Sample records for microwave sintering process

  1. Microwave processing of a dental ceramic used in computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing.

    PubMed

    Pendola, Martin; Saha, Subrata

    2015-01-01

    Because of their favorable mechanical properties and natural esthetics, ceramics are widely used in restorative dentistry. The conventional ceramic sintering process required for their use is usually slow, however, and the equipment has an elevated energy consumption. Sintering processes that use microwaves have several advantages compared to regular sintering: shorter processing times, lower energy consumption, and the capacity for volumetric heating. The objective of this study was to test the mechanical properties of a dental ceramic used in computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) after the specimens were processed with microwave hybrid sintering. Density, hardness, and bending strength were measured. When ceramic specimens were sintered with microwaves, the processing times were reduced and protocols were simplified. Hardness was improved almost 20% compared to regular sintering, and flexural strength measurements suggested that specimens were approximately 50% stronger than specimens sintered in a conventional system. Microwave hybrid sintering may preserve or improve the mechanical properties of dental ceramics designed for CAD/CAM processing systems, reducing processing and waiting times.

  2. Microwave sintering of Ag-nanoparticle thin films on a polyimide substrate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fujii, S., E-mail: fujii.s.ap@m.titech.ac.jp; Department of Information and Communication System Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Okinawa College, Nago, Okinawa 905-2192; Kawamura, S.

    2015-12-15

    Ag-nanoparticle thin films on a polyimide substrate were subjected to microwave sintering by use of a single-mode waveguide applicator. A two-step sintering process was employed. First, at low conductivities of the film, the film sample was placed at the site of the maximum electric field and subjected to microwave irradiation. Second, when the conductivity of the film increased, the film sample was placed at the site of the maximum magnetic field and again subjected to microwave irradiation. The microwave sintering process was completed within 1.5 min, which is significantly lower than the time required for the oven heating process. Themore » resulting conductivity of the film, albeit only 30% of that of the bulk material, was seven times that of a film annealed at the same temperature in a furnace. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that the nanoparticles underwent both grain necking and grain growth during microwave sintering. In addition, this sintering process was equivalent to the oven heating process performed at a 50 °C higher annealing temperature. An electromagnetic wave simulation and a heat transfer simulation of the microwave sintering process were performed to gain a thorough understanding of the process.« less

  3. Densification of LSGM electrolytes using activated microwave sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kesapragada, S. V.; Bhaduri, S. B.; Bhaduri, S.; Singh, P.

    Lanthanum gallate doped with alkaline rare earths (LSGM) powders were densified using an activated microwave sintering process for developing a dense stable electrolyte layer for applications in intermediate temperature-solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). Due to heat generation in situ, the process of sintering gets activated with faster kinetics compared to a conventional sintering process. The effect of various microwave process parameters on the microstructure and phase formation was studied. The sintered pellets were characterized using scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive analysis (SEM-EDAX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The density of LSGM pellets microwave sintered at 1350 °C for 20 min is greater than 95% theoretical density with a fine grained microstructure (˜2-3 μm) and without the presence of other phase(s).

  4. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sudiana, I. Nyoman, E-mail: sudiana75@yahoo.com; Ngkoimani, La Ode; Usman, Ida

    Microwave sintering of materials has attracted much research interest because of its significant advantages (e.g. reduced sintering temperatures and soaking times) over the conventional heating. Most researchers compared processes that occurred during the microwave and conventional heating at the same temperature and time. The enhancements found in the former method are indicated as a 'non-thermal effect' which is usually used for explaining the phenomena in microwave processing. Numerous recent studies have been focused on the effect to elucidate the microwave interaction mechanism with materials. Moreover, recent progress on microwave sources such as gyrotrons has opened the possibility for processing materialsmore » by using a higher microwave frequency. Therefore, the technology is expected to exhibit a stronger non-thermal effect. This paper presents results from a series of experiments to study the non-thermal effect on microwave sintered alumina. Sintering by using a wide rage of microwave frequencies up to 300 GHz as well as a conventional furnace was carried out. The linear shrinkages of samples for each sintering method were measured. Pores and grains taken from scanning electron microstructure (SEM) images of cut surfaces were also examined. The results of a comparative study of the shrinkages and microstructure evolutions of the sintered samples under annealing in microwave heating systems and in an electric furnace were analyzed. A notably different behavior of the shrinkages and microstructures of alumina after being annealed was found. The results suggested that microwave radiations provided an additional force for mass transports. The results also indicated that the sintering process depended on microwave frequencies.« less

  5. Si-Ca species modification and microwave sintering for NiZn ferrites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yin-Ju; Sheu, Ching-Iuan; Cheng, Syh-Yuh; Chang, Horng-Yi

    2004-12-01

    NiZn ferrite particles were precoated with Si-Ca precursor by sol-gel method. Thus convention-sintered particles exhibited small grain size about 2 μm and lowered magnetic permeability as well as increased coercive magnetic field effectively. Microwave sintering could suppress grain growth as the same result of conventional sintering specimens with SiO2-CaO precoating. In microwave process, the grain growth inhibition expressed more obviously for the SiO2-CaO precoated specimens. The magnetic permeability (∼300) after SiO2-CaO precoating became lower than original ferrite (∼800) without SiO2-CaO precoating in conventional sintering. However, the magnetic permeability was lowered no matter whether SiO2-CaO precoating in microwave process. On the other hand, microwave sintering possessed short processing time, for example, 1250 °C/5 min, to prohibit ZnO volatilization in accompanied with grain size reduction. Therefore, such contribution increased resistivity to about 12×106 Ω cm compared to 3×106 Ω cm of original NiZn ferrite. The large coercive magnetic field (Hc) was ascribed to the superposition of small grain size and stress induced by microwave sintering.

  6. Improved Tubulars for Better Economics in Deep Gas Well Drilling Using Microwave Technology

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dinesh Agrawal

    2006-09-30

    The main objective of the entire research program has been to improve the rate-of-penetration in deep hostile environments by improving the life cycle and performance of coiled-tubing, an important component of a deep well drilling system for oil and gas exploration, by utilizing the latest developments in the microwave materials technology. Based on the results of the Phase I and insurmountable difficulties faced in the extrusion and de-waxing processes, the approach of achieving the goals of the program was slightly changed in the Phase II in which an approach of microwave sintering combined with Cold Isostatic Press (CIP) and joiningmore » (by induction or microwave) has been adopted. This process can be developed into a semicontinuous sintering process if the CIP can produce parts fast enough to match the microwave sintering rates. The main objective of the Phase II research program is to demonstrate the potential to economically manufacture microwave processed coiled tubing with improved performance for extended useful life under hostile coiled tubing drilling conditions. After the completion of the Phase II, it is concluded that scale up and sintering of a thin wall common O.D. size tubing that is widely used in the market is still to be proved and further experimentation and refinement of the sintering process is needed in Phase III. Actual manufacturing capability of microwave sintered, industrial quality, full length tubing will most likely require several million dollars of investment.« less

  7. Improved Tubulars for Better Economics in Deep Gas Well Drilling using Microwave Technology

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dinesh Agrawal; Paul Gigl; Mark Hunt

    2007-07-31

    The main objective of the entire research program has been to improve the rate-of-penetration in deep hostile environments by improving the life cycle and performance of coiled-tubing, an important component of a deep well drilling system for oil and gas exploration, by utilizing the latest developments in the microwave materials technology. Based on the results of the Phase I and insurmountable difficulties faced in the extrusion and de-waxing processes, the approach of achieving the goals of the program was slightly changed in the Phase II in which an approach of microwave sintering combined with Cold Isostatic Press (CIP) and joiningmore » (by induction or microwave) has been adopted. This process can be developed into a semicontinuous sintering process if the CIP can produce parts fast enough to match the microwave sintering rates. The main objective of the Phase II research program is to demonstrate the potential to economically manufacture microwave processed coiled tubing with improved performance for extended useful life under hostile coiled tubing drilling conditions. After the completion of the Phase II, it is concluded that scale up and sintering of a thin wall common O.D. size tubing that is widely used in the market is still to be proved and further experimentation and refinement of the sintering process is needed in Phase III. Actual manufacturing capability of microwave sintered, industrial quality, full length tubing will most likely require several million dollars of investment.« less

  8. IMPROVED TUBULARS FOR BETTER ECONOMICS IN DEEP GAS WELL DRILLING USING MICROWAVE TECHNOLOGY

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dinesh Agrawal; Paul Gigl; Mahlon Dennis

    2005-03-01

    The main objective of the research program has been to improve the rate-of-penetration in deep hostile environments by improving the life cycle and performance of coiled-tubing, an important component of a deep well drilling system for oil and gas exploration, by utilizing the latest developments in the microwave materials technology. Originally, it was proposed to accomplish this by developing an efficient and economically viable continuous microwave process to sinter continuously formed/extruded steel powder for the manufacture of seamless coiled tubing and other tubular products. However, based on the results and faced with insurmountable difficulties in the extrusion and de-waxing processes,more » the approach of achieving the goals of the program has been slightly changed. In the continuation proposal an approach of microwave sintering combined with Cold Isostatic Press (CIP) and joining (by induction or microwave) is adopted. This process can be developed into a semi-continuous sintering process if the CIP can produce parts fast enough to match the microwave sintering rates. Originally, the entire program was spread over three phases with the following goals: Phase I: Demonstration of the feasibility concept of continuous microwave sintering process for tubular steel products. Phase II: Design, building and testing of a prototype microwave system which shall be combined with a continuous extruder for steel tubular objects. Phase III: Execution of the plan for commercialization of the technology by one of the industrial partners. However, since some of the goals of the phase I were not completed, an extension of nine months was granted and we continued extrusion experiments, designed and built semicontinuous microwave sintering unit.« less

  9. Densification kinetics of nanocrystalline zirconia powder using microwave and spark plasma sintering--a comparative study.

    PubMed

    Vasylkiv, Oleg; Demirskyi, Dmytro; Sakka, Yoshio; Ragulya, Andrey; Borodianska, Hanna

    2012-06-01

    Two-stage densification process of nanosized 3 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (3Y-SZ) polycrystalline compacts during consolidation via microwave and spark-plasma sintering have been observed. The values of activation energies obtained for microwave and spark-plasma sintering 260-275 kJ x mol(-1) are quite similar to that of conventional sintering of zirconia, suggesting that densification during initial stage is controlled by the grain-boundary diffusion mechanism. The sintering behavior during microwave sintering was significantly affected by preliminary pressing conditions, as the surface diffusion mechanism (230 kJ x mol(-1)) is active in case of cold-isostatic pressing procedure was applied.

  10. Dielectric Properties of Sol-Gel Derived Barium Strontium Titanate and Microwave Sintering of Ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Selmi, Fathi A.

    This thesis consists of two areas of research: (1) sol-gel processing of Ba_{rm 1-x}Sr_{rm x} TiO_3 ceramics and their dielectric properties measurement; and (2) microwave versus conventional sintering of ceramics such as Al_2 O_3, Ba_{ rm 1-x}Sr_{rm x}TiO_3, Sb-doped SnO _2 and YBa_2Cu _3O_7. Sol-gel powders of BaTiO_3, SrTiO_3, and their solid solutions were synthesized by the hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide and Ba and Sr methoxyethoxides. The loss tangent and dielectric constant of both sol-gel and conventionally prepared and sintered Ba_{rm 1-x}Sr _{rm x}TiO _3 ceramics were investigated at high frequencies. The sol-gel prepared ceramics showed higher dielectric constant and lower loss compared to those prepared conventionally. Ba _{rm 1-x}Sr _{rm x}TiO_3 ceramics were tunable with applied bias, indicating the potential use of this material for phase shifter applications. Porous Ba_{0.65}Sr _{0.35}TiO_3 was also investigated to lower the dielectric constant. Microwave sintering of alpha -Al_2O_3 and SrTiO_3 was investigated using an ordinary kitchen microwave oven (2.45 GHz; 600 Watts). The use of microwaves with good insulation of alpha -Al_2O_3 and SrTiO_3 samples resulted in their rapid sintering with good final densities of 96 and 98% of the theoretical density, respectively. A comparison of grain size for conventionally and microwave sintered SrTiO_3 samples did not show a noticeable difference. However, the grain size of microwave sintered alpha-Al_2O _3 was found to be larger than that of conventionally sintered sample. These results show that rapid sintering of ceramics can be achieved by using microwave radiation. The sintering behavior of coprecipitated Sb-doped SnO_2 was investigated using microwave power absorption. With microwave power, samples were sintered at 1450^circC for 20 minutes and showed a density as high as 99.9% of theoretical. However, samples fired in a conventional electric furnace at the same temperature for 4 hours showed only 60% of theoretical density. Microwave sintering also led to improvement in terms of uniform structure and electrical properties. Ba_{0.65}Sr _{0.35}TiO_3 was sintered using the microwave power at 1300 ^circC for 10 minutes. A density of 99% was achieved with small and uniform grain size. Superconducting powders have been successfully prepared by the sol-gel process and sintered and annealed using microwave power. Sintering and densification was achieved in a shorter time with microwave heating than with conventional heating and microwave heating appears to result in refined microstructure.

