• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.431-436
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• 2017

SiAlON-based ceramics are some of the most typical oxynitride ceramic materials, which can be used as cutting tools for heat-resistant super-alloys (HRSA). SiAlON can be fabricated by using gas-pressure reactive sintering from the raw materials, nitrides and oxides such as $Si_3N_4$, AlN, $Al_2O_3$, and $Yb_2O_3$. In this study, we fabricate $Yb_{m/3}Si_{12-(m+n)}Al_{m+n}O_nN_{16-n}$ (m=0.3, n=1.9, 2.3, 2.7) ceramics by using gas-pressure sintering at different sintering temperatures. Then, the densification behavior, phase formation, microstructure, and hardness of the sintered specimens are characterized. We obtain a fully densified specimen with ${\beta}$-SiAlON after gas-pressure sintering at $1820^{\circ}C$ for 90 min. under 10 atm $N_2$ pressure. These SiAlON ceramic materials exhibited hardness values of ~92.9 HRA. The potential of these SiAlON ceramics for cutting tool application is also discussed.

• Proceedings of the Korea Association of Crystal Growth Conference
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• 2000.06a
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• pp.1-33
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• 2000

Silicon carbide ceramics with sintering additives from the system AlN-Y$_2$O$_3$ can be gas-pressure sintered to theoretical density. While commonly a combination of sesquioxides is used such as Al$_2$O$_3$-Y$_2$O$_3$, the oxynitrid additives offer the advantage that only a nitrogen atmosphere is require instead of a powder. By starting form a mixture of ${\beta}$-SiC and ${\alpha}$-SiC, and by performing dedicated heat treatments after densification, anisotropic grain growth is obtained which leads to a platelet microstructure showing enhance fracture toughness. In the present work, recent improvement of the mechanical behaviour of these materials at ambient and high temperatures is reported. By means of a surface oxidation treatment in air it is possible to obtain four-point bending strengths in excess of 1 GPa, and the strength retention at high temperatures is significantly improved.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.1474-1480
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• 2013

Silicon carbide (SiC)-zirconium diboride ($ZrB_2$) composites were prepared by subjecting a 60:40 vol% mixture of ${\beta}$-SiC powder and $ZrB_2$ matrix to spark plasma sintering (SPS) in 15 $mm{\Phi}$ and 20 $mm{\Phi}$ molds. The 15 $mm{\Phi}$ and 20 $mm{\Phi}$ compacts were sintered for 60 sec at $1500^{\circ}C$ under a uniaxial pressure of 50 MPa and argon atmosphere. Similar composites were simulated using $Flux^{(R)}$ 3D computer simulation software. The current and power densities of the specimen sections of the simulated SiC-$ZrB_2$ composites were higher than those of the mold sections of the 15 $mm{\Phi}$ and 20 $mm{\Phi}$ mold simulated specimens. Toward the centers of the specimen sections, the current densities in the simulated SiC-$ZrB_2$ composites increased. The power density patterns of the specimen sections of the simulated SiC-$ZrB_2$ composites were nearly identical to their current density patterns. The current densities of the 15 $mm{\Phi}$ mold of the simulated SiC-$ZrB_2$ composites were higher than those of the 20 $mm{\Phi}$ mold in the center of the specimen section. The volume electrical resistivity of the simulated SiC-$ZrB_2$ composite was about 7.72 times lower than those of the graphite mold and the punch section. The power density, 1.4604 $GW/m^3$, of the 15 $mm{\Phi}$ mold of the simulated SiC-$ZrB_2$ composite was higher than that of the 20 $mm{\Phi}$ mold, 1.3832 $GW/m^3$. The $ZrB_2$ distributions in the 20 $mm{\Phi}$ mold in the sintered SiC-$ZrB_2$ composites were more uniform than those of the 15 $mm{\Phi}$ mold on the basis of energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) mapping. The volume electrical resistivity of the 20 $mm{\Phi}$ mold of the sintered SiC-$ZrB_2$ composite, $6.17{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}cm$, was lower than that of the 15 $mm{\Phi}$ mold, $9.37{\times}10^{-4}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$, at room temperature.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.143-151
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• 1992

Partially stabilized alpha-sialon composition (X=0.1) powder was hot-pressed at 1800~200$0^{\circ}C$ for 0~90 min with 30 MPa. Sintering behavior, phase changes and mechanical properties for the specimens were studied. As sintering temperature was raised from 1800 to 190$0^{\circ}C$, the relative density tended to increase and reached 99% of theoretical at 190$0^{\circ}C$. However the amount of alpha-sialon decreased because alpha-sialon transformed to beta-Si3N4 and yttrium rich silicate glass. In the case of hot-pressing at 190$0^{\circ}C$ for various times, densification increased with sintering time and full densification above 99% of theoretical was attained by 30 min. The amount of alpha-sialon decreased with sintering time. The maximum strength of 825 MPa was obtained by hot-pressing at 190$0^{\circ}C$ for 60 min.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.13-19
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• 2021

