• The Korean Journal of Ceramics
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 2000

Monolithic refractory technology has been developed for RH vessels, with the purpose of reducing the total refractory cost. The technology includes the use of an improved monolithic refractory and microwave drying. The improved monolithic refractory was an alumina-spinel composition, of the type used in steel ladles, to which fine alumina was added to increase the density and corrosion resistance. The microwave drying method, previously developed and used to dry the monolithic lining in steel ladles, was modified for use in drying the dense, 500mm thick lining in RH vessels. This work has resulted in significant cost savings.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.617-624
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• 2000

Abnormal grain growth in alumina was investigated during sinter-HIP process for better understanding of pressure effect on microstructural development. Abnormal grain growth of monolithic alumina was observed near surface region rather than interior region of specimen. Finite element analysis was used to estimate the pressure distribution developed in the specimen. Pressure distribution analysis was in good agreement with grain size distributjion in the specimen. The results of finite element analysis provided that abnormal grain growth monolithic alumina was resulted from the inhomogeneous pressure distribution in the specimen. MgO addition in alumina was effective for the suppression of abnormal grain growth in alumina under inhomogeneous pressure distribution during sinter-HIP process.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.201-204
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• 2000

Thermal shock resistance of 80Al2O3-20Al composite and monolithic alumina ceramics was compared. Fracture strength was measured by using a 4-pont bending test after quenching. Thermal stresses of the ceramics and ceramic-metal composites were calculated using a finite element analysis. The bending strength of the Al2O3 ceramics decreased catastropically after quenching from 20$0^{\circ}C$ to $0^{\circ}C$. The bending strength of the composite also decreased after quenching from 200~2$25^{\circ}C$, but the strength reduction was much smaller than for Al2O3. The maximum thermal stress occured in the monolithic alumina ceramics when exposed to a temperature difference of 20$0^{\circ}C$ was 0.758 GPa. The same amount of stress occured in the Al2O3-Al composite when the temperature difference of 205$^{\circ}C$ used.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.132-138
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• 1999

In order to investigate the toughening characteristic by microcrack formation in ceramic composites, $Al_2$O$_3$/(0~20)vol% YAG composites containing equiaxed second grains were fabricated using$ Al_2$$O_3$ during hot-pressing. AE(acoustic emission) measurements have been coupled with fracture toughness experiments of SENB method, to evaluate the microcrack formation and the improvement in fracture toughness of ceramic composites. Formation of microcrack was detected by Ae. The generation of AE events increased with increasing of load when load was applied at specimen. The AE events are generated mainly around at maximum load. Specially, the detected AE evetns of composites are many as compared with monolithic $Al_2$$O_3$. Fracture toughness of composites was improved than that of monolithic alumina. $Al_2$O$_3$/YAG composites exhibit main toughening effects by microcracking, results from mutual coalesence of microcracks being generated under applied load. However, there are few toughening mechanism like microcracking in monolithic alumina.

• Proceedings of the Korean Ceranic Society Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.69.2-69
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• 2003

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.38 no.12
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• pp.1080-1084
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• 2001

Alumina-based nanocomposites have improved mechanical properties such as hardness, fracture toughness and fracture strength compared to monolithic ceramics. In this study, alumina with 5 vol% of nanosized SiC was sintered by a hot pressing technique at 1600$\^{C}$, 30 MPa for 1h in an argon gas atmosphere. Microstructures and mechanical properties in alumina-SiC nanocomposite were investigated. Moreover, tribological properties in air and water were compared each other. Relationships of wear properties with mechanical properties such as hardness, strength, and fracture toughness as well as microstructure were studied. Based on experimental results it was found that nanosized SiC retarded grain growth of matrix alumina. Mechanical properties such as hardness, fracture toughness and strength were improved by the addition of nanosized SiC in alumina. Improved mechanical properties resulted in increased sliding wear resistance. Tribological behavior of nanocomposites in water seemed to be governed by abrasive wear.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1449-1458
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• 1994

A new analytical model which can discribe the relationship between the bridging stress and the crack opening displacement was proposed to investigate the microstructural effect on the R-curve behavior in a polycrystalline alumina. The crack opening displacement according to the distance behind the stationary crack tip was measured using in-situ fracture technique in an SEM, and then used for a fitting procedure to obtain the distribution of bridging stress. The current model and an empirical power law relation were introduced into the fitting procedure. The results indicated that the bridging stress function and R-curve computed by the current model were consistent with those computed by the power law relation. The microstructural factor, e.g., the distribution of grain size, was also found to be closely related to the bridging stress. Thus, this model explained well the interaction effect between the distribution of bridging stress and the local-fracture-controlling microstructure, providing important information for the systematic interpretation of microfracture mechanism including R-curve behavior of a monolithic alumina.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.50-58
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• 2009

In this study, alumina matrix composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were fabricated by ultrasonic dispersion, ball milling, mixing, compaction, and sintering processes, and their relative density, electrical resistance, hardness, flexure strength, and fracture toughness were evaluated. 0~3 vol.% of CNTs were relatively homogeneously dispersed in the composites in spite of the existence of some pores. The three-point bending test results indicated that the flexure strength increased with increasing volume fraction of CNTs, and reached the maximum when the CNT fraction was 1.5 vol.%. The fracture toughness increased as the CNT fraction increased, and the fracture toughness of the composite containing 3 vol.% of CNTs was higher by 40% than that of the monolithic alumina. According to observation of the crack propagation path after the indentation fracture test, a new toughening mechanism of grain interface bridging-induced CNT bridging was suggested to explain the improvement of fracture toughness in the alumina matrix composites reinforced with CNTs.

• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.1266-1273
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• 1998

Al2O3/(5~20vol%)LaAl11O18 composites in which the second phase was dispersed with a elongated grain shape were fabricated using Al2O3 and La2O3 composition by hot-pressing. In order investigate the in-fluence of LaAl11O18 on the toughening of LaAl11O18 on the toughening of Al2O3 matrix composites AE(acoustic emission) analysis was con-ducted together with an evaluation of fracture toughness using of SEPB technique. The degree of AE events occurred in composites were more than those in monolithic alumina. The occurrences of AE event increased with increasing the amount of LaAl11O18 phase in the Al2O3/LaAl11O18 composite is two times higher compared to monolithic alu-mina. The main toughening mechanism was attributed to the bridging of LaAl11O18 grains at tip of pro-pagating crack.