, respectively. A longitudinal torsional ultrasonic vibrations cutting force prediction model containing the parameters of tool, material properties and ultrasound was established by the removal characteristics of SiC ceramic material, ultrasonic grinding principle and brittle fracture theory. And the predicted results were in good agreement with the experimental results, and the maximum error was less than 15%. The optimum process parameters for cutting force reduction were a spindle speed of 22,000 rpm, a feed rate of 600 mm/min and a depth of cut of 0.011 mm.

Experimental investigation and prediction of ECDM parameters on fiber reinforced SiC composite using hybrid ERNN-based Sparrow Search Optimization

The Silicon Carbide (SiC) fiber-reinforced SiC ceramic matrix composites have proved their outstanding performance on high thermal applications such as gas turbine engine parts, turbo-pumps, nozzles, and various other aerospace/aero-propulsion system parts. Regardless of their enhanced strength properties, the SiC fiber-reinforced SiC ceramic composite materials are difficult to process using conventional machining methods. Also, SiC fiber-reinforced SiC ceramic promotes a higher tool wear rate while doing conventional drilling operations. Therefore, this study investigates the Electrochemical Discharge Machining (ECDM) parameters on such SiC fiber-reinforced SiC ceramic composite. Besides, the levels of most influencing ECDM input parameters Voltage, Electrolytic Concentration and Duty Cycle are optimized using a novel hybrid machine learning optimizer called Elman Recurrent Neural Network-based Sparrow Search Optimization (ERNN-SSO). The experiment is planned using Response Surface Methodology based on Box Behnken Design (RSM-BBD) and verified using ANOVA. The Material Removal Rate (MRR), Tool Wear Rate (TWR) and Overcut (OC) are considered output performances during this study. The proposed ERNN-SSO has optimized ECDM input parameters at a maximum of 0.03 root mean square error (RMSE), approximately 33 % and 95 % lower than the conventional ERNN and RSM optimization techniques. This study’s suggested ECDM input parameters for drilling SiC fiber-reinforced SiC ceramic composite are 95 V voltage supply, 10 %Wt. of electrolytic concentration, and 50 % duty cycle. Because, such optimum ECDM parameters produced a maximum MRR of 370 μg/min with minimum TWR and OC of 283 μg/min and 161 µm during this study.

METHODS OF FORMING COMPLEX PROFILE PRODUCTS FROM HEAT-RESISTANT CERAMIC MATERIALS BASED ON SILICON CARBIDE

The possibility of obtaining complex-shaped mechanical engineering products based on reaction-sintered silicon carbide using two methods - mechanical processing of polymerized blanks before sintering and hot slip molding under pressure, has been studied. The obtained silicon carbide ceramic materials are characterized by a low density of about 3.04…3.07 g/cm3, a porosity of ? 1 % and a bending strength of 320…360 MPa. Materials based on silicon carbide modified with boron carbide have a density of 2.72 g/cm3, a porosity of about 1 % and a bending strength of 280 MPa.

Use of Additive Technologies for Making Silicon Carbide Ceramic Materials: A Review

Use of Additive Technologies for Making Silicon Carbide Ceramic Materials: A Review

Investigation on surface roughness and kerf analysis in abrasive water jet machining of silicon carbide

Machining silicon carbide (SiC) is challenging due to its brittle and maximum tensile nature. Lapping or laser beam are done with a high cost of manufacturing and low material removal rates. Water abrasive jet cutting is a promising candidate since the machining temperatures and processing force of ceramics are extremely low. Investigation into the abrasive water jet machining of silicon carbide is carried out in the present work.The variations in traverse speed while abrasive water jet cutting of silicon carbide and its effect on the surface roughness and kerf characteristics are studied. Silicon Carbide abrasive material is used as garnet consisting of 80 mesh. The surface roughness was calculated along with the depth of the cut made during the processing.The outcomes demonstrated that the traverse speed is more effective upon the surface roughness and is an important factor that damages the top kerf width and the kerf taper angle.Based on the hardness and thickness of the SiC plate, the taper angle is high, and for a feed rate of 10 mm/min, the surface roughness is low. Less thickness of the SiC plate could have a lower taper angle than with high thickness. The erosive force is provided by abrasive material along with the jet stream.Water abrasive fine jet could effectively machinate silicon carbide ceramic material with a better surface finish accurately. Suitable surface roughness with higher productivity can be attained with medium traverse speed.The effect of process parameters on kerf taper angle and top kerf width in the abrasive water jet machining of silicon carbide is explored, considering surface roughness as an important output parameter.

