• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.799-804
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• 1999

Composites of SiC-Si3N4 consisted of uniformly distributed elongated $\beta$-Si3N4 grains and equiaxed $\beta$-SiC grains were fabricated with $\beta$-SiC,. $\alpha$-Si3N4 Al2O3 and Y2O3 powders. By hot-pressing and subsequent annelaing elongated $\beta$-Si3N4 grains were grown via$\alpha$longrightarrow$\beta$ phase transformation and equiaxed $\beta$-Si3N4 composites increased with increasing the Si3N4 content owing to the reduced defect size and enhanced crack deflection by elongated $\beta$-Si3N4 grains and the grain boundary strengthening by nitrogen incorporation. Typical flexural strength and fracture toughness of SiC-40 wt% Si3N4 composites were 783 MPa and 4.2 MPa.m1/2 respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.306-316
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• 2013

Microstructure and fracture behavior of a multi-phase low-density steel were investigated. After hot-rolling and heat treatment, the microstructure of low-density steel was composed of coarse ferrite grains and elongated bands which include second phases such as austenite, martensite and ${\kappa}$-carbide depending on holding time during isothermal heat treatment. After tensile test, microcracks were observed at martensite or ${\kappa}$-carbide interface in the elongated bands. Coarse ferrite grains showed cleavage fracture behavior regardless of second phase. The cleavage fracture of ferrite could be attributed to their coarse grain size and solute atoms that increase ductile-to-brittle transition temperature of ferrite. Despite of the tendency of cleavage fracture in coarse ferrite grains, a specimen having coarse spheroidized ${\kappa}$-carbide particles in the elongated bands showed high total elongation of 30%. Thus, the easiness of plastic deformation in the elongated band seems to play an important role in retardation of cleavage crack formation in coarse ferrite grains.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.217-221
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• 2002

Si and ${\alpha}-Si_3N_4$ powder mixtures added with 3 wt% $Y_2O_3$ were reacted under 5 MPa nitrogen pressure. The reaction products contained ${\alpha}-Si_3N_4$ particles with elongated shapes. Length and width of the elongated grains were the maximum when the starting powder mixture of 50 wt% Si - 47 wt% ${\alpha}-Si_3N_4$ and 3 wt% $Y_2O_3$ was used. Aspect ratio of the elongated grains were between 4.4 and 5. When the starting powder mixture contained 70 wt% Si, large particles with irregular shapes appeared. Meanwhile, the reaction did not proceed when the starting powder mixture contained 30 wt% Si and less. The SHS product was easy to crush and the elongated particles obtained from the starting powder mixtures of 40 wt% Si - 57 wt% ${\alpha}-Si_3N_4$ - 3 wt% $Y_2O_3$ and 50 wt% Si - 47 wt% ${\alpha}-Si_3N_4$ - 3 wt% $Y_2O_3$ were good candidates for the seeds.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.246-250
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• 1999

The effects of the ${\beta}-Si_3N_4$ starting particle size and $\alpha$/$\beta$ phase transformation during sintering process on the microstructure evolution of Yttrium $\alpha$-Sialon ceramics were investigated. As-received ${\beta}-Si_3N_4$ powder (mean particle size: 0.54$\mu$m) and classified ${\beta}-Si_3N_4$ powder(mean particle size: $0.26\mu{m}$) were used as starting powders. With decreasing the starting particle size, the growth of elongated grains was enhanced, which resulted in the whisker -like microstructure with elongated grains. These results were discussed in relation to the two-dimensional nucleation and growth theory. In the specimen heat treated at $1600^{\circ}C$ for 10h before sintering at $1950^{\circ}C$for 1h under 40atm(2-step sintering), the grain size was smaller than of the 1-step sintering at 195$0^{\circ}C$ for 1h. However, bimodal microstructure evolution were not not remarkable in both sample, which is ascribed to the $\alpha$-phase contents existing in ${\beta}-Si_3N_4$ starting powder.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.42 no.8 s.279
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• pp.525-531
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• 2005

Tailoring the microstructure and the composition of silicon nitride ceramics can have profound effects on their properties. Here it is shown that the grain growth behavior, in particular its anisotropy, is a function of the specific additives, which allow one to tune the microstructure from one consisting of more equiaxed grains to one with very elongated grains. Recent studies are discussed that provide an understanding of the atomic level processes by which these additives influence grain shapes. Next the microstructural (and compositional) parameters are discussed that can be used to modify the thermal conductivity, as well as fracture toughness of silicon nitride ceramics. As a result of the open <0001> channels in $\beta-Si_3N_4$, the c-axis conductivity can be exceptionally high. Thus, the formation of elongated c-axis grains, particularly when aligned can result in conductivity values approaching those of AlN ceramics. In addition, the controlled formation of elongated grains can also be used to significantly enhance the fracture toughness. At the same time, both properties are shown to be affected by the composition of the densification additives. Utilizing such understanding, one will be able to tailor the ceramics to achieve the properties desired for specific applications.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 1998

The effect of the $\alpha$/$\beta$ phase fraction on the mechanical properties in silicon nitrides was investigated in part 1. In part II, we describe the role of microstructure on the mechanical properties and contact damage of silicon nitrides with coarse/equiaxed and coarse/elongated microstructures. Grain sizes and shapes were controlled by starting powder. Hertzian indentation using spherical indenter was also used to investigate contact damage behavior. Cone cracks from the spherical indentation were suppressed when the silicon nitride contains coarse and elongated grains. Coarse and elongated grains played an important role of cone crack suppression. The size of quasi-plastic zone does not depend on grain size or shape but depends on the fraction of $\alpha$/$\beta$ phase. A quasi-plastic zone was consisting of microcracks by shear stress during indentation.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.50 no.12
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• pp.931-937
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• 2012

