• Proceedings of the Korean Ceranic Society Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.77.2-77
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• 2002

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.179-185
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• 2001

Through the observation of wear scar of two ceramic materials, microstructural wear mechanisms was investigated. As for the $Al_2O_3$-5 vol% SiC nanocomposite, the grain boundary fracture was suppressed by the presence of SiC nano-particles. The intragranular SiC particles have inhibited the extension of plastic deformation through the whole grain. Part of plastic deformation was accommodated around SiC particles, which made a cavity at the interface between SiC and matrix alumina. On the other hand, gas-pressure sintered silicon nitride showed extensive grain boundary fracture due to the thermal fatigue. The lamination of wear scar was initiated by the dissolution of grain boundary phase. These two extreme cases showed the importance of microstructures in wear behavior.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2002.04b
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• pp.11-11
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• 2002

Plastic deformation was observed by TEM around the intragranular SiC particles in the $Al_2O_3$ matrix for $Al_2O_3/SiC$ nanocomposite system. The dislocations are generated at selected planes and there is a tendency for the dislocations to form a subgrain boundary structure with low-angel grain boundaries and networks. In this study, dislocation generated in the $Al_2O_3$ matrix during cooling down from sintering temperatures by the highly localized thermal stresses within and/or around SiC particles caused from the thermal expansion mismatch between $Al_2O_3$ matrix and SiC particle was observed. In monolithic $Al_2O_3$ and $Al_2O_3/SiC$ microcomposite system. These phenomena is closely related to the plastic relaxation of the elastic stress and strain energy associated with both thermal misfitting inclusions and creep behaviors. The plastic relaxation behavior was explained by combination of yield stress and internal stress.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 1996.11a
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• pp.6-6
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• 1996

Ceramic based nanocomposite, in which nano-sized ceramics and metals were dispersed within matrix grains and/or at grain boundaries, were successfully fabricated in the ceramic/cerarnic and ceramic/metal composite systems such as $Al_2O_3$/SiC, $Al_2O_3$/$Si_3N_4$, MgO/SiC, mullite/SiC, $Si_3N_4/SiC, $Si_3N_4$/B, $Al_2O_3$/W, $Al_2O_3$/Mo, $Al_2O_3$/Ni and $ZrO_2$/Mo systems. In these systems, the ceramiclceramic composites were fabricated from homogeneously mixed powders, powders with thin coatings of the second phases and amorphous precursor composite powders by usual powder metallurgical methods. The ceramiclmetal nanocomposites were prepared by combination of H2 reduction of metal oxides in the early stage of sinterings and usual powder metallurgical processes. The transmission electron microscopic observation for the $Al_2O_3$/SiC nanocomposite indicated that the second phases less than 70nm were mainly located within matrix grains and the larger particles were dispersed at the grain boundaries. The similar observation was also identified for other cerarnic/ceramic and ceramiclmetal nanocornposites. The striking findings in these nanocomposites were that mechanical properties were significantly improved by the nano-sized dispersion from 5 to 10 vol% even at high temperatures. For example, the improvement in hcture strength by 2 to 5 times and in creep resistance by 2 to 4 orders was observed not only for the ceramidceramic nanocomposites but also for the ceramiclmetal nanocomposites with only 5~01%se cond phase. The newly developed silicon nitride/boron nitride nanocomposites, in which nano-sized hexagonal BN particulates with low Young's modulus and fracture strength were dispersed mainly within matrix grains, gave also the strong improvement in fracture strength and thermal shock fracture resistance. In presentation, the process-rnicro/nanostructure-properties relationship will be presented in detail. The special emphasis will be placed on the understanding of the roles of nano-sized dispersions on mechanical properties.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.80-86
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• 2002