  11. Process for microwave sintering boron carbide

    DOEpatents

    Holcombe, C.E.; Morrow, M.S.

    1993-10-12

    A method of microwave sintering boron carbide comprises leaching boron carbide powder with an aqueous solution of nitric acid to form a leached boron carbide powder. The leached boron carbide powder is coated with a glassy carbon precursor to form a coated boron carbide powder. The coated boron carbide powder is consolidated in an enclosure of boron nitride particles coated with a layer of glassy carbon within a container for microwave heating to form an enclosed coated boron carbide powder. The enclosed coated boron carbide powder is sintered within the container for microwave heating with microwave energy.

  12. Process for microwave sintering boron carbide

    DOEpatents

    Holcombe, Cressie E.; Morrow, Marvin S.

    1993-01-01

    A method of microwave sintering boron carbide comprises leaching boron carbide powder with an aqueous solution of nitric acid to form a leached boron carbide powder. The leached boron carbide powder is coated with a glassy carbon precursor to form a coated boron carbide powder. The coated boron carbide powder is consolidated in an enclosure of boron nitride particles coated with a layer of glassy carbon within a container for microwave heating to form an enclosed coated boron carbide powder. The enclosed coated boron carbide powder is sintered within the container for microwave heating with microwave energy.

  13. A Review of Metal Injection Molding- Process, Optimization, Defects and Microwave Sintering on WC-Co Cemented Carbide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shahbudin, S. N. A.; Othman, M. H.; Amin, Sri Yulis M.; Ibrahim, M. H. I.

    2017-08-01

    This article is about a review of optimization of metal injection molding and microwave sintering process on tungsten cemented carbide produce by metal injection molding process. In this study, the process parameters for the metal injection molding were optimized using Taguchi method. Taguchi methods have been used widely in engineering analysis to optimize the performance characteristics through the setting of design parameters. Microwave sintering is a process generally being used in powder metallurgy over the conventional method. It has typical characteristics such as accelerated heating rate, shortened processing cycle, high energy efficiency, fine and homogeneous microstructure, and enhanced mechanical performance, which is beneficial to prepare nanostructured cemented carbides in metal injection molding. Besides that, with an advanced and promising technology, metal injection molding has proven that can produce cemented carbides. Cemented tungsten carbide hard metal has been used widely in various applications due to its desirable combination of mechanical, physical, and chemical properties. Moreover, areas of study include common defects in metal injection molding and application of microwave sintering itself has been discussed in this paper.

  14. Rapid Cellulose-Mediated Microwave Sintering for High-Conductivity Ag Patterns on Paper.

    PubMed

    Jung, Sunshin; Chun, Su Jin; Shon, Chae-Hwa

    2016-08-10

    Cellulose-based paper is essential in everyday life, but it also has further potentials for use in low-cost, printable, disposable, and eco-friendly electronics. Here, a method is developed for the cellulose-mediated microwave sintering of Ag patterns on conventional paper, in which the paper plays a significant role both as a flexible insulating substrate for the conductive Ag pattern and as a lossy dielectric media for rapid microwave heating. The anisotropic dielectric properties of the cellulose fibers mean that a microwave electric field applied parallel to the paper substrate provides sufficient heating to produce Ag patterns with a conductivity 29-38% that of bulk Ag in a short period of time (∼1 s) at 250-300 °C. Significantly, there is little thermal degradation of the substrate during this process. The microwave-sintered Ag patterns exhibit good mechanical stability against 10 000 bending cycles and can be easily soldered with lead-free solder. Therefore, cellulose-mediated microwave sintering presents a promising means of achieving short processing times and high electrical performance in flexible paper electronics.

  15. Improved Tubulars for Better Economics in Deep Gas Well Drilling using Microwave Technology

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dinesh Agrawal; Paul Gigl; Mahlon Dennis

    2006-02-01

    The objective of the research program has been to improve the rate-of-penetration in deep hostile environments by improving the life cycle and performance of coiled-tubing, an important component of a deep well drilling system for oil and gas exploration. The current process of the manufacture long tubular steel products consists of shaping the tube from flat strip, welding the seam and sections into lengths that can be miles long, and coiling onto reels. However, the welds, that are a weak point, now limit the performance of the coil tubing. This is not only from a toughness standpoint but also frommore » a corrosion standpoint. By utilizing the latest developments in the sintering of materials with microwave energy and powder metal extrusion technology for the manufacture of seamless coiled tubing and other tubular products, these problems can be eliminated. The project is therefore to develop a continuous microwave process to sinter continuously steel tubulars and butt-join them using microwave/induction process. The program started about three years ago and now we are in the middle of Phase II. In Phase I (which ended in February 2005) a feasibility study of the extrusion process of steel powder and continuously sinter the extruded tubing was conducted. The research program has been based on the development of microwave technology to process tubular specimens of powder metals, especially steels. The existing microwave systems at the Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) and Dennis Tool Company (DTC) were suitably modified to process tubular small specimens. The precursor powder metals were either extruded or cold isostatically pressed (CIP) to form tubular specimens. After conducting an extensive and systematic investigation of extrusion process for producing long tubes, it was determined that there were several difficulties in adopting extrusion process and it cannot be economically used for producing thousands of feet long green tubing. Therefore, in the Phase II the approach was modified to the microwave sintering combined with Cold Isostatic Press (CIP) and joining (by induction or microwave). This process can be developed into a semi-continuous sintering process if the CIP can produce parts fast enough to match the microwave sintering rates. This report summarizes the progress made to-date in this new approach. The final steel composition matching with the Quality tubing's QT-16Cr80 was short listed and used for all experiments. Bonding experiments using 4 different braze powders were conducted and the process optimized to obtain high degree of bonding strength. For fabrication of green tubulars a large CIP unit was acquired and tested. This equipment is located at the Dennis Tool facility in Houston. Microwave sintering experiments for continuous processing of the CIPed tubes are under progress in order to identify the optimum conditions. There have been some reproducibility problems and we are at present working to resolve these problems.« less

  16. A device for microwave sintering large ceramic articles

    DOEpatents

    Kimrey, H.D. Jr.

    1987-07-24

    A microwave sintering system is provided for uniform sintering of large and/or irregular shapes ceramic articles at microwave frequencies of at least 28 GHz in the hundreds of kilowatts power range in an untuned cavity. A 28 GHz, 200 kw gyrotron with variable power output is used as the microwave source connected to an untuned microwave cavity formed of an electrically conductive housing. The part to be sintered is placed in the cavity and supported on a removable high temperature table in a central location within the cavity. The part is surrounded by a microwave transparent bulk insulating material to reduce thermal heat loss at the part surfaces and maintain more uniform temperature. The cavity may be operated at a high vacuum to aid in preventing arcing. The system allows controlled increased heating rates of greater than 200/degree/C/min to provide rapid heating of a ceramic part to a selected sintering temperature where it is maintained by regulating the microwave power applied to the part. As a result of rapid heating, the extent on non-isothermal processes such as segregation of impurities to the grain boundaries are minimized and exaggerated grain growth is reduced, thereby strengthening the mechanical properties of the ceramic part being sintered. 1 fig.

  17. Method and device for microwave sintering large ceramic articles

    DOEpatents

    Kimrey, Jr., Harold D.

    1990-01-01

    A microwave sintering system and method are provided for extremely uniform sintering of large and/or irregular shaped ceramic articles at microwave frequencies of at least 28 GHz in the hundreds of kilowatts power range in an untuned cavity. A 28 GHz, 200 kw gyrotron with variable power output is used as the microwave source connected to an untuned microwave cavity formed of an electrically conductive housing through an overmoded waveguide arrangement which acts in conjunction with a mode promoter within the cavity to achieve unexpected field uniformity. The part to be sintered is placed in the cavity and supported on a removable high temperature table in a central location within the cavity. The part is surrounded by a microwave transparent bulk insulating material to reduce thermal heat loss at the part surfaces and maintain more uniform temperature. The cavity may be operated at a high vacuum to aid in preventing arcing. The system allows controlled increased heating rates of greater than 200.degree. C./min to provide rapid heating of a ceramic part to a selected sintering temperature where it is maintained by regulating the microwave power applied to the part. As a result of rapid heating, the extent of non-isothermal processes such as segregation of impurities to the grain boundaries are minimized and exaggerated grain growth is reduced, thereby strengthening the mechanical properties of the ceramic part being sintered.

  18. [Study on friction and wear properties of dental zirconia ceramics processed by microwave and conventional sintering methods].

    PubMed

    Guoxin, Hu; Ying, Yang; Yuemei, Jiang; Wenjing, Xia

    2017-04-01

    This study evaluated the wear of an antagonist and friction and wear properties of dental zirconia ceramic that was subjected to microwave and conventional sintering methods. Ten specimens were fabricated from Lava brand zirconia and randomly assigned to microwave and conventional sintering groups. A profile tester for surface roughness was used to measure roughness of the specimens. Wear test was performed, and steatite ceramic was used as antagonist. Friction coefficient curves were recorded, and wear volume were calculated. Finally, optical microscope was used to observe the surface morphology of zirconia and steatite ceramics. Field emission scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the microstructure of zirconia. Wear volumes of microwave and conventionally sintered zirconia were (6.940±1.382)×10⁻², (7.952±1.815) ×10⁻² mm³, respectively. Moreover, wear volumes of antagonist after sintering by the considered methods were (14.189±4.745)×10⁻², (15.813±3.481)×10⁻² mm³, correspondingly. Statistically significant difference was not observed in the wear resistance of zirconia and wear volume of steatite ceramic upon exposure to two kinds of sintering methods. Optical microscopy showed that ploughed surfaces were apparent in zirconia. The wear surface of steatite ceramic against had craze, accompanied by plough. Scanning electron microscopy showed that zirconia was sintered compactly when subjected to both conventional sintering and microwave methods, whereas grains of zirconia sintered by microwave alone were smaller and more uniform. Two kinds of sintering methods are successfully used to produce dental zirconia ceramics with similar friction and wear properties.
.

  19. Evaluation of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Al-TiC Metal Matrix Composite Prepared by Conventional, Microwave and Spark Plasma Sintering Methods

    PubMed Central

    Ghasali, Ehsan; Fazili, Ali; Alizadeh, Masoud; Shirvanimoghaddam, Kamyar; Ebadzadeh, Touradj

    2017-01-01

    In this research, the mechanical properties and microstructure of Al-15 wt % TiC composite samples prepared by spark plasma, microwave, and conventional sintering were investigated. The sintering process was performed by the speak plasma sintering (SPS) technique, microwave and conventional furnaces at 400 °C, 600 °C, and 700 °C, respectively. The results showed that sintered samples by SPS have the highest relative density (99% of theoretical density), bending strength (291 ± 12 MPa), and hardness (253 ± 23 HV). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) investigations showed the formation of TiO2 from the surface layer decomposition of TiC particles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs demonstrated uniform distribution of reinforcement particles in all sintered samples. The SEM/EDS analysis revealed the formation of TiO2 around the porous TiC particles. PMID:29088114

  20. Effect on the grain size of single-mode microwave sintered NiCuZn ferrite and zinc titanate dielectric resonator ceramics.

    PubMed

    Sirugudu, Roopas Kiran; Vemuri, Rama Krishna Murthy; Venkatachalam, Subramanian; Gopalakrishnan, Anisha; Budaraju, Srinivasa Murty

    2011-01-01

    Microwave sintering of materials significantly depends on dielectric, magnetic and conductive Losses. Samples with high dielectric and magnetic loss such as ferrites could be sintered easily. But low dielectric loss material such as dielectric resonators (paraelectrics) finds difficulty in generation of heat during microwave interaction. Microwave sintering of materials of these two classes helps in understanding the variation in dielectric and magnetic characteristics with respect to the change in grain size. High-energy ball milled Ni0.6Cu0.2Zn0.2Fe1.98O4-delta and ZnTiO3 are sintered in conventional and microwave methods and characterized for respective dielectric and magnetic characteristics. The grain size variation with higher copper content is also observed with conventional and microwave sintering. The grain size in microwave sintered Ni0.6Cu0.2Zn0.2Fe1.98O4-delta is found to be much small and uniform in comparison with conventional sintered sample. However, the grain size of microwave sintered sample is almost equal to that of conventional sintered sample of Ni0.3Cu0.5Zn0.2Fe1.98O4-delta. In contrast to these high dielectric and magnetic loss ferrites, the paraelectric materials are observed to sinter in presence of microwaves. Although microwave sintered zinc titanate sample showed finer and uniform grains with respect to conventional samples, the dielectric characteristics of microwave sintered sample are found to be less than that of conventional sample. Low dielectric constant is attributed to the low density. Smaller grain size is found to be responsible for low quality factor and the presence of small percentage of TiO2 is observed to achieve the temperature stable resonant frequency.

  1. [Translucency of dental zirconia ceramics sintered in conventional and microwave ovens].