This study examined the effects of stacking faults on the thermoelectric properties for n-type SiC semiconductors. Porous SiC semiconductors with 30~42 % porosity were fabricated by the heat treatment of pressed ��-SiC powder compacts at 1600~2100 ℃ for 20~120 min in an N2 atmosphere. XRD was performed to examine the stacking faults, lattice strain, and precise lattice parameters of the specimens. The porosity and surface area were analyzed, and SEM, TEM, and HRTEM were carried out to examine the microstructure. The electrical conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient were measured at 550~900 ℃ in an Ar atmosphere. The electrical conductivity increased with increasing heat treatment temperature and time, which might be due to an increase in carrier concentration and improvement in grain-to-grain connectivity. The Seebeck coefficients were negative due to nitrogen behaving as a donor, and their absolute values also increased with increasing heat treatment temperature and time. This might be due to a decrease in stacking fault density, i.e., a decrease in stacking fault density accompanied by grain growth and crystallite growth must have increased the phonon mean free path, enhancing the phonon-drag effect, leading to a larger Seebeck coefficient.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1996

Woolastonite from Susan occurs as intercalations in limestone beds of Lower Paleozoic Joseon Supergroup. It is a thermal metamorphic product of impure limestone. Electron microprobe analysis shows that it is considerably pure wollastonite. It has triclinic cell with a=7.932$\AA$, b=7.328$\AA$, c=7.069$\AA$, $\alpha$=89.995$^{\circ}$, $\beta$=$95.255^{\circ}$, and $ \Upsilon=103.367^{\circ}$.Dissolution behaviors of wollastonite have been studied conducting three different dissolution experiments; two different reactions with HC1 (one batch and one re-initialization experiment) and one traction with distilled water. In the batch type powder wollastonite-HCl reaction, pH of solution rapidly increases in the early stage and then its rate of increase slows down to reach plateau resulting in parabolic relationship with time. It is represented by the early rapid rise and fall in pH giving a sharp pH-edge and succeeding slow rise in the re-initialization experiment. The early rapid rise in pH is due to the rapid sorption of H- in solution to oxygens on the reactive surface of wollastonite and the fall in pH means that all reactive surface sites are occupied by H- ions and no more H- adsorption occurs. The slow rise in pH following the pH- edge is due to the dissolution of wollastonite as evidenced by the correlation of pH variation and cation concentration. Dissolution of powder wollastonite in HCl shows linear trend with time. Si is dissolved predominantly over Ca at a constant rate. Ca is dissolved predominantly in the very early stage. Dissolution rate of coarse-grained wollastonite fragments in distilled water is parabolic with times howing a rapid reaction in the early stage and a slow reaction in the advanced stage. The Ca/Si ratio in solution is high in the case of coarse-grained wollastonite fragment as compared with powder wollastonite. The coarse-grained wollastonite fragment-water (acid) reaction resulted in the solution with an elevated constant pH value (alkaline) giving an important significance on the environmental view point.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.543-550
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• 2011

Conductive SiC-$ZrB_2$ composites were produced by subjecting a 40:60 (vol%) mixture of zirconium diboride (ZrB2) powder and ${\beta}$-silicon carbide (SiC) matrix to spark plasma sintering (SPS). Sintering was carried out for 5 min in an argon atmosphere at a uniaxial pressure and temperature of 50 MPa and $1500^{\circ}C$, respectively. The composite sintered at a heating speed of $25^{\circ}C$/min and an on/off pulse sequence of 12:2 was denoted as SZ12L. Composites SZ12H, SZ48H, and SZ10H were obtained by sintering at a heating speed of $100^{\circ}C$/min and at on/off pulse sequences of 12:2, 48:8, and 10:9, respectively. The physical, electrical, and mechanical properties of the SiC-$ZrB_2$ composites were examined and thermal image analysis of the composites was performed. The apparent porosities of SZ12L, SZ12H, SZ48H, and SZ10H were 13.35%, 0.60%, 12.28%, and 9.75%, respectively. At room temperature, SZ12L had the lowest flexural strength (286.90 MPa), whereas SZ12H had the highest flexural strength (1011.34 MPa). Between room temperature and $500^{\circ}C$, the SiC-$ZrB_2$ composites had a positive temperature coefficient of resistance (PTCR) and linear V-I characteristics. SZ12H had the lowest PTCR and highest electrical resistivity among all the composites. The optimum SPS conditions for the production of energy-friendly SiC-$ZrB_2$ composites are as follows: 1) an argon atmosphere, 2) a constant pressure of 50 MPa throughout the sintering process, 3) an on/off pulse sequence of 12:2 (pulse duration: 2.78 ms), and 4) a final sintering temperature of $1500^{\circ}C$ at a speed of $100^{\circ}C$/min and sintering for 5 min at $1500^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.40 no.8
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• pp.804-810
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• 2003