$Al_{2}O_{3}/SiC$ nanocomposites were made by infiltrating partially sintered alumina bodies with polycarbosilane (PCS) solutions, which is a SiC polymer precursor, with pressureless sintering. The SiC content, densification, phases, strength, and microstructure were investigated with the processing parameters such as PCS solution concentration and heat treatment condition for PCS pyrolysis and sintering. The results were compared with those for pure alumina and nanocomposite samples made by the existing polymer precursor route (i.e. the PCS addition process). The SiC contents of up to 1.5 vol% were obtained by the PCS infiltration. PCS pyrolysis, followed by air heat treatment, was needed before sintering to avoid a cracking problem and to attain a densification as high as 98 % of theoretical. The nanocomposites exhibited significantly higher strength than pure alumina and those prepared by the PCS addition process despite larger grain size. Besides $\alpha-Al_{2}O_{3}/SiC$ and $\beta-SiC$ phases, mullite was present a little in the nanocomposites, which resulted from the reaction of $SiO_{2}$ in the pyrolysis product of PCS with the $Al_{2}O_{3}$ matrix during sintering. The nanocomposites had intagranular particles believed to be SiC, which is a typical feature of $Al_{2}O_{3}/SiC$ nanocomposites.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.309-314
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• 2003

A spark plasma sintering technique has been used for the fabrication of $Al_2O_3$-SiC nanocomposites at the low temperature of $1100^{\circ}C$∼$1500^{\circ}C$. The sintered $Al_2O_3$-SiC composites shows very homogeneous microstructure without any particular abnormal grain growth, indicating that the addition of nano-sized SiC particles is very effective to control grain growth and to induce the residual stress in the $Al_2O_3$ matrix, resulting in the intragranular fracture. These SiC particles are present in the grain boundaries and also intragrain, depending on the sintering condition, and improve remarkably the mechanical properties of $Al_2O_3$-SiC composite through the mechanisms of strengthening and toughening induced by crack diffraction and crack bridging.

• Proceedings of the Korea Association of Crystal Growth Conference
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• 1997.06a
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• pp.19-22
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• 1997

The surface modificaion of alumina by $Al_2$O$_3$/SiC nanocomposite coating was studied in terms of processing and microstructure. A powder slurry of 5 vol% SiC composition was dipcoated onto presintered alumina bodies and pressurelessly sintered at 1$700^{\circ}C$ for 2 h in $N_2$. The used of organic binder and plasticizer in the slurry preparation, and the control of the density of presintered alumina body were found to be necessary to avoid cracking and warping during processing. The nanocomposite coating well bonded to the alumina body with thickness about 110 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. The average grain size of coating (2 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$) was much finer than that of alumina body (13 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$). Fracture surface observations revealed mostly transgranular fracture for the coating, whereas intergranular fracture for the alumina body. Some pores (about 6%) were observed in the coating layer, although the alumina body showed fully dense microstructure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Ceranic Society Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.95.2-95.2
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• 2000

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.425-431
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• 2007

[ $Al_2O_3/SiC$ ]composite ceramics were sintered to evaluate the bending strength and elastic wave characteristics. The three-point bending test was carried out under room temperature. The elastic wave was detected by fracture wave detector. The crack healing behavior was investigated from 1373 K to 1723 K. The bending strength of $Al_2O_3/SiC$ composite by nanocomposite is higher than that of $Al_2O_3$ monolithic. Crack-healing behavior depended on an amount of additive powder $Y_2O_3$. In $Al_2O_3/SiC$ composite ceramics with 3 wt. % $Y_2O_3$ for additive powder, the bending strength at 1573 K is about 100% increase than that of the smooth specimens. From the result of wavelet analysis of elastic wave signal, the smooth specimen and heat treated specimen of $Al_2O_3$ monolithic and $Al_2O_3/SiC$ composite ceramics showed characteristics of frequency about 58 kHz. The strength of $Al_2O_3/SiC$ composite ceramics was a little higher than those of $Al_2O_3$ monolithic. The dominant frequencies were high with increasing of $Y_2O_3$ for additive powder. The dominant frequencies had direct connection with the bending strength.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.327-328
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• 2006

We have demonstrated that textured $Al_2O_3-mullite-SiC$ nanocomposites can be fabricated by slip casting followed by partial oxidation - reaction sintering of mixed suspensions of $Al_2O_3$ and SiC powders in a high magnetic field. The sintered density was changed by the degree of oxidation at 1200C and 1300C. The degree of orientation of alumina in the nanocomposite was examined on the basis of the X-ray diffraction patterns and scanning electron micrographs. It is confirmed that alumina-oriented nanocomposites were fabricated. The three-point bending strength at room temperature was observed for the nanocomposites.