    PubMed

    Yuemei, Jiang; Ying, Yang; Wenhui, Zhan; Guoxin, Hu; Qiuxia, Yang

    2015-12-01

    To evaluate the effect of microwave sintering on the translucency of zirconia and to compare these effect with those of conventional sintering. The relationship between the microstructure of specimens and translucency was investigated. A total of 10 disc-shaped specimens were fabricated from 2 commercial brands of zirconia, namely, Zenostar and Lava. Each group included 5 discs. Conventional sintering was performed according to the manufacturers' specifications. The maximum temperature for Zenostar was 1,490 °C, whereas that for Lava was 1,500 °C. The dwelling time was 2 h. The sintering temperature for microwave sintering was 1,420 °C, heating rate was 15 °C · min⁻¹, and dwelling time was 30 min. After sintering, the translucency parameter (TP) of the specimens were measured with ShadeEye NCC. The sintered density of the specimens was determined by Archimedes' method. The grain size and microstructure of the specimens were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Density and translucency slightly increased by microwave sintering, but no significant difference was found between microwave and conventional sintering (P > 0.05). Small and uniform microstructure were obtained from microwave sintering. The mean TP of Lava was significantly higher than that of Zenostar (P < 0.001). The translucency of zirconia sintered by microwave sintering is similar to that of the zirconia sintered by conventional sintering.

  2. Sub-second carbon-nanotube-mediated microwave sintering for high-conductivity silver patterns on plastic substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jung, Sunshin; Chun, Su Jin; Han, Joong Tark; Woo, Jong Seok; Shon, Cha-Hwa; Lee, Geon-Woong

    2016-02-01

    A method of microwave sintering that is mediated by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been developed to obtain high-conductivity Ag patterns on the top of heat-sensitive plastic substrates within a short time. The Ag patterns are printed on CNTs formed on plastic substrates and rapidly heated to a great extent by the heat transferred from the microwave-heated CNTs. The conductivity of the microwave-sintered Ag patterns reaches ~39% that of bulk Ag within 1 s without substrate deformation. Furthermore, microwave sintering enhances the adhesion of Ag patterns to the thermoplastic substrates because the sintering causes interfacial fusion between the Ag patterns and the substrates, and CNTs physically connect the patterns with the substrates.A method of microwave sintering that is mediated by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been developed to obtain high-conductivity Ag patterns on the top of heat-sensitive plastic substrates within a short time. The Ag patterns are printed on CNTs formed on plastic substrates and rapidly heated to a great extent by the heat transferred from the microwave-heated CNTs. The conductivity of the microwave-sintered Ag patterns reaches ~39% that of bulk Ag within 1 s without substrate deformation. Furthermore, microwave sintering enhances the adhesion of Ag patterns to the thermoplastic substrates because the sintering causes interfacial fusion between the Ag patterns and the substrates, and CNTs physically connect the patterns with the substrates. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Temperature difference in Ag/CNT/PC samples; the carbon content and electrical performance after microwave sintering; microwave sintering of Ag/CNT patterns; physical connection between the substrate and sintered Ag lines; touch-piano (figure and movie). See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr08082g

  3. [Microwave sintering of nanometer powder of alumina and zirconia-based dental ceramics].

    PubMed

    Chen, Yi-Fan; Lu, Dong-Mei; Wan, Qian-Bing; Jin, Yong; Zhu, Ju-Mu

    2006-02-01

    The objective of the present study was to investigate the feasibility and reliability of sintering alumina and zirconia-based all-ceramic materials through a recently introduced microwave heating technique. The variation of crystal phases, the growth of grain sizes and microstructural features of these materials were evaluated after sintering. Four different groups of powder (l00%Al2O3, 60%Al2O3+40%ZrO2, 40% Al2O3+60%ZrO2, 100% ZrO2) were respectively press-compacted to fabricate green disk samples, 5 specimen of each group were prepared. All the samples were surrounded by refractory materials for heat containment and processed at 1 600 degrees C in a domestic microwave oven (850 W, 2 450 MHz), 1 600 degrees C/5 min for heating rate, 10 min for holding time. After sintering, the phase composition and average grain size of these ceramics were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Their microstructure characteristics were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All the specimens were successfully sintered with the application of microwave heating system in combination with a suitable thermal insulator. No phase change was found in alumina while monoclinic-zirconia was found to be transformed to tetragonal-zirconia. A little grain size growth of Al2O3 and ZrO2 has been observed with Al2O3 24.1 nm/before and 51.8 nm/after; ZrO2 25.3 nm/before and 29.7 nm/after. The SEM photos indicated that the microwave-sintered Al2O3-ZrO2 ceramics had a uniform crystal distribution and their crystal sizes could be maintained within the range of nanometers. It is expected that in the near future microwave heating system could be a promising substitute for conventional processing methods due to its unparalled advantages, including more rapid heating rate, shortened sintering time, superfine grain size, improved microstructure and much less expensive equipment.

  4. Effect of microwave-assisted sintering on dielectric properties of CaCu3Ti4O12 ceramic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rani, Suman; Ahlawat, Neetu; Punia, R.; Kundu, R. S.; Ahlawat, N.

    2016-05-01

    In this present work, CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) was synthesized by conventional solid-state reaction technique. The synthesis process was carried out in two phases; by conventional process (calcination and sintering at 1080°C for 10 hours) and phase II involves the micro assisted pre sintering of conventionally calcined CCTO for very short soaking time of 30 min at 1080°C in a microwave furnace followed by sintering at 1080°C for 10 hours in conventional furnace. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed the formation of single phase ceramic. Dielectric properties were studied over the frequency range from 50Hz -5MHz at temperatures (273K-343K). It was observed that pre- microwave sintering enhance the dielectric constant values from 10900 to 11893 and respectively reduces the dielectric loss values from 0.49 to 0.34 at room temperature(1 KHz). CCTO ceramics which are found desirable for many technological applications. The effect is more pronounced at low frequencies of applied electric field.

  5. EFFECT OF MICROWAVE SINTERING ON THE STRUCTURAL AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF Li0.51Zn0.2Ti0.2V0.01Fe2.08O4 FERRITE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maisnam, Mamata; Phanjoubam, Sumitra

    2013-07-01

    Effect of microwave sintering on the structural and electrical properties of Li+0.51Zn2+0.2Ti4+0.2V5+0.01Fe3+2.08O2-4 is studied in comparison with that of conventionally sintered one. The technique is advantageous in terms of significantly reduced size of microwave kilns and rapid heating compared to the cumbersome and slow heating of conventional sintering technology. Microwave sintering produced enhanced densification and much finer microstructures. The DC resistivity is markedly increased. Microwave sintering reduces chances of evaporation of lithium and oxygen during sintering of lithium based ferrites resulting in formation of lesser ferrous ions. This has profound effect on the electrical properties of microwave sintered ferrites. The dielectric constant is significantly reduced possibly due to reduced space charge polarization and the temperature dependence of the dielectric properties are also studied.

  6. Method for heat treating and sintering metal oxides with microwave radiation

    DOEpatents

    Holcombe, Cressie E.; Dykes, Norman L.; Meek, Thomas T.

    1989-01-01

    A method for microwave sintering materials, primarily metal oxides, is described. Metal oxides do not normally absorb microwave radiation at temperatures ranging from about room temperature to several hundred degrees centrigrade are sintered with microwave radiation without the use of the heretofore required sintering aids. This sintering is achieved by enclosing a compact of the oxide material in a housing or capsule formed of a oxide which has microwave coupling properties at room temprature up to at least the microwave coupling temperature of the oxide material forming the compact. The heating of the housing effects the initial heating of the oxide material forming the compact by heat transference and then functions as a thermal insulator for the encased oxide material after the oxide material reaches a sufficient temperature to adequately absorb or couple with microwave radiation for heating thereof to sintering temperature.

  7. New materials through a variety of sintering methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaworska, L.; Cyboroń, J.; Cygan, S.; Laszkiewicz-Łukasik, J.; Podsiadło, M.; Novak, P.; Holovenko, Y.

    2018-03-01

    New sintering techniques make it possible to obtain materials with special properties that are impossible to obtain by conventional sintering techniques. This issue is especially important for ceramic materials for application under extreme conditions. Following the tendency to limit critical materials in manufacturing processes, the use of W, Si, B, Co, Cr should be limited, also. One of the cheapest and widely available materials is aluminum oxide, which shows differences in phase composition, grain size, hardness, strain and fracture toughness of the same type of powder, sintered via various methods. In this paper the alumina was sintered using the conventional free sintering process, microwave sintering, Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS), high pressure-high temperature method (HP-HT) and High Pressure Spark Plasma Sintering (HP SPS). Phase composition analysis, by X-ray diffraction of the alumina materials sintered using various methods, was carried out. For the conventional sintering method, compacts are composed of α-Al2O3 and θ-Al2O3. For compacts sintered using SPS, microwave and HP-HT methods, χ-Al2O3 and γ-Al2O3 phases were additionally present. Mechanical and physical properties of the obtained materials were compared between the methods of sintering. On the basis of images from scanning electron microscope quantitative analysis was performed to determine the degree of grain growth of alumina after sintering.

  8. Effect of microwave-assisted sintering on dielectric properties of CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12} ceramic

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rani, Suman, E-mail: sumanranigju@gmail.com; Ahlawat, Neetu; Punia, R.

    2016-05-23

    In this present work, CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12} (CCTO) was synthesized by conventional solid-state reaction technique. The synthesis process was carried out in two phases; by conventional process (calcination and sintering at 1080°C for 10 hours) and phase II involves the micro assisted pre sintering of conventionally calcined CCTO for very short soaking time of 30 min at 1080°C in a microwave furnace followed by sintering at 1080°C for 10 hours in conventional furnace. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed the formation of single phase ceramic. Dielectric properties were studied over the frequency range from 50Hz -5MHz at temperatures (273K-343K). It wasmore » observed that pre- microwave sintering enhance the dielectric constant values from 10900 to 11893 and respectively reduces the dielectric loss values from 0.49 to 0.34 at room temperature(1 KHz). CCTO ceramics which are found desirable for many technological applications. The effect is more pronounced at low frequencies of applied electric field.« less

  9. Effect of Dopants and Sintering Method on the Properties of Ceria-Based Electrolytes for IT-SOFCs Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharma, Payal; Sharma, Chetan; Singh, Kanchan L.; Singh, Anirudh P.

    2018-05-01

    Doped and co-doped ceria ceramics are used as electrolyte materials in solid oxide fuel cells. In this work, ceria-based oxides, Ce0.90Gd0.06Y0.02M0.02O2-δ (M = Ca, Fe, La, and Sr) were prepared by conventional as well as microwave processing from the precursors prepared by the mixed oxide method. The consolidated calcined powders in pellet form were sintered in microwave energy at 1400°C for 20 min and in an electric furnace of IR radiation at 1400°C for 6 h. The x-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that all the compositions were crystallized into a cubic fluorite structure. Surface morphology of the sintered products was studied using scanning electron microscopy and the microhardness was investigated using the Vickers hardness test. The comparative results analysis shows that the microwave-sintered samples have uniform grain growth, higher density and higher microhardness than the corresponding conventionally sintered products. The microwave-sintered sample of composition Ce0.90Gd0.06Y0.02Sr0.02O2-δ was found to have the highest microhardness among the four compositions due to its high density and smallest grain size.

  10. Microwave sintering of ceramic materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karayannis, V. G.

    2016-11-01

    In the present study, the potential of microwave irradiation as an innovative energy- efficient alternative to conventional heating technologies in ceramic manufacturing is reviewed, addressing the advantages/disadvantages, while also commenting on future applications of possible commercial interest. Ceramic materials have been extensively studied and used due to several advantages they exhibit. Sintering ceramics using microwave radiation, a novel technology widely employed in various fields, can be an efficient, economic and environmentally-friendlier approach, to improve the consolidation efficiency and reduce the processing cycle-time, in order to attain substantial energy and cost savings. Microwave sintering provides efficient internal heating, as energy is supplied directly and penetrates the material. Since energy transfer occurs at a molecular level, heat is generated throughout the material, thus avoiding significant temperature gradients between the surface and the interior, which are frequently encountered at high heating rates upon conventional sintering. Thus, rapid, volumetric and uniform heating of various raw materials and secondary resources for ceramic production is possible, with limited grain coarsening, leading to accelerated densification, and uniform and fine-grained microstructures, with enhanced mechanical performance. This is particularly important for manufacturing large-size ceramic products of quality, and also for specialty ceramic materials such as bioceramics and electroceramics. Critical parameters for the process optimization, including the electromagnetic field distribution, microwave-material interaction, heat transfer mechanisms and material transformations, should be taken into consideration.

  11. Microwave sintering of single plate-shaped articles

    DOEpatents

    Katz, Joel D.; Blake, Rodger D.

    1995-01-01

    Apparatus and method for high temperature sintering of plate-shaped articles of alumina, magnesia, silica, yttria, zirconia, and mixtures thereof using microwave radiation. An article is placed within a sintering structure located within a sintering container which is placed in a microwave cavity for heating. The rates at which heating and cooling take place is controlled.

  12. A comparative study of conventionally sintered and microwave sintered nickel zinc ferrite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rani, Rekha; Juneja, J. K.; Raina, K. K.; Kotnala, R. K.; Prakash, Chandra

    2014-04-01

    For the present work, nickel zinc ferrite having compositional formula Ni0.8Zn0.2Fe2O4 was synthesized by conventional solid state method and sintered in conventional and microwave furnaces. Pellets were sintered with very short soaking time of 10 min at 1150 °C in microwave furnace whereas 4 hrs of soaking time was selected for conventional sintering at 1200 °C. Phase formation was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis technique. Scanning electron micrographs were taken for microstructural study. Dielectric properties were studied as a function of temperature. To study magnetic behavior, M-H hysteresis loops were recorded for both samples. It is observed that microwave sintered sample could obtain comparable properties to the conventionally sintered one in lesser soaking time at lower sintering temperature.