Preparation and Properties of Silicon Carbide Ceramic Materials Under Specific Conditions

In this paper, the reaction sintering process was used to prepare and conduct experiments on ceramic materials. And the electrical properties and friction properties were analyzed. Density is an important factor affecting the strength of ceramic materials. Generally speaking, the room temperature performance of ceramic materials has the greatest relationship with the relative density, because pores are the location of stress concentration, which often leads to the reduction of mechanical properties. In this paper, it is found in the preparation experiment that the pore-forming agent addition amount of about 2% has the best effect. The research results of the friction and wear behavior of ceramic materials show that the load, lubrication conditions and friction pairs greatly affect the friction and wear properties of the materials. The stable friction coefficient and wear rate of the material both increase with the increase of the load. The water lubrication condition can significantly reduce the wear rate of the material, and the reduction range is two orders of magnitude, which greatly improves the wear resistance of the material. Compared with pure ceramic materials, reactive sintered composite ceramic materials have more excellent mechanical properties and tribological properties. They are a kind of potential structural ceramic materials and have broader application prospects, which are expected to replace the currently widely used ceramic materials.

Reclamation of Abrasive Slurry to Obtain SiC Ceramic Material

In the period of silicon and silicon carbide wafer slicing process, the abrasive oil, silicon carbide (SiC), silicon and trace elements e.g., iron, zinc, copper, and nickel is generated as an oily mixture of insoluble matter. The SiC is the main component (>70%) in the abrasive slurry and the extraction of SiC from the slurry can eliminate the risk of illegal waste disposal and reduce the cost for the enterprises. In this study, a chemical separation process is applied to remove silicon particles and SiC can be extracted from the slurry mixtures. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that recycled material is moissanite with two crystalline polymorphs. The 3C and 6H X-ray powder pattern is observed and the cubic and hexagonal crystalline structure is revealed. The particle size distribution analysis showed that median value of purified SiC powder material is 9.8 μm.

Surface characterization and synthesis of boron carbide and silicon carbide

Knowing the surface properties of ceramic materials is important to determine the area of use. The carbide-based ceramics namely boron carbide and silicon carbide were synthesized and characterized. The surface properties of boron carbide and silicon carbide ceramic materials were examined by the inverse gas chromatography method. Experiments of inverse gas chromatography were carried out to determine the specific adsorption free energy and the specific adsorption enthalpy corresponding to the acid-base properties of both materials. The inverse gas chromatography measurements exhibited values of acidity constants of 0.137 and 0.086 and basic constants of 0.104 and 0.077 for boron carbide and silicon carbide, respectively. The values obtained for and parameters indicated that boron carbide and silicon carbide have an acidic character.

Obtaining multichannel ceramics based on Ti3SiC2

It has been proposed to use reaction compositions for producing Ti3SiC2-based multichannel ceramics made up of regularly laid titanium rods and a silicon carbide ceramic material filling the space between the titanium rods. The physicochemical mechanism of formation of the multichannel structure of the resulting ceramic material has been studied. The key stage of the process is the reaction at 1360--1370 °C, as a result of which intense melting of titanium components occurs and subsequent infiltration of the silicon carbide ceramic mass with the resulting melt. In place of the original titanium elements hollow channels are formed.