The microstructure of Cu-15 wt%Ag composites fabricated by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) with intermediate heat treatment at $320^{\circ}C$ was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations. Ag precipitates with a thickness of 20-40 nm were observed in the eutectic region of the Cu-15 wt%Ag composite solution treated at $700^{\circ}C$ before ECAP. The Cu matrix and Ag precipitates had a cube on cube orientation relationship. ECAPed composites exhibited ultrafine-grained microstructures with the shape and distribution dependent on the processing routes. For route A in which the sample was pressed without rotation between each pass, the Cu and Ag grains were elongated along the shear direction and many micro-twins were observed in elongated Cu grains as well as in Ag filaments. The steps were observed on coherent twin boundaries in Cu grains. For route Bc in which the sample was rotated by 90 degrees after each pass, a subgrain structure with misorientation of 2-4 degree by fragmentation of the large Cu grains were observed. For route C in which the sample was rotated by 180 degrees after each pass, the microstructure was similar to that of the route A sample. However, the thickness of the elongated grains along the shear direction was wider than that of the route A sample and the twin density was lower than the route A sample. It was found that more microtwins were formed in ECAPed Cu-15 wt%Ag than in the drawn sample. Grain boundaries were observed in relatively thick and long Ag filaments in Cu-15 wt%Ag ECAPed by route C, indicating the multi-crystalline nature of Ag filaments.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1019-1025
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• 1991

The effect of dissolved Ca ion from plaster mold during slip casting on the microstructure and fracture toughness of high-purity sintered alumina were investigated. When the alumina slip containing 1000 ppm MgO was casted on a calcined alumina mold, the sintered compact had a homogeneous microstructure with equiaxed grains. However, when the same slip was casted on a plaster mold, the sintered compact consisted of the mixture of equiaxed and elongated grains. This inhomogeneous microstructure was also observed in the sintered alumina doped with 100o ppm MgO and 100 ppm CaO whose compact was prepared on the calcined alumina mold indicating that the inhomogeneity was caused by CaO. It was found that the specimen containing both MgO and CaO had higher fracture toughness than that containing MgO only. The enhanced fracture toughness by CaO is probably due to the crack deflection along the boundaries of the elongated grains.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.13-22
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• 2010

The unique features of spark plasma sintering process are the possibilities of a very fast heating rate and a short holding time to obtain fully dense materials. $\beta$-SiC powder with 0, 2, 6, 10 wt% of $\alpha$-SiC particles (seeds) and 4 wt% of Al-B-C (sintering aids) were spark plasma sintered at $1700-1850^{\circ}C$ for 10 min. The heating rate, applied pressure and sintering atmosphere were kept at $100^{\circ}C/min$, 40 MPa and a flowing Ar gas (500 CC/min). Microstructural development of SiC as function of seed content and temperature during spark plasma sintering was investigated quantitatively and statistically using image analysis. Quantitative image analyses on the sintered SiC ceramics were conducted on the grain size, aspect ratio and grain size distribution of SiC. The microstructure of SiC sintered up to $1700^{\circ}C$ consisted of equiaxed grains. In contrast, the growth of large elongated SiC grains in small matrix grains was shown in sintered bodies at $1750^{\circ}C$ and the plate-like grains interlocking microstructure had been developed by increasing sintering temperature. The introduction of $\alpha$-SiC seeds into $\beta$-SiC accelerated the grain growth of elongated grains during sintering, resulting in the plate-like grains interlocking microstructure. In the $\alpha$-SiC seeds added in $\beta$-SiC, the rate of grain growth decreased with $\alpha$-SiC seed content, however, bulk density and aspect ratio of grains in sintered body increased.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.1129-1138
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• 1997

Al2O3/20 vol%YAG composite containing equiaxed grains and Al2O3/20 vol%LaAl11O18 composite containing elongated grains were fabricated using Al2O3-Y2O3 composition and Al2O3-La2O3 composition, respectively, by hot-pressing. In order to investigate the influence of microstructural control of second phase on toughening effect of toughened ceramic composites, AE (acoustic emission) measurements have been coupled with fracture toughness experiments(SENB and SEPB method). A separation of the fracture toughness and analysis of toughening mechanism was possible using the AE technique. The fracture toughness of hot-pressed materials was estimated to be 3.2 MPam0.5 for monolithic alumina, 4.7 MPam0.5 for Al2O3/20 vol%YAG composite and 6.2 MPam0.5 for Al2O3/20 vol%LaAl11O18 composite. In monolithic Al2O3, toughening does not occur as a result of either microcracking or grain bridging, whereas, composites exhibit toughening effects by both microcracking in the frontal zone and gain bridging in the wake zone, resulting in an improvement of fracture toughness as compared with monolithic Al2O3. The fracture toughness of Al2O3/20 vol%LaAl11O18 composite is higher than that of Al2O3/20 vol%YAG composite. It may be attributed to the elongated microstructure of Al2O3/20 vol%LaAl11O18 composite, resulting relatively greater bridging effect.