  13. Thermal insulation for high temperature microwave sintering operations and method thereof

    DOEpatents

    Holcombe, Cressie E.; Dykes, Norman L.; Morrow, Marvin S.

    1995-01-01

    Superior microwave transparent thermal insulations for high temperature microwave sintering operations were prepared. One embodiment of the thermal insulation comprises granules of boron nitride coated with a very thin layer of glassy carbon made by preparing a glassy carbon precursor and blending it with boron nitride powder to form a mixture. The blended mixture is granulated to form a grit which is dried and heated to form the granules of boron nitride coated with a glassy carbon. Alternatively, grains of glassy carbon are coated with boron nitride by blending a mixture of a slurry comprising boron nitride, boric acid binder, and methyl alcohol with glassy carbon grains to form a blended mixture. The blended mixture is dried to form grains of glassy carbon coated with boron nitride. In addition, a physical mixture of boron nitride powder and glassy carbon grains has also been shown to be an excellent thermal insulation material for microwave processing and sintering.

  14. Method of preparing thermal insulation for high temperature microwave sintering operations

    DOEpatents

    Holcombe, Cressie E.; Dykes, Norman L.; Morrow, Marvin S.

    1996-01-01

    Superior microwave transparent thermal insulations for high temperature microwave sintering operations were prepared. One embodiment of the thermal insulation comprises granules of boron nitride coated with a very thin layer of glassy carbon made by preparing a glassy carbon precursor and blending it with boron nitride powder to form a mixture. The blended mixture is granulated to form a grit which is dried and heated to form the granules of boron nitride coated with a glassy carbon. Alternatively, grains of glassy carbon are coated with boron nitride by blending a mixture of a slurry comprising boron nitride, boric acid binder, and methyl alcohol with glassy carbon grains to form a blended mixture. The blended mixture is dried to form grains of glassy carbon coated with boron nitride. In addition, a physical mixture of boron nitride powder and glassy carbon grains has also been shown to be an excellent thermal insulation material for microwave processing and sintering.

  15. Microwave sintering of single plate-shaped articles

    DOEpatents

    Katz, J.D.; Blake, R.D.

    1995-07-11

    Apparatus and method are disclosed for high temperature sintering of plate-shaped articles of alumina, magnesia, silica, yttria, zirconia, and mixtures thereof using microwave radiation. An article is placed within a sintering structure located within a sintering container which is placed in a microwave cavity for heating. The rates at which heating and cooling take place is controlled. 2 figs.

  16. On the Mechanism of Microwave Flash Sintering of Ceramics

    PubMed Central

    Bykov, Yury V.; Egorov, Sergei V.; Eremeev, Anatoly G.; Kholoptsev, Vladislav V.; Plotnikov, Ivan V.; Rybakov, Kirill I.; Sorokin, Andrei A.

    2016-01-01

    The results of a study of ultra-rapid (flash) sintering of oxide ceramic materials under microwave heating with high absorbed power per unit volume of material (10–500 W/cm3) are presented. Ceramic samples of various compositions—Al2O3; Y2O3; MgAl2O4; and Yb(LaO)2O3—were sintered using a 24 GHz gyrotron system to a density above 0.98–0.99 of the theoretical value in 0.5–5 min without isothermal hold. An analysis of the experimental data (microwave power; heating and cooling rates) along with microstructure characterization provided an insight into the mechanism of flash sintering. Flash sintering occurs when the processing conditions—including the temperature of the sample; the properties of thermal insulation; and the intensity of microwave radiation—facilitate the development of thermal runaway due to an Arrhenius-type dependency of the material’s effective conductivity on temperature. The proper control over the thermal runaway effect is provided by fast regulation of the microwave power. The elevated concentration of defects and impurities in the boundary regions of the grains leads to localized preferential absorption of microwave radiation and results in grain boundary softening/pre-melting. The rapid densification of the granular medium with a reduced viscosity of the grain boundary phase occurs via rotation and sliding of the grains which accommodate their shape due to fast diffusion mass transport through the (quasi-)liquid phase. The same mechanism based on a thermal runaway under volumetric heating can be relevant for the effect of flash sintering of various oxide ceramics under a dc/ac voltage applied to the sample. PMID:28773807

  17. Microwave sintering of nanopowder ZnNb2O6: Densification, microstructure and microwave dielectric properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bafrooei, H. Barzegar; Nassaj, E. Taheri; Hu, C. F.; Huang, Q.; Ebadzadeh, T.

    2014-12-01

    High density ZnNb2O6 ceramics were successfully fabricated by microwave sintering of ZnO-Nb2O5 and ZnNb2O6 nanopowders. Phase formation, microstructure and microwave electrical properties of the microwave sintered (MS) and microwave reaction sintered (MRS) specimens were examined using X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and microwave dielectric properties measurement. Specimens were sintered in a temperature range from 950 to 1075 °C for 30 min at an interval of 25 °C using a microwave furnace operated at 2.45 GHz frequency, 3 kW power. XRD pattern revealed the formation of pure columbite phase of ZnNb2O6. The SEM micrographs show grain growth and reduction in porosity of specimens with the increase in sintering temperature. Good combination of microwave dielectric properties (εr~23.6, Qf~64,300 GHz and τf~-66 ppm/°C and εr~24, Qf~75,800 GHz and τf~-64 ppm/°C) was obtained for MS- and MRS-prepared samples at 1000 °C and 1050 °C for 30 min, respectively.

  18. Microwave sintering of sol-gel derived abrasive grain

    DOEpatents

    Plovnick, Ross; Celikkaya, Ahmet; Blake, Rodger D.

    1997-01-01

    A method is provided for making microwave-sintered, free flowing alpha alumina-based ceramic abrasive grain, under conditions effective to couple microwaves with calcined alpha alumina-based abrasive gain precursor and sinter it at a temperature of at least about 1150.degree. C.

  19. Method of sintering materials with microwave radiation

    DOEpatents

    Kimrey, Jr., Harold D.; Holcombe, Jr., Cressie E.; Dykes, Norman L.

    1994-01-01

    A method of sintering ceramic materials following: A compacted article comprising inorganic particles coated with carbon is provided, the carbon providing improved microwave coupling. The compacted article is then heated by microwave radiation to a temperature and for a period of time sufficient to sinter the compacted article.

  20. Microwave sintering of multiple articles

    DOEpatents

    Blake, Rodger D.; Katz, Joel D.

    1993-01-01

    Apparatus and method for producing articles of alumina and of alumina and silicon carbide in which the articles are sintered at high temperatures using microwave radiation. The articles are placed in a sintering container which is placed in a microwave cavity for heating. The rates at which heating and cooling take place is controlled.

  1. Method of sintering materials with microwave radiation

    DOEpatents

    Kimrey, H.D. Jr.; Holcombe, C.E. Jr.; Dykes, N.L.

    1994-06-14

    Disclosed is a method of sintering ceramic materials. A compacted article comprising inorganic particles coated with carbon is provided, the carbon providing improved microwave coupling. The compacted article is then heated by microwave radiation to a temperature and for a period of time sufficient to sinter the compacted article. No Drawings

  2. Method of preparing thermal insulation for high temperature microwave sintering operations

    DOEpatents

    Holcombe, C.E.; Dykes, N.L.; Morrow, M.S.

    1996-07-16

    Superior microwave transparent thermal insulations for high temperature microwave sintering operations were prepared. One embodiment of the thermal insulation comprises granules of boron nitride coated with a very thin layer of glassy carbon made by preparing a glassy carbon precursor and blending it with boron nitride powder to form a mixture. The blended mixture is granulated to form a grit which is dried and heated to form the granules of boron nitride coated with a glassy carbon. Alternatively, grains of glassy carbon are coated with boron nitride by blending a mixture of a slurry comprising boron nitride, boric acid binder, and methyl alcohol with glassy carbon grains to form a blended mixture. The blended mixture is dried to form grains of glassy carbon coated with boron nitride. In addition, a physical mixture of boron nitride powder and glassy carbon grains has also been shown to be an excellent thermal insulation material for microwave processing and sintering. 1 fig.

  3. Thermal insulation for high temperature microwave sintering operations and method thereof

    DOEpatents

    Holcombe, C.E.; Dykes, N.L.; Morrow, M.S.

    1995-09-12

    Superior microwave transparent thermal insulations for high temperature microwave sintering operations were prepared. One embodiment of the thermal insulation comprises granules of boron nitride coated with a very thin layer of glassy carbon made by preparing a glassy carbon precursor and blending it with boron nitride powder to form a mixture. The blended mixture is granulated to form a grit which is dried and heated to form the granules of boron nitride coated with a glassy carbon. Alternatively, grains of glassy carbon are coated with boron nitride by blending a mixture of a slurry comprising boron nitride, boric acid binder, and methyl alcohol with glassy carbon grains to form a blended mixture. The blended mixture is dried to form grains of glassy carbon coated with boron nitride. In addition, a physical mixture of boron nitride powder and glassy carbon grains has also been shown to be an excellent thermal insulation material for microwave processing and sintering. 1 fig.

  4. Flash microwave synthesis and sintering of nanosized La{sub 0.75}Sr{sub 0.25}Cr{sub 0.93}Ru{sub 0.07}o{sub 3-{delta}} for fuel cell application

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Combemale, L., E-mail: lionel.combemale@u-bourgogne.f; Caboche, G.; Stuerga, D.

    2009-10-15

    Perovskite-oxide nanocrystals of La{sub 0.75}Sr{sub 0.25}Cr{sub 0.93}Ru{sub 0.07}O{sub 3-{delta}} with a mean size around 10 nm were prepared by microwave flash synthesis. This reaction was performed in alcoholic solution using metallic salts, sodium ethoxide and microwave autoclave. The obtained powder was characterised after purification by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), BET adsorption technique, photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that integrated perovskite-type phase and uniform particle size were obtained in the microwave treated samples. At last the synthesised powder was directly used in a sintering process. A porous solid, inmore » accordance with the expected applications, was then obtained at low sintering temperature (1000 deg. C) without use of pore forming agent. - Graphical abstract: TEM photograph of La{sub 0.75}Sr{sub 0.25}Cr{sub 0.93}Ru{sub 0.07}O{sub 3-{delta}} obtained by microwave flash synthesis. This picture confirms the nanometric size of the ceramic particles.« less

  5. Microwave Sinterator Freeform Additive Construction System (MS-FACS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Howe, Alan S.; Wilcox, Brian H.; Barmatz, Martin B.; Mercury, Michael B.; Siebert, Michael A.; Rieber, Richard R.

    2013-01-01

    The harmful properties of lunar dust, such as small size, glass composition, abnormal surface area, and coatings of imbedded nanophase iron, lead to a unique coupling of the dust with microwave radiation. This coupling can be exploited for rapid sintering of lunar soil for use as a construction material that can be formed to take on an infinite number of shapes and sizes. This work describes a system concept for building structures on the lunar surface using lunar regolith (soil). This system uses the ATHLETE (All-Terrain Hex- Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer) mobility system as a positioning system with a microwave print head (similar to that of a smaller-scale 3D printer). A processing system delivers the lunar regolith to the microwave print head, where the microwave print head/chamber lays down a layer of melted regolith. An arm on the ATHLETE system positions the layer depending on the desired structure.

  6. Mechanical parameters of strontium doped hydroxyapatite sintered using microwave and conventional methods.

    PubMed

    Curran, Declan J; Fleming, Thomas J; Towler, Mark R; Hampshire, Stuart

    2011-11-01

    The effects of ion substitution in hydroxyapatite (HA) on crystal structure and lattice stability is investigated in the green state and post sintering. The effects of ion incorporation on the biaxial flexural strength and hardness are also investigated. Sintering is carried out at 1200 °C using comparative conventional and microwave regimes. Post sintering, the effects of ion incorporation manifest as an increase in the lattice d-spacings and a reduction of the crystallite size. Some HA decomposition occurs with β-TCP stabilisation in conventional sintering (CS), but this phase is destabilised during microwave sintering (MS), generating α-TCP. Conventional sintering (CS) allows higher densification in the undoped samples. Overall, for the Sr-doped compositions, the MS samples retain higher amounts of HA and experience higher density levels compared to the CS samples. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  7. Microwave Sintering of Ceramic Materials for Industrial Application Final Report CRADA No. TC-1116-95

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Caplan, M.; Tandon, R.; Callis, R.

    The goal of this project was to develop the commercial capability in the US to sinter alumina oxide ceramic parts for the semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry. We planned to use the millimeter microwave (30 GHz) sintering system first developed by IAP in Russia.