The fine powder produced by heating and grinding of the waste concrete in the waste construction was investigated whether utilize as substitution raw material of SiO$_2$, CaO, and Al$_2$O$_3$ source for OPC clinker manufacture is possible or not. In order to synthesize OPC clinker, limestone, shale, converter slag and fly ash were used as main raw materials, and modulus was fixed LSF 91.0, SM 2.60, IM 1.60. The synthesized clinkers were characterized. The Main products of synthesized clinker were C$_3$S, ${\beta}$-C$_2$S, C$_3$A, C$_4$AF as OPC clinker at 1,43$^{\circ}C$. As a result of TG-DTA and burnability index(B.U) analysis of each raw mixtures, the formation temperature of clinker phases was similar and B.I was showed easy burning as 48.6∼51.4.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.15-15
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• 2011

As you know, boron compounds, borax ($Na_2B_4O_5(OH)_4{\cdot}8H_2O$) etc. were known thousands of years ago. As for natural boron, it has two naturally occurring and stable isotopes, boron 11 ($^{11}B$) and boron 10 ($^{10}B$). The neutron absorption $^{10}B$ is included about 19~20% with 80~81% $^{11}B$. Boron is similar to carbon in its capability to form stable covalently bonded molecular networks. The mass difference results in a wide range of ${\beta}$ values between the $^{11}B$ and $^{10}B$. The $^{10}B$ isotope, stable with 5 neutrons is excellent at capturing thermal neutrons. For example, it is possible to decrease a thermal neutron required for the nuclear reaction of uranium 235 ($^{235}U$). If $^{10}B$ absorbs a neutron ($^1n$), it will change to $^7Li+^1{\alpha}$ (${\alpha}$ ray, like $^4He$) with prompt ${\gamma}$ ray from $^{11}B$ $^{11}B$ (equation 1). $$^{10}B+^1n\;{\rightarrow}\;^{11}B\;{\rightarrow}\; prompt \;{\gamma}\;ray (478 keV), \;^7Li+4{\alpha}\;(4He)\;\;\;\;{\cdots}\; (1)$$ If about 1% boron is added to stainless steel, it is known that a neutron shielding effect will be 3 times the boron free steel. Enriched boron or $^{10}B$ is used in both radiation shielding and in boron neutron capture therapy. Then, $^{10}B$ is used for reactivity control and in emergency shutdown systems in nuclear reactors. Furthermore, boron carbide, $B_4C$, is used as the charge of a nuclear fission reaction control rod material and neutron cover material for nuclear reactors. The $B_4C$ powder of natural B composition is used as a charge of a control material of a boiling water reactor (BWR) which occupies commercial power reactors in nuclear power generation. The $B_4C$ sintered body which adjusted $^{10}B$ concentration is used as a charge of a control material of the fast breeder reactor (FBR) currently developed aiming at establishment of a nuclear fuel cycle. In this study for new boron compound, silicon boride ceramics for capturing thermal neutrons, preparation and characterization of both silicon tetraboride ($SiB_4$) and silicon hexaboride ($SiB_6$) and ceramics produced by sintering were investigated in order to determine the suitability of this material for nuclear power generation. The relative density increased with increasing sintering temperature. With a sintering temperature of 1,923 K, a sintered body having a relative density of more than 99% was obtained. The Vickers hardness increased with increasing sintering temperature. The best result was a Vickers hardness of 28 GPa for the $SiB_6$ sintered at 1,923K for 1 h. The high temperature Vickers hardness of the $SiB_6$ sintered body changed from 28 to 12 GPa in the temperature range of room temperature to 1,273 K. The thermal conductivity of the SiB6 sintered body changed from 9.1 to 2.4 W/mK in the range of room temperature to 1,273 K.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.444-449
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• 2010

Transparent ceramics are used in new technology because of their excellent mechanical properties over glasses. Transparent ceramics are nowadays widely used in armor, laser windows, and in high temperature applications. Silicon nitride ceramics have excellent mechanical properties and if transparent silicon nitride is fabricated, it can be widely used. h-BN has a lubricating property and is ductile. Therefore, adding h-BN to silicon nitride ceramics gives a lubricating property and is also machinable. Translucent silicon nitride was fabricated by hot-press sintering (HPS) and 57% transmittance was observed in the near infrared region. A higher wt. % of h-BN in silicon nitride ceramics does not favor transparency. The optical, mechanical, and tribological properties of BN dispersed polycrystalline $Si_3N_4$ ceramics were affected by the density, ${\alpha}:{\beta}$-phase ratio, and content of h-BN in sintered ceramics. The hot pressed samples were prepared from the mixture of $\alpha-Si_3N_4$, AlN, MgO, and h-BN at $1850^{\circ}C$. The composite contained from 0.25 to 2 wt. % BN powder with sintering aids (9% AlN + 3% MgO). A maximum transmittance of 57% was achieved for the 0.25 wt. % BN doped $Si_3N_4$ ceramics. Fracture toughness increased and wear volume and the friction coefficient decreased with an increase in BN content. The properties such as transmittance, density, hardness, and flexural strength decreased with an increase in content of h-BN in silicon nitride ceramics.