Ceramic Sand Screens Applied in Maturing Oil Field Offshore Malaysia

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 188537, “First Successful Application of Ceramic Sand Screen in Maturing Oil Field, Offshore East Malaysia,” by Sulaiman Sidek, SPE, Kellen Goh Hui Lian, Yap Bee Ching, Kukuh Trjangganung, Bahrom Madon, SPE, and Zainuddin Yusop, Petronas, and Bhargava Ram Gundemoni, SPE, Richard Jackson, and Peter Barth, 3M Technical Ceramics, prepared for the 2017 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, Abu Dhabi, 13–16 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed. This paper presents the first successful application of ceramic sand screens offshore Malaysia. Ceramic sand screens were considered as a remedial sand-control method because of their superior durability and resistance compared with metallic sand screens. Remedial sand control with ceramic sand screens has successfully revived idle wells back to production at a lower total cost, with oil gain beyond the initial target and a higher return on investment. Field Overview The field was discovered in July 1967 at a water depth of 250 ft below mean sea level approximately 40 km offshore East Malaysia. The structural configuration of the field is characterized by a simple, low-relief domal anticline resulting from the rollover associated with regional growth faulting. Major hydrocarbon accumulation occurs in eight producing reservoirs sandwiched between shallow gas-bearing reservoirs and deeper gas- and condensate-bearing reservoirs. Since peak production in 1979, the field has experienced instances of sand production, contributed to by factors such as in-situ stress changes, increases in water production, and a cascading effect from production-operation activities. The current practice of controlling severe sand production is to bean down the problematic wells and closely monitor sand production at surface over time. Some of the field’s wells had experienced failure and rapid wear when using metallic sand screens, so ceramic screens, with high erosion resistance, were proposed. Because this represented the first such application for the operator, a pilot application was considered for three wells. Ceramic Sand Screens Sintered silicon-carbide ceramic material offers unique combination properties. Greater hardness, compressive strength, and elastic modulus offer superior ballistic capability and resistance to wear when confronted with high-velocity projectiles. Excellent corrosion resistance provides high performance in corrosive environments. High thermal conductivity provides heat stability (up to 1,800°C) and minimizes the likelihood of failure caused by thermal shock. The low specific density of the material makes it suitable in applications in which weight requirements are critical. When the erosion- and corrosion-resistant properties of ceramic material are holistically integrated within a sand-control system, the resultant screen installation is proved to be simple and cost-effective, resulting in reduced complexity compared with alternative sand-control methods. Conventional metallic materials exhibit limitations in with-standing high downhole velocities, commonly resulting in downhole erosional failure and premature loss of downhole sand control.

High temperature compressive strength and creep behavior of Si[sbnd]Ti[sbnd]C[sbnd]O fiber-bonded ceramics

Fiber bonded silicon carbide ceramic materials provide cost-advantage over traditional ceramic matrix composites and require fewer processing steps. Despite their interest in extreme environment thermostructural applications no data on long term mechanical reliability other than static fatigue is available for them. We studied the high temperature compressive strength and creep behavior of a fiber bonded SiC material obtained by hot-pressing of SiTiCO fibers. The deformation mechanism and onset of plasticity was evaluated and compared with other commercial SiC materials. Up to 1400°C, plasticity is very limited and any macroscopic deformation proceeds by crack formation and damage propagation. A transient viscous creep stage is observed due to flow in the silica matrix and once steady state is established, a stress exponent n∼4 and an activation energy Q∼700kJmol−1 are found. These results are consistent with previous data on creep of polymer derived SiC fibers and polycrystals.

Fabrication and characterization of laminated SiC composites reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets

Nanosized allotropes of carbon have been attracting a lot of attention recently, but despite the steady growth of the number of scientific works on materials based on graphene family, there is still much to be explored. These two-dimensional carbon materials, such as graphene nanoplatelets, multilayer graphene or few layer graphene have emerged as a possible second phase for reinforcing ceramics, resulting in remarkable properties of these composites. Typically, graphene ceramic matrix composites are prepared by a colloidal or a powder route followed by pressure assisted sintering. Recently other traditional ceramic processes, such as tape casting, were also successfully studied. The aim of this research is to fabricate α-SiC multi-layer composites containing 2, 4 and 8vol% of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) by tape casting and study the effect of these additions on the mechanical behavior of the composites. In order to achieve this purpose, samples were pressureless sintered and tested for density and mechanical properties. The elastic modulus was measured by the impulse excitation of vibration method, the hardness by Vickers indentation and fracture toughness using micro Vickers indentation and by three-point bending applying the pre-cracked beam approach. Results showed that up to 4vol%, the density and mechanical properties were directly proportional to the amount of GNP added but showed a dramatic decrease for 8vol% of GNP. Composites with 4vol% of GNP had a 23% increment elastic modulus, while the fracture toughness had a 34% increment compared to SiC tapes fabricated under the same conditions. Higher amounts of GNP induces porosity in the samples, thus decreasing the mechanical properties. This study, therefore, indicates that 4% is an optimal amount of GNP and suggests that excessive amounts of GNP are rather detrimental to the mechanical properties of silicon carbide ceramic materials prepared by tape casting.

Ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding of micro-structured surfaces on silicon carbide ceramic materials

Precision grinding of silicon carbide ceramic micro-structured moulds is becoming more common in the area of the moulding of glass materials. However, in micro-structured grinding of super-hard and brittle materials, problems frequently occur in terms of chipping and rounding of micro-structural edge features. In order to overcome these technological constraints, a promising method using ultrasonic vibration of workpiece materials is proposed. The design of a novel ultrasonic vibration apparatus and the experimental investigation of ultrasonic vibration assisted grinding of SiC micro-structures are presented. The experimental results show that the application of ultrasonic vibration can enhance the ground surface quality and improve the edge features of micro-structures.

Investigation on the preparation of Si/mullite/Yb 2Si 2O 7 environmental barrier coatings onto silicon carbide

With the development of aero-engine, gas import temperatures of hot section structural materials are increasingly higher. Metal alloy materials due to the rapidly decreased mechanical properties at relative high temperature are gradually replaced with silicon-based non-oxide silicon carbide ceramics. However, silicon carbide ceramic materials tend to spall and deform in engine combustion environment, need environmental barrier coatings for the protection of the matrix. The preparation of Si/mullite/Yb 2Si 2O 7 environmental barrier coatings onto silicon carbide was realized with plasma spraying and sol-gel method. Coatings structure, surface morphology and layer components were principally discussed through the test of X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This paper explored how to match coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and enhance chemical compatibility effectively. The results showed that most areas of the environmental barrier coatings were uniform, close-grained and crack-free, which could maintain excellent adherence. Their oxidation resistance would be better with the increase of dipping time and spraying time in preparation.

Effect of the loading rate on the strength of self-bonded silicon carbide ceramic materials

In this paper, the procedures for testing self-bonded silicon carbide ceramic materials under static and dynamic (impact) loading are described. The results of the investigations on the effect of the loading rate on the strength variation of ceramic materials used as elements of impact-resistant barriers are presented.

Reaction forming of joints in silicon carbide ceramic materials

Joints between reaction-bonded and recrystallized silicon carbide materials have been obtained using a reaction-forming approach. The formation mechanism of these reaction-bonded joints was analyzed and the microstructure of the joint areas, as well as the fracture morphology, was observed by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical and electrical properties of the joints were also measured. This study suggests that a good contact interlayer is formed between joints and the parent materials. The flexural strength and the electrical resistivity of the silicon or silicon carbide parent materials are not significantly affected by the reaction-forming process. The latter provides a way for optimizing the microstructure and composition of joint layers and obtaining high performance joints.

Transition between interface defeat and penetration for tungsten projectiles and four silicon carbide materials

Armour systems containing high-quality ceramics may be capable of defeating armour-piercing projectiles on the surfaces of these hard materials. This capability, named interface defeat, has been studied for four different silicon carbide ceramic materials, viz., SiC–B, SiC–N, SiC–SC–1RN and SiC–HPN by use of a light-gas gun and a small-scale reverse impact technique. The velocities of a tungsten projectile marking the transition between interface defeat and penetration have been determined and compared with the Vickers hardness and fracture toughness of the ceramic materials. It is found that the transition velocity increases with the fracture toughness but not with the Vickers hardness. This indicates that, under the prevailing conditions, fracture may have had more influence than plastic flow on the transition. As a consequence, the observed transition velocities may not be the maximum ones achievable, at least not for SiC–B, SiC–N and SiC–SC–1RN. By suppression of the initiation and propagation of cracks through increase of the confining pressure, it may be possible to increase the transition velocities.