  8. Densification and Electrical Properties of Zinc Oxide Varistors Microwave-Sintered Under Different Oxygen Partial Pressures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Cong; Wang, Bo; Xu, Zheng; Peng, Hu

    2012-11-01

    ZnO varistors were prepared by microwave sintering under different oxygen partial pressures. The temperature profile and the densification behavior in different atmospheres were investigated. It was found that the density of ZnO varistors during sintering was the key factor affecting the absorption of microwave energy. The electrical properties, including the nonlinear properties and capacitance-voltage ( C- V) characteristics, were also carefully studied. The results showed that the oxygen partial pressure has significant effects on the electrical properties of ZnO varistors by changing the concentration of defects through a series of reactions involving oxygen during sintering.

  9. Vitrification of radioactive contaminated soil by means of microwave energy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Xun; Qing, Qi; Zhang, Shuai; Lu, Xirui

    2017-03-01

    Simulated radioactive contaminated soil was successfully vitrified by microwave sintering technology and the solidified body were systematically studied by Raman, XRD and SEM-EDX. The Raman results show that the solidified body transformed to amorphous structure better at higher temperature (1200 °C). The XRD results show that the metamictization has been significantly enhanced by the prolonged holding time at 1200 °C by microwave sintering, while by conventional sintering technology other crystal diffraction peaks, besides of silica at 2θ = 27.830°, still exist after being treated at 1200 °C for much longer time. The SEM-EDX discloses the micro-morphology of the sample and the uniform distribution of Nd element. All the results show that microwave technology performs vitrification better than the conventional sintering method in solidifying radioactive contaminated soil.

  10. Osseointegrated dental implants produced via microwave processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kutty, Muralithran G.

    This research is a comprehensive effort to develop osseointegrated dental implants via microwave processing. A net-shape microwave sintering procedure was employed to fabricate dental implants. Commercial pure titanium powders (-100, -200 and -325 mesh sizes) were used in this work. This process eliminates the need for machining of implants and prevents contamination. The idea was to take advantage of the peculiar way microwave couple with metallic powders, i.e. generating heat in the interior of the sample and dissipating it away through the surface. The desired features for an implant, a dense core with surface pores, is not possible via conventional sintering. Coating with hydroxyapatite via electrodeposition and chemical combustion vapor deposition was also attempted to further enhance the bioactivity of this layer. Surface roughness and area were measured using a non-contact surface profilometer to further describe the unique surface. In-vitro studies, conducted using osteoblast cells extracted from neonatal rat calvarial, showed improved cell growth on all the uncoated porous samples. However, the highest cell growth was observed on the -200 mesh size samples. The higher surface area of the -200 mesh samples is attributed to this observation. This work was able to identify the processing parameters for titanium in microwave and establishes the importance of surface area as a key parameter for cell growth on porous surfaces as compared to surface roughness.

  11. Microwave processed NiMg ferrite: Studies on structural and magnetic properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chandra Babu Naidu, K.; Madhuri, W.

    2016-12-01

    Ferrites are magnetic semiconductors realizing an important role in electrical and electronic circuits where electrical and magnetic property coupling is required. Though ferrite materials are known for a long time, there is a large scope in the improvement of their properties (vice sintering and frequency dependence of electrical and magnetic properties) with the current technological trends. Forth coming technology is aimed at miniaturization and smart gadgets, electrical components like inductors and transformers cannot be included in integrated circuits. These components are incorporated into the circuit as surface mount devices whose fabrication involves low temperature co-firing of ceramics and microwave monolithic integrated circuits technologies. These technologies demand low temperature sinter-ability of ferrites. This article presents low temperature microwave sintered Ni-Mg ferrites of general chemical formula Ni1-xMgxFe2O4 (x=0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8, 1) for potential applications as transformer core materials. The series of ferrites are characterized using X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared and vibrating sample magnetometer for investigating structural, morphological and magnetic properties respectively. The initial permeability is studied with magnesium content, temperature and frequency in the temperature range of 308 K-873 K and 42 Hz-5 MHz.

  12. Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of High Dielectric Constant CaCu3Ti4O12 from Sol-Gel Precursor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ouyang, Xin; Cao, Peng; Huang, Saifang; Zhang, Weijun; Huang, Zhaohui; Gao, Wei

    2015-07-01

    CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) powders derived from sol-gel precursors were calcined and sintered via microwave radiation. The obtained CCTO powders were compared with that obtained via a conventional heating method. For microwave heating, 89.1 wt.% CCTO was achieved from the sol-gel precursor, after only 17 min at 950°C. In contrast, the conventional calcination method required 3 h to generate 87.6 wt.% CCTO content at 1100°C. In addition, the CCTO powders prepared through 17 min of microwave calcination exhibited a small particle size distribution of D50 = 3.826 μm. It was found that a lengthy hold time of 1 h by microwave sintering is required to obtain a high dielectric constant (3.14 × 103 at 102 Hz) and a reasonably low dielectric loss (0.161) in the sintered CCTO ceramic. Based upon the distinct microstructures, the dielectric responses of the CCTO samples sintered by different methods are attributed to space charge polarization and internal barrier layer capacitor mechanism.

  13. Enhanced Photoluminescent Properties and Crystalline Morphology of LiBaPO4:Tm3+ Phosphor through Microwave Sintering Method

    PubMed Central

    Lai, Hsuan-Lin; Weng, Min-Hang; Yang, Ru-Yuan; Chang, Shoou-Jinn

    2016-01-01

    An investigation of the photoluminescent properties and crystalline morphology of blue emitting LiBa1−xPO4:xTm3+ phosphors with various concentrations (x = 0.005–0.030) of Tm3+ ions were synthesized by microwave sintering. For comparison, the LiBa1−xPO4:xTm3+ powders sintered at the same sintering condition but in a conventional furnace were also investigated. LiBaPO4 without second phase was formed no matter which furnace was used. More uniform grain size distributions are obtained by microwave sintering. When the concentration of Tm3+ ion was x = 0.015, the luminescence intensity reached a maximum value, and then decreased with the increases of the Tm3+ concentration due to concentration quenching effect. The microwave sintering significantly enhanced the emission intensity of LiBa1−xPO4:xTm3+ phosphors. Additionally, the d-d interaction is the key mechanism of concentration quenching for LiBaPO4:Tm3+. The chromaticity (x, y) for all LiBa1−xPO4:xTm3+ phosphors are located at (0.16, 0.05), which will be classified as a blue region. PMID:28773483

  14. Effects of La2O3-B2O3-ZnO additions on the low temperature sintering and microwave dielectric properties of (Ca0.61La0.26) TiO3 ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Y. W.; Li, E. Z.; Niu, N.; Zou, M. Y.; Duan, S. X.; Zhang, S. R.

    2017-02-01

    The influence of La2O3-B2O3-ZnO (LBZ) additions on the sintering behavior, microstructure, phase composition, and the microwave dielectric properties of (Ca0.61La0.26) TiO3 (CLT) ceramics have been investigated. The results indicate that the LBZ additions could efficiently lower the sintering temperature of the CLT ceramics from 1400°C to 950°C, and excellent microwave properties remain. Small amount of LBZ glass promotes the densification of the CLT ceramics and enhances the microwave dielectric properties. However, excess amount of LBZ glass deteriorates the dielectric properties because of the increasing glass phase. The CLT ceramic with 3 wt. % LBZ additions, sintered at 950°C, exhibit excellent properties: εr= 103.12, Q× f = 8826 GHz(f=3.312 GHz) and τƒ=299.52 ppm/°C.

  15. Method of sintering ceramic materials

    DOEpatents

    Holcombe, Cressie E.; Dykes, Norman L.

    1992-01-01

    A method for sintering ceramic materials is described. A ceramic article is coated with layers of protective coatings such as boron nitride, graphite foil, and niobium. The coated ceramic article is embedded in a container containing refractory metal oxide granules and placed within a microwave oven. The ceramic article is heated by microwave energy to a temperature sufficient to sinter the ceramic article to form a densified ceramic article having a density equal to or greater than 90% of theoretical density.

  16. Sintering characteristic and microwave dielectric properties of 0.45Ca0.6Nd0.267TiO3-0.55Li0.5Nd0.5TiO3 ceramics with La2O3-B2O3-ZnO additive

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Yawei; Zhang, Shuren; Li, Enzhu; Niu, Na; Yang, Hongcheng

    2018-02-01

    The La2O3-B2O3-ZnO (LBZ) glass was proved to be an effective sintering aid of the 0.45Ca0.6Nd0.26TiO3-0.55Li0.5Nd0.5TiO3 (CNT-LNT) ceramics. The influence of LBZ glass on the phase composition, low temperature sintering process, microstructure, activation energy, and dielectric properties of CNT-LNT ceramics was investigated in detail. The LBZ glass induced an obvious decrease of the CNT-LNT ceramics sintering temperature from 1350 to 1000 °C due to the liquid phase formation, which reduced the activation energy ( E a) of the CNT-LNT ceramics. In addition, the near zero temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τƒ) value was obtained by adding moderate quantity of LBZ glass. CNT-LNT + 5 wt% LBZ (CNT-LNT + 5L) ceramics sintered at 1000°C/4 h displayed good microwave dielectric properties of: ɛ r = 101.7, Q × f = 1560 GHz ( f = 3.25 GHz) and τ ƒ = 2.3 ppm °C-1.

  17. Method of sintering ceramic materials

    DOEpatents

    Holcombe, C.E.; Dykes, N.L.

    1992-11-17

    A method for sintering ceramic materials is described. A ceramic article is coated with layers of protective coatings such as boron nitride, graphite foil, and niobium. The coated ceramic article is embedded in a container containing refractory metal oxide granules and placed within a microwave oven. The ceramic article is heated by microwave energy to a temperature sufficient to sinter the ceramic article to form a densified ceramic article having a density equal to or greater than 90% of theoretical density. 2 figs.

  18. Microwave sintering of boron carbide

    DOEpatents

    Blake, R.D.; Katz, J.D.; Petrovic, J.J.; Sheinberg, H.

    1988-06-10

    A method for forming boron carbide into a particular shape and densifying the green boron carbide shape. Boron carbide in powder form is pressed into a green shape and then sintered, using a microwave oven, to obtain a dense boron carbide body. Densities of greater than 95% of theoretical density have been obtained. 1 tab.

  19. Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of Microwave Sintered Cu50Ti50 Amorphous Alloy Reinforced Al Metal Matrix Composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reddy, M. Penchal; Ubaid, F.; Shakoor, R. A.; Mohamed, A. M. A.

    2018-06-01

    In the present work, Al metal matrix composites reinforced with Cu-based (Cu50Ti50) amorphous alloy particles synthesized by ball milling followed by a microwave sintering process were studied. The amorphous powders of Cu50Ti50 produced by ball milling were used to reinforce the aluminum matrix. They were examined by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), microhardness and compression testing. The analysis of XRD patterns of the samples containing 5 vol.%, 10 vol.% and 15 vol.% Cu50Ti50 indicates the presence of Al and Cu50Ti50 peaks. SEM images of the sintered composites show the uniform distribution of reinforced particles within the matrix. Mechanical properties of the composites were found to increase with an increasing volume fraction of Cu50Ti50 reinforcement particles. The hardness and compressive strength were enhanced to 89 Hv and 449 MPa, respectively, for the Al-15 vol.% Cu50Ti50 composites.

  20. Microwave sintering of nanophase ceramics without concomitant grain growth

    DOEpatents

    Eastman, Jeffrey A.; Sickafus, Kurt E.; Katz, Joel D.

    1993-01-01

    A method of sintering nanocrystalline material is disclosed wherein the nanocrystalline material is microwaved to heat the material to a temperature less than about 70% of the melting point of the nanocrystalline material expressed in degrees K. This method produces sintered nanocrystalline material having a density greater than about 95% of theoretical and an average grain size not more than about 3 times the average grain size of the nanocrystalline material before sintering. Rutile TiO.sub.2 as well as various other ceramics have been prepared. Grain growth of as little as 1.67 times has resulted with densities of about 90% of theoretical.

  1. Microwave-assisted reactive sintering and lithium ion conductivity of Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 solid electrolyte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hallopeau, Leopold; Bregiroux, Damien; Rousse, Gwenaëlle; Portehault, David; Stevens, Philippe; Toussaint, Gwenaëlle; Laberty-Robert, Christel

    2018-02-01

    Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP) materials are made of a three-dimensional framework of TiO6 octahedra and PO4 tetrahedra, which provides several positions for Li+ ions. The resulting high ionic conductivity is promising to yield electrolytes for all-solid-state Li-ion batteries. In order to elaborate dense ceramics, conventional sintering methods often use high temperature (≥1000 °C) with long dwelling times (several hours) to achieve high relative density (∼90%). In this work, an innovative synthesis and processing approach is proposed. A fast and easy processing technique called microwave-assisted reactive sintering is used to both synthesize and sinter LATP ceramics with suitable properties in one single step. Pure and crystalline LATP ceramics can be achieved in only 10 min at 890 °C starting from amorphous, compacted LATP's precursors powders. Despite a relative density of 88%, the ionic conductivity measured at ambient temperature (3.15 × 10-4 S cm-1) is among the best reported so far. The study of the activation energy for Li+ conduction confirms the high quality of the ceramic (purity and crystallinity) achieved by using this new approach, thus emphasizing its interest for making ion-conducting ceramics in a simple and fast way.

  2. Effects of in situ synthesized mullite whisker on mechanical properties of Al2O3-SiC composite by microwave sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dang, Xudan; Wei, Meng; Fan, Bingbing; Guan, Keke; Zhang, Rui; Long, Weimin; Zhang, Hongsong

    2017-06-01

    In situ synthesis of mullite whisker was introduced to Al2O3-SiC composite by microwave sintering. The effects of sintering parameters (sintering temperature, holding time and SiC particle size) on thermal shock resistance of Al2O3-SiC composite were also studied in this paper. Original SiC particles coated with SiO2 by a sol-gel method were reacted with Al2O3 particles, resulting in the in situ growth of mullite. The phase composition was identified by x-ray diffraction (XRD). The bridging of mullite whisker between Al2O3 and SiC particles was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The thermal shock resistance of samples was investigated through the combination of water quenching and three-point bending methods. The results show that the thermal shock resistance of Al2O3-SiC composite with mullite whisker reinforced remarkably, indicating better mechanical properties than the Al2O3-SiC composite without mullite whisker. Finally, the optimum process parameters (the sintering temperature of 1500 °C, the holding time of 30 min, and the SiC particle size of 5 µm) for toughening Al2O3-SiC composite by in situ synthesized mullite whisker were obtained.

  3. Process for manufacturing multilayer capacitors

    DOEpatents

    Lauf, Robert J.; Holcombe, Cressie E.; Dykes, Norman L.

    1996-01-01

    The invention is directed to a method of manufacture of multilayer electrical components, especially capacitors, and components made by such a method. High capacitance dielectric materials and low cost metallizations layered with such dielectrics may be fabricated as multilayer electrical components by sintering the metallizations and the dielectrics during the fabrication process by application of microwave radiation.

  4. Freeze drying vs microwave drying-methods for synthesis of sinteractive thoria powders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Annie, D.; Chandramouli, V.; Anthonysamy, S.; Ghosh, Chanchal; Divakar, R.

    2017-02-01

    Thoria powders were synthesized by oxalate precipitation from an aqueous solution of the nitrate. The filtered precipitates were freeze dried or microwave dried before being calcined at 1073 K. The thoria powders obtained were characterized for crystallite size, specific surface area, bulk density, particle size distribution and residual carbon. Microstructure of the product was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Sinterability of the synthesized powders was studied by measuring the density of the sintered compacts. Powders that can be consolidated and sintered to densities ∼96% theoretical density (TD) at 1773 K were obtained.

  5. Process for manufacturing multilayer capacitors

    DOEpatents

    Lauf, R.J.; Holcombe, C.E.; Dykes, N.L.

    1996-01-02

    The invention is directed to a method of manufacture of multilayer electrical components, especially capacitors, and components made by such a method. High capacitance dielectric materials and low cost metallizations layered with such dielectrics may be fabricated as multilayer electrical components by sintering the metallizations and the dielectrics during the fabrication process by application of microwave radiation. 4 figs.

  6. Research on sintering behavior and microwave dielectric property of (Mg0.95Ca0.05)TiO3 ceramics for cross coupling filter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Chunya; Ma, Zhichao; Hu, Laisheng; Hu, Mingzhe; Huang, Xiaomin

    2015-12-01

    The microwave dielectric properties of 0.95%MgTiO3-0.05%CaTiO3 (abbreviated as 95MCT hereafter) ceramics have been studied for application in dielectric cross coupling filters. ZnO and Nb2O5 were selected as liquid sintering aids to lower the sintering temperature and enhance the Qf value of 95MCT and simultaneously we varied the mole ratio of ZnO : Nb2O5 to tune the microwave dielectric properties of 95MCT. When the ZnO : Nb2O5 mole ratio was 1.5 and the co-doping content was 0.25 wt.%, the optimal sintering temperature of 95MCT ceramic could be lowered from 1400∘C to 1320∘C and the Qf value could be improved by about 7.7%. The optimal microwave dielectric properties obtained under this condition were Qf = 72730 GHz (6.8 GHz), ɛr = 20.29 and τf = -6.84ppm/∘C, which demonstrated great potential usage in ceramic industry. High values of Qf ceramic were used to design the dielectric cross coupling filter. The dielectric filter measured at 2.35 GHz exhibited a 6.7% bandwidth (insert loss > -3 dB) of center frequency.

  7. Process for manufacturing tantalum capacitors

    DOEpatents

    Lauf, Robert J.; Holcombe, Cressie E.; Dykes, Norman L.

    1993-01-01

    A process for manufacturing tantalum capacitors in which microwave energy is used to sinter a tantalum powder compact in order to achieve higher surface area and improved dielectric strength. The process comprises cold pressing tantalum powder with organic binders and lubricants to form a porous compact. After removal of the organics, the tantalum compact is heated to 1300.degree. to 2000.degree. C. by applying microwave radiation. Said compact is then anodized to form a dielectric oxide layer and infiltrated with a conductive material such as MnO.sub.2. Wire leads are then attached to form a capacitor to said capacitor is hermetically packaged to form the finished product.

  8. Process for manufacturing tantalum capacitors

    DOEpatents

    Lauf, R.J.; Holcombe, C.E.; Dykes, N.L.

    1993-02-02

    A process for manufacturing tantalum capacitors in which microwave energy is used to sinter a tantalum powder compact in order to achieve higher surface area and improved dielectric strength. The process comprises cold pressing tantalum powder with organic binders and lubricants to form a porous compact. After removal of the organics, the tantalum compact is heated to 1,300 to 2,000 C by applying microwave radiation. Said compact is then anodized to form a dielectric oxide layer and infiltrated with a conductive material such as MnO[sub 2]. Wire leads are then attached to form a capacitor to said capacitor is hermetically packaged to form the finished product.

  9. Innovative processing of dense LSGM electrolytes for IT-SOFC's

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rambabu, B.; Ghosh, Samrat; Zhao, Weichang; Jena, Hrudananda

    This paper reports for the first time the attempted synthesis of SrO- and MgO-doped LaGaO 3 (La 1- xSr xGa 1- yMg yO 3-0.5(x+ y), LSGM) perovskite by an aqueous 'regenerative' solution route. This novel technique enabled recycling of the undesired product and subsequently yielded product with much better phase purity and density than that obtained from the solid-state route. La 0.8Sr 0.2Ga 0.85Mg 0.15O 2.825 (LSGM-2015) and LaGaO 3 were prepared using both the regenerative sol-gel (RSG) and conventional solid-state route at 1400 °C. Series of La 0.8Sr 0.2Ga 0.83Mg 0.17O 2.815 (LSGM-2017) pellets were also prepared by the RSG method at different sintering temperature (1200-1500 °C) and time. The effect of conventional and microwave sintering of samples obtained from both solid-state and regenerative route was also investigated. Microwave heating was carried out using SiC as a microwave susceptor. The LSGM pellets prepared by using different synthetic methods were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and pellet density was determined by pycnometry. The LSGM-2015 prepared by RSG route exhibited conductivity σ t = 0.066 and 0.029 S cm -1 at 800 and 700 °C, respectively, and activation energy of the bulk, grain-boundary, and total are E b = 0.97 eV, E gb = 1.03 eV and E t = 1.01 eV, respectively. The sintering temperature severely affected the grain size (<0.1-10 μm) and also the grain-boundary resistance (3-175 kΩ). The unique aspect of this RSG technique is that the final product can be recycled which makes the process cost effective and time saving compared to the solid-state ceramic technique and this technique would allow optimization of processing parameters in a cost effective and time saving manner for obtaining well sintered LSGM as an electrolyte for IT-SOFC's.

  10. Rapid immobilization of simulated radioactive soil waste by microwave sintering.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Shuai; Shu, Xiaoyan; Chen, Shunzhang; Yang, Huimin; Hou, Chenxi; Mao, Xueli; Chi, Fangting; Song, Mianxin; Lu, Xirui

    2017-09-05

    A rapid and efficient method is particularly necessary in the timely disposal of seriously radioactive contaminated soil. In this paper, a series of simulated radioactive soil waste containing different contents of neodymium oxide (3-25wt.%) has been successfully vitrified by microwave sintering at 1300°C for 30min. The microstructures, morphology, element distribution, density and chemical durability of as obtained vitrified forms have been analyzed. The results show that the amorphous structure, homogeneous element distribution, and regular density improvement are well kept, except slight cracks emerge on the magnified surface for the 25wt.% Nd 2 O 3 -containing sample. Moreover, all the vitrified forms exhibit excellent chemical durability, and the leaching rates of Nd are kept as ∼10 -4 -10 -6 g/(m 2 day) within 42days. This demonstrates a potential application of microwave sintering in radioactive contaminated soil disposal. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Investigation of mechanical and thermal properties of microwave-sintered lunar simulant materials using 2.45 GHz radiation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meek, T. T.

    1990-01-01

    The mechanical and thermal properties of lunar simulant material were investigated. An alternative method of examining thermal shock in microwave-sintered lunar samples was researched. A computer code was developed that models how the fracture toughness of a thermally shocked lunar simulant sample is related to the sample hardness as measured by a micro-hardness indentor apparatus. This technique enables much data to be gathered from a few samples. Several samples were sintered at different temperatures and for different times at the temperatures. The melting and recrystallization characteristics of a well-studied binary system were also investigated to see if the thermodynamic barrier for the nucleation of a crystalline phase may be affected by the presence of a microwave field. The system chosen was the albite (sodium alumino silicate) anorthite system (calcium alumino silicate). The results of these investigations are presented.

  12. Morphological Characterization Of Titania Slag Obtained From Red Sediment Placer Ilmenite Using Microwave Energy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Srikant, S. S.; Mukherjee, P. S.; Bhima Rao, R.

    2015-04-01

    This paper deals with the main objective to observe the effect of microwave heat treatment for the production of Titania rich slag and pig iron from placer ilmenite. The experiments carried out in the present investigation on the oxidized ilmenite sample for microwave heat treatment in microwave sintering furnace reveals that a product can be obtained containing Titania rich slag and metalized iron. The in-depth characterisation of these products using SEM-EDAX shows that around 75-85 % of titanium dioxide is formed in terms of titania rich slag by using microwave sintering furnace after reduction of oxidized ilmenite with proper stoichiometric graphitic carbon and silicon carbide (SiC) susceptor. The titania rich slag is considered to be better input material for production of pigment grade titanium dioxide. On the other hand, the pig iron obtained as by product from titania rich slag is also important for automobile and steel industries application.

  13. Array automated assembly task low cost silicon solar array project, phase 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Olson, C.

    1980-01-01

    Analyses of solar cell and module process steps for throughput rate, cost effectiveness, and reproductibility are reported. In addition to the concentration on cell and module processing sequences, an investigation was made into the capability of using microwave energy in the diffusion, sintering, and thick film firing steps of cell processing. Although the entire process sequence was integrated, the steps are treated individually with test and experimental data, conclusions, and recommendations.

  14. Discussion on Microwave-Matter Interaction Mechanisms by In Situ Observation of "Core-Shell" Microstructure during Microwave Sintering.

    PubMed

    Liu, Wenchao; Xu, Feng; Li, Yongcun; Hu, Xiaofang; Dong, Bo; Xiao, Yu

    2016-02-23

    This research aims to deepen the understanding of the interaction mechanisms between microwave and matter in a metal-ceramic system based on in situ synchrotron radiation computed tomography. A special internal "core-shell" microstructure was discovered for the first time and used as an indicator for the interaction mechanisms between microwave and matter. Firstly, it was proved that the microwave magnetic field acted on metal particles by way of inducing an eddy current in the surface of the metal particles, which led to the formation of a "core-shell" microstructure in the metal particles. On this basis, it was proposed that the ceramic particles could change the microwave field and open a way for the microwave, thereby leading to selective heating in the region around the ceramic particles, which was verified by the fact that all the "core-shell" microstructure was located around ceramic particles. Furthermore, it was indicated that the ceramic particles would gather the microwaves, and might lead to local heating in the metal-ceramic contact region. The focusing of the microwave was proved by the quantitative analysis of the evolution rate of the "core-shell" microstructure in a different region. This study will help to reveal the microwave-matter interaction mechanisms during microwave sintering.

  15. Phase study and surface morphology of beta-alumina

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tak, S. K.

    2018-05-01

    Beta alumina ceramic is well known as a polycrystalline ceramic material. The characteristic crystal structure of beta-alumina makes it useful as a separator in sodium sulphur batteries and other electrochemical devices requiring the passage of sodium ions. β"-alumina powders for this study were prepared by zeta process. The pellets were sintered at different microwave power levels and power schedule to optimize the sintering conditions to obtain preferred β" phase with improved microstructure. Phase identification was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD analysis shows increase in β'' phase as the sintering temperature was increased from 1400°C to 1600°C. Surface morphology of the pellets was carried out by Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM). SEM studies revealed the formation and growth of platelet grains with interconnected porosity.

  16. Control of Silver Diffusion in Low-Temperature Co-Fired Diopside Glass-Ceramic Microwave Dielectrics

    PubMed Central

    Chou, Chen-Chia; Chang, Chun-Yao; Chen, Guang-Yu; Feng, Kuei-Chih; Tsao, Chung-Ya

    2017-01-01

    Electrode material for low-temperature co-fired diopside glass-ceramic used for microwave dielectrics was investigated in the present work. Diffusion of silver from the electrode to diopside glass-ceramics degrades the performance of the microwave dielectrics. Two approaches were adopted to resolve the problem of silver diffusion. Firstly, silicon-oxide (SiO2) powder was employed and secondly crystalline phases were chosen to modify the sintering behavior and inhibit silver ions diffusion. Nanoscale amorphous SiO2 powder turns to the quartz phase uniformly in dielectric material during the sintering process, and prevents the silver from diffusion. The chosen crystalline phase mixing into the glass-ceramics enhances crystallinity of the material and inhibits silver diffusion as well. The result provides a method to decrease the diffusivity of silver ions by adding the appropriate amount of SiO2 and appropriate crystalline ceramics in diopside glass-ceramic dielectric materials. Finally, we used IEEE 802.11a 5.8 GHz as target specification to manufacture LTCC antenna and the results show that a good broadband antenna was made using CaMgSi2O6 with 4 wt % silicon oxide. PMID:29286330

  17. A microwave applicator for uniform irradiation by circularly polarized waves in an anechoic chamber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chiang, W. Y.; Wu, M. H.; Wu, K. L.; Lin, M. H.; Teng, H. H.; Tsai, Y. F.; Ko, C. C.; Yang, E. C.; Jiang, J. A.; Barnett, L. R.; Chu, K. R.

    2014-08-01

    Microwave applicators are widely employed for materials heating in scientific research and industrial applications, such as food processing, wood drying, ceramic sintering, chemical synthesis, waste treatment, and insect control. For the majority of microwave applicators, materials are heated in the standing waves of a resonant cavity, which can be highly efficient in energy consumption, but often lacks the field uniformity and controllability required for a scientific study. Here, we report a microwave applicator for rapid heating of small samples by highly uniform irradiation. It features an anechoic chamber, a 24-GHz microwave source, and a linear-to-circular polarization converter. With a rather low energy efficiency, such an applicator functions mainly as a research tool. This paper discusses the significance of its special features and describes the structure, in situ diagnostic tools, calculated and measured field patterns, and a preliminary heating test of the overall system.

  18. A microwave applicator for uniform irradiation by circularly polarized waves in an anechoic chamber.

    PubMed

    Chiang, W Y; Wu, M H; Wu, K L; Lin, M H; Teng, H H; Tsai, Y F; Ko, C C; Yang, E C; Jiang, J A; Barnett, L R; Chu, K R

    2014-08-01

    Microwave applicators are widely employed for materials heating in scientific research and industrial applications, such as food processing, wood drying, ceramic sintering, chemical synthesis, waste treatment, and insect control. For the majority of microwave applicators, materials are heated in the standing waves of a resonant cavity, which can be highly efficient in energy consumption, but often lacks the field uniformity and controllability required for a scientific study. Here, we report a microwave applicator for rapid heating of small samples by highly uniform irradiation. It features an anechoic chamber, a 24-GHz microwave source, and a linear-to-circular polarization converter. With a rather low energy efficiency, such an applicator functions mainly as a research tool. This paper discusses the significance of its special features and describes the structure, in situ diagnostic tools, calculated and measured field patterns, and a preliminary heating test of the overall system.

  19. Rapid microwave assisted synthesis of YIn1-xMnxO3 blue pigments: Synthesis, microstructure and optical properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Yuncheng; Jiang, Peng; Kuang, Jianlei; Yang, Xueshan; Cao, Wenbin

    2018-07-01

    The YIn1-xMnxO3 (0.1 ≤x ≤ 0.5) blue pigment samples are successfully prepared through a sol-gel process followed by microwave assisted sintering process. All the samples are shown single phases in the X-ray diffraction results. In the morphology study from scanning electronic microscope, the samples are composed of loosely connected small particles. The oxidation state of Mn is confirmed to be 3 + from the results of X-ray photonelectronic scan. The optical properties are characterized by UV-Visible spectrum and UV-visible-NIR spectrum. The samples exhibit intense blue color and they show small absorption in infrared region.

  20. Method of making a composite refractory material

    DOEpatents

    Morrow, Marvin S.; Holcombe, Cressie E.

    1995-01-01

    A composite refractory material is prepared by combining boron carbide with furan resin to form a mixture containing about 8 wt. % furan resin. The mixture is formed into a pellet which is placed into a grit pack comprising an oxide of an element such as yttrium to form a sinterable body. The sinterable body is sintered under vacuum with microwave energy at a temperature no greater than 2000.degree. C. to form a composite refractory material.

  1. Method of making a composite refractory material

    DOEpatents

    Morrow, M.S.; Holcombe, C.E.

    1995-09-26

    A composite refractory material is prepared by combining boron carbide with furan resin to form a mixture containing about 8 wt. % furan resin. The mixture is formed into a pellet which is placed into a grit pack comprising an oxide of an element such as yttrium to form a sinterable body. The sinterable body is sintered under vacuum with microwave energy at a temperature no greater than 2000 C to form a composite refractory material.

  2. Microstructure and microwave magnetic properties of Low-Firing Li0.42Zn0.27Ti0.11Mn0.1Fe2.1O4 ferrite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Fei; Jia, Lijun; Shen, Qihang; Qiu, Hua; Zhang, Huaiwu

    2018-03-01

    Low firing temperature and excellent gyromagnetic properties such as high remanence square ratio and narrow ferromagnetic resonance line width are required for the application in nonreciprocal microwave ferrite devices based on low temperature cofired ceramics (LTCC) technology. In this research, Bi2O3-Li2CO3 mixture was introduced as the sintering agent to lower the sintering temperature of Li0.42Zn0.27Ti0.11Mn0.1Fe2.1O4 ferrite. The influence of Bi2O3-Li2CO3 mixture upon the phase composition, composite microstructures and gyromagnetic properties of LiZnTiMn ferrite sintered at low temperature has been investigated for LTCC integration applications. With a proper amount of Bi2O3-Li2CO3 mixture, the sintering temperature of LiZnTiMn ferrite successfully reduced to below 900°C from 1100°C without degradation of magnetic properties, meanwhile, both of saturation flux density and remanence square ratio were increased.

  3. Raman spectra of Nd/Sn cosubstituted Ba6-3xSm8+2xTi18O54 microwave dielectric ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, S. Y.; Li, Y.; Chen, X. M.

    2004-11-01

    The Raman spectra and dielectric properties of Nd /Sn cosubstituted Ba6-3xSm8+2xTi18O54 (x =2/3) microwave dielectric ceramics were discussed as the functions of composition and sintering time. The peaks in 753cm-1 were caused by the second order scatter. The peaks in 425 and 403cm-1 became sharper with prolonging sintering time, and this reflected the increased lattice defects. The shoulder peak near 292cm-1 was caused by the octahedral tilt when A site is Nd3+. The Raman shifts in 590, 520, 280, and 232cm-1 indicated no obvious change in position, but all peaks became sharper with prolonging sintering time. This indicated the increased ordering degree of A-site cations. With prolonging sintering time, the Qf factor (Q is the inverse of dielectric loss, tan δ, and f is the resonant frequency) increased, and the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency significantly decreased or became more negative, while the dielectric constant indicated no significant variation.

  4. Low-Temperature Sintering Li3Mg1.8Ca0.2NbO6 Microwave Dielectric Ceramics with LMZBS Glass

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Gang; Zhang, Huaiwu; Liu, Cheng; Su, Hua; Jia, Lijun; Li, Jie; Huang, Xin; Gan, Gongwen

    2018-05-01

    Li3Mg1.8Ca0.2NbO6 ceramics doped with Li2O-MgO-ZnO-B2O3-SiO2 glass (LMZBS) were prepared via a solid-state route. The LMZBS glass effectively reduced the sintering temperature of Li3Mg1.8Ca0.2NbO6 ceramics to 950°C. The effects of the LMZBS glass on the sintering behavior, microstructures and microwave dielectric properties of Li3Mg1.8Ca0.2NbO6 ceramics are discussed in detail. Among all the LMZBS doped Li3Mg1.8Ca0.2NbO6 ceramics, the sample with 1 wt.% of LMZBS glass sintered at 950°C for 4 h exhibited good dielectric properties: ɛ r = 16.7, Q × f = 31,000 GHz (9.92 GHz), τ f = - 1.3 ppm/°C. The Li3Mg1.8Ca0.2NbO6 ceramics possessed excellent chemical compatibility with Ag electrodes, and could be applied in low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) applications.

  5. Microwave dielectric properties of CaCu3Ti4O12-Al2O3 composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahman, Mohd Fariz Ab; Abu, Mohamad Johari; Karim, Saniah Ab; Zaman, Rosyaini Afindi; Ain, Mohd Fadzil; Ahmad, Zainal Arifin; Mohamed, Julie Juliewatty

    2016-07-01

    (1-x)CaCu3Ti4O12 + (x)Al2O3 composite (0 ≤ x ≤0.25) was prepared via conventional solid-state reaction method. The fabrication of sample was started with synthesizing stoichiometric CCTO from CaCO3, CuO and TiO2 powders, then wet-mixed in deionized water for 24 h. The process was continued with calcined CCTO powder at 900 °C for 12 h before sintered at 1040 °C for 10 h. Next, the calcined CCTO powder with different amount of Al2O3 were mixed for 24 h, then palletized and sintered at 1040 °C for 10. X-ray diffraction analysis on the sintered samples showed that CCTO powder was in a single phase, meanwhile the trace of secondary peaks which belong to CaAl2O4 and Corundum (Al2O3) could be observed in the other samples Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that the grain size of the sample is firstly increased with addition of Al2O3 (x = 0.01), then become smaller with the x > 0.01. Microwave dielectric properties showed that the addition of Al2O3 (x = 0.01) was remarkably reduced the dielectric loss while slightly increased the dielectric permittivity. However, further addition of Al2O3 was reduced both dielectric loss and permittivity at least for an order of magnitude.

  6. Influence of Ce addition on biomedical porous Ti-51 atomic percentage (at. %) Ni shape memory alloy fabricated by microwave sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ibrahim, Mustafa K.; Hamzah, E.; Saud, Safaa N.; Nazim, E. M.; Bahador, A.

    2017-12-01

    Ti-Ni and Ti-Ni-Ce shape memory alloys (SMAs) were successfully fabricated by microwave sintering. The improvement of the mechanical properties especially the elastic modulus is the most important criterion in this research. The high elastic modulus problems are the most critical issues frequently encountered in hard tissue replacement applications. The effect of Ce addition with four atomic percentages (0 %, 0.19 %, 0.385 % and, 1.165 %) on the microstructure, phase composition, transformation temperatures and mechanical properties was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC), and compression test. The microstructure shows plates-like with needles-like inside the titanium-rich region. The compression strain was improved, but reduces the compression strength. The addition of cerium improved the properties by reducing the elastic modulus to be very close to the natural human bone, also the microwave sintering gives TiNi SMAs with low elastic modulus comparing with other methods. Based on the results, the 0.385 at. % Ce exhibited a remarkable highest compressive strain and lower elastic modulus compared with the other percentages. In conclusion, the present results indicate that Ti-Ni-Ce SMAs could be a potential alternative to improve Ti-51 at %Ni SMAs for certain biomedical applications.

  7. Bismuth Titanate Fabricated by Spray-on Deposition and Microwave Sintering For High-Temperature Ultrasonic Transducers.

    PubMed

    Searfass, Clifford T; Pheil, C; Sinding, K; Tittmann, B R; Baba, A; Agrawal, D K

    2016-01-01

    Thick films of ferroelectric bismuth titanate (Bi4Ti3O12) have been fabricated by spray-on deposition in conjunction with microwave sintering for use as high-temperature ultrasonic transducers. The elastic modulus, density, permittivity, and conductivity of the films were characterized. Electro-mechanical properties of the films were estimated with a commercial d33 meter which gave 16 pC/N. This value is higher than typically reported for bulk bismuth titanate; however, these films withstand higher field strengths during poling which is correlated with higher d33 values. Films were capable of operating at 650 °C for roughly 5 min before depoling and can operate at 600 °C for at least 7 days.

  8. Department of Defense Advisory Group on Electron Devices. Special Technology Area Review on Microwave Packaging Technology. Appendix

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-02-01

    sintered in hydrogen furnace at very high temperatures . Multiple furnace firing occurs until the binders are removed and part density is achieved "* Process...and base Low temperature co-fired ceramic - Metallized for shielding and grounding - Low resistance thick-film metallization - High thermal resistance...ESPECIALLY LOW TEMPERATURE COFIRED CERAMIC CERAMICS HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY,MATCHED GaAS AND SILICON SUBSTRATE MATERIALS I I,1Z#A,17Mr1 J, TI

  9. Cu3Mo2O9: An Ultralow-Firing Microwave Dielectric Ceramic with Good Temperature Stability and Chemical Compatibility with Aluminum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wen, Wangxi; Li, Chunchun; Sun, Yihua; Tang, Ying; Fang, Liang

    2018-02-01

    An ultralow-firing microwave dielectric ceramic Cu3Mo2O9 with orthorhombic structure has been fabricated via a solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction analysis, Rietveld refinement, Raman spectroscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry, and scanning electron microscopy were employed to explore the phase purity, crystal structure, and microstructure. Pure and dense Cu3Mo2O9 ceramics could be obtained in the sintering temperature range from 580°C to 680°C. The sample sintered at 660°C for 4 h exhibited the highest relative density (˜ 97.2%) and best microwave dielectric properties with ɛ r = 7.2, Q × f = 19,300 GHz, and τ f = - 7.8 ppm/°C. Chemical compatibility with aluminum electrodes was also confirmed. All the results suggest that Cu3Mo2O9 ceramic is a promising candidate for use in ultralow-temperature cofired ceramic applications.

  10. Treatment options for low-level radiologically contaminated ORNL filtercake

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, Hom-Ti; Bostick, W.D.

    1996-04-01

    Water softening sludge (>4000 stored low level contaminated drums; 600 drums per year) generated by the ORNL Process Waste Treatment Plant must be treated, stabilized, and placed in safe storage/disposal. The sludge is primarily CaCO{sub 3} and is contaminated by low levels of {sup 90}Sr and {sup 137}Cs. In this study, microwave sintering and calcination were evaluated for treating the sludge. The microwave melting experiments showed promise: volume reductions were significant (3-5X), and the waste form was durable with glass additives (LiOH, fly ash). A commercial vendor using surrogate has demonstrated a melt mineralization process that yields a dense monolithicmore » waste form with a volume reduction factor (VR) of 7.7. Calcination of the sludge at 850-900 C yielded a VR of 2.5. Compaction at 4500 psi increased the VR to 4.2, but the compressed form is not dimensionally stable. Addition of paraffin helped consolidate fines and yielded a VR of 3.5. In conclusion, microwave melting or another form of vitrification is likely to be the best method; however for immediate implementation, the calculation/compaction/waxing process is viable.« less

  11. Microwave-assisted one-step patterning of aqueous colloidal silver.

    PubMed

    Yang, G; Zhou, Y W; Guo, Z R; Wan, Y; Ding, Q; Bai, T T; Wang, C L; Gu, N

    2012-07-05

    A new approach of utilizing microwave to pattern gradient concentric silver nanoparticle ring structures has been presented. The width and height of a single ring and the space between adjacent rings can be adjusted by changing the silver colloidal concentration and the microwave output power. By simply enhancing the ambient vapour pressure to the saturated value during microwave-assisted evaporation, sub-100 nm rings can be deposited in between adjacent micro-rings over a distance of millimetres. Combined with microwave sintering, this approach can also create conductive silver tracks in a single step, showing huge potential in fabricating micro- and nano-electronic devices in an ultra-fast and cost-effective fashion.

  12. Applied mathematical problems in modern electromagnetics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kriegsman, Gregory

    1994-05-01

    We have primarily investigated two classes of electromagnetic problems. The first contains the quantitative description of microwave heating of dispersive and conductive materials. Such problems arise, for example, when biological tissue are exposed, accidentally or purposefully, to microwave radiation. Other instances occur in ceramic processing, such as sintering and microwave assisted chemical vapor infiltration and other industrial drying processes, such as the curing of paints and concrete. The second class characterizes the scattering of microwaves by complex targets which possess two or more disparate length and/or time scales. Spatially complex scatterers arise in a variety of applications, such as large gratings and slowly changing guiding structures. The former are useful in developing microstrip energy couplers while the later can be used to model anatomical subsystems (e.g., the open guiding structure composed of two legs and the adjoining lower torso). Temporally complex targets occur in applications involving dispersive media whose relaxation times differ by orders of magnitude from thermal and/or electromagnetic time scales. For both cases the mathematical description of the problems gives rise to complicated ill-conditioned boundary value problems, whose accurate solutions require a blend of both asymptotic techniques, such as multiscale methods and matched asymptotic expansions, and numerical methods incorporating radiation boundary conditions, such as finite differences and finite elements.

  13. Emerging Ceramic-based Materials for Dentistry

    PubMed Central

    Denry, I.; Kelly, J.R.

    2014-01-01

    Our goal is to give an overview of a selection of emerging ceramics and issues for dental or biomedical applications, with emphasis on specific challenges associated with full-contour zirconia ceramics, and a brief synopsis on new machinable glass-ceramics and ceramic-based interpenetrating phase composites. Selected fabrication techniques relevant to dental or biomedical applications such as microwave sintering, spark plasma sintering, and additive manufacturing are also reviewed. Where appropriate, the authors have added their opinions and guidance. PMID:25274751

  14. Characterization of microwave assisted sintered graphene toughened alumina (GTA) nano composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vandana, K. I. Vishnu; Suman, K. N. S.; Viswabaskaran, V.

    2017-07-01

    The objective of the present work is to characterize different mechanical properties of a nano composite made out of a combination of nano alumina and nano graphene. The nano powders of alumina and Graphene were mixed using High Energy Ball Mill and weight ratio of Al:G-C was maintained in the range of 0 to 2wt%. The prepared alumoorganic nano Composite Powders were compacted by Uniaxial Pellet Press and Graphene Toughened alumina (GTA) based composites were sintered in inert atmosphere at 1600°C using Hybrid Microwave Furnace. XRD and SEM studies are conducted on these specimens. Density and hardness tests are also performed on these specimens. In addition, wear and fracture toughness tests will also be carried out. In order to strengthen the experimental observations obtained, theoretical interpretation will be given to enhance the present work.

  15. ISRU 3D printing for habitats and structures on the Moon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cowley, Aidan

    2016-07-01

    In-situ-resource utilisation (ISRU) in combination with 3D printing may evolve into a key technology for future exploration. Setting up a lunar facility could be made much simpler by using additive manufacturing techniques to build elements from local materials - this would drastically reduce mission mass requirements and act as an excellent demonstrator for ISRU on other planetary bodies. Fabricating structures and components using Lunar regolith is an area of interest for ESA, as evidenced by past successful General Studies Program (GSP) and ongoing technology development studies. In this talk we detail a number of projects looking into the behavior of Lunar regolith simulants, their compositional variants and approaches to sintering such material that are under-way involving EAC, ESTEC and DLR. We report on early studies into utilizing conventional thermal sintering approaches of simulants as well as microwave sintering of these compositions. Both techniques are candidates for developing a 3D printing methodology using Lunar regolith. It is known that the differences in microwave effects between the actual lunar soil and lunar simulants can be readily ascribed to the presence of nanophase metallic Fe, native to Lunar regolith but lacking in simulants. In compostions of simulant with increased Illmenite (FeTiO3) concentrations, we observe improved regolith response to microwave heating, and the readily achieved formation of a glassy melt in ambient atmosphere. The improved response relative to untreated simulant is likely owing to the increased Fe content in the powder mix.

  16. Novel ultra-low temperature co-fired microwave dielectric ceramic at 400 degrees and its chemical compatibility with base metal

    PubMed Central

    Di, Zhou; Li-Xia, Pang; Ze-Ming, Qi; Biao-Bing, Jin; Xi, Yao

    2014-01-01

    A novel NaAgMoO4 material with spinel-like structure was synthesized by using the solid state reaction method and the ceramic sample was well densified at an extreme low sintering temperature about 400°C. Rietveld refinement of the crystal structure was performed using FULLPROF program and the cell parameters are a = b = c = 9.22039 Å with a space group F D −3 M (227). High performance microwave dielectric properties, with a permittivity ~7.9, a Qf value ~33,000 GHz and a temperature coefficient of resonant frequency ~−120 ppm/°C, were obtained. From X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) analysis of the co-fired sample, it was found that the NaAgMoO4 ceramic is chemically compatible with both silver and aluminum at the sintering temperature and this makes it a promising candidate for the ultra-low temperature co-fired ceramics technology. Analysis of infrared and THz spectra indicated that dielectric polarizability at microwave region of the NaAgMoO4 ceramic was equally contributed by ionic displasive and electronic polarizations. Its small microwave dielectric permittivity can also be explained well by the Shannon's additive rule. PMID:25099530

  17. Book of Abstracts, 1983 IEEE International Symposium on Applications of Ferroelectrics (ISAF).

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-05-31

    adverse internal stresses develop which can contribute to the a31 coefficient. To lower the a31 coefficient the polyurethane is foamed , in addition to...light beams. Since the grating shift depends on the recording mechanism, measurements of the energy transfer can also give additional information on the... addition of Mn ( 1-2 ,ol %) to complete the sintering and decrease the dielectric loss at microwave frequnecy. The sintering w=s madc at 1500W-1600 C

  18. Preparation of Oxidation-Resistant Ultra High Melting Temperature Materials and Structures Using Laser Method

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-06-06

    sample within a small ceramic muffle. The microwave absorption coefficient of most ceramics is low, but increases with temperature. Thus, as the...increased using additives with higher absorption 7 coefficients . Silicon carbide has a higher loss tangent at 2.4 GHz than most ceramics, and thus...electron beam sintering. Microwave heating works well for large volumes, but ceramics normally have a low dielectric absorption constant at room

  19. PHASE EVOLUTION AND MICROWAVE DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF (Li0.5Bi0.5)(W1-xMox)O4(0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) CERAMICS WITH ULTRA-LOW SINTERING TEMPERATURES

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Di; Guo, Jing; Yao, Xi; Pang, Li-Xia; Qi, Ze-Ming; Shao, Tao

    2012-11-01

    The (Li0.5Bi0.5)(W1-xMox)O4(0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) ceramics were prepared via the solid state reaction method. The sintering temperature decreased almost linearly from 755°C for (Li0.5Bi0.5)WO4 to 560°C for (Li0.5Bi0.5)MoO4. When the x≤0.3, a wolframite solid solution can be formed. For x = 0.4 and x = 0.6 compositions, both the wolframite and scheelite phases can be formed from the X-ray diffraction analysis, while two different kinds of grains can be revealed from the scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer results. High performance of microwave dielectric properties were obtained in the (Li0.5Bi0.5)(W0.6Mo0.4)O4 ceramic sintered at 620°C with a relative permittivity of 31.5, a Qf value of 8500 GHz (at 8.2 GHz), and a temperature coefficient value of +20 ppm/°C. Complex dielectric spectra of pure (Li0.5Bi0.5)WO4 ceramic gained from the infrared spectra were extrapolated down to microwave range, and they were in good agreement with the measured values. The (Li0.5Bi0.5)(W1-xMox)O4(0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) ceramics might be promising for low temperature co-fired ceramic technology.

  20. Method for preparing spherical ferrite beads and use thereof

    DOEpatents

    Lauf, Robert J.; Anderson, Kimberly K.; Montgomery, Frederick C.; Collins, Jack L.

    2002-01-01

    The invention allows the fabrication of small, dense, highly polished spherical beads of hexagonal ferrites with selected compositions for use in nonreciprocal microwave and mm-wave devices as well as in microwave absorbent or reflective coatings, composites, and the like. A porous, generally spherical bead of hydrous iron oxide is made by a sol-gel process to form a substantially rigid bead having a generally fine crystallite size and correspondingly finely distributed internal porosity. The resulting gel bead is washed and hydrothermally reacted with a soluble alkaline earth salt (typically Ba or Sr) under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure to convert the bead into a mixed hydrous iron-alkaline earth oxide while retaining the generally spherical shape. This mixed oxide bead is then washed, dried, and calcined to produce the desired (BaFe.sub.12 O.sub.19 or SrFe.sub.12 O.sub.19) crystal structure. The calcined bead is then sintered to form a dense bead of the BaFe.sub.12 O.sub.19 and SrFe.sub.12 O.sub.19 phase suitable for polishing and incorporation into various microwave devices and components.

  1. SrO- and MgO-doped microwave sintered 3D printed tricalcium phosphate scaffolds: mechanical properties and in vivo osteogenesis in a rabbit model.

    PubMed

    Tarafder, Solaiman; Dernell, William S; Bandyopadhyay, Amit; Bose, Susmita

    2015-04-01

    The presence of interconnected macro pores allows guided tissue regeneration in tissue engineering scaffolds. However, highly porous scaffolds suffer from having poor mechanical strength. Previously, we showed that microwave sintering could successfully be used to improve mechanical strength of macro porous tricalcium phosphate (TCP) scaffolds. This study reports the presence of SrO and MgO as dopants in TCP scaffolds improves mechanical and in vivo biological performance. We have used direct three dimensional printing (3DP) technology for scaffold fabrication. These 3DP scaffolds possessed multiscale porosity, that is, 3D interconnected designed macro pores along with intrinsic micro pores. A significant increase in mechanical strength, between 37 and 41%, was achieved due to SrO and MgO doping in TCP as compared with pure TCP. Maximum compressive strengths of 9.38 ± 1.86 MPa and 12.01 ± 1.56 MPa were achieved by conventional and microwave sintering, respectively, for SrO-MgO-doped 3DP scaffolds with 500 μm designed pores. Histomorphological and histomorphometric analysis revealed a significantly higher osteoid, bone and haversian canal formation induced by the presence of SrO and MgO dopants in 3DP TCP as compared with pure TCP scaffolds when tested in rabbit femoral condyle defect model. Increased osteon and thus enhanced network of blood vessel formation, and osteocalcin expression were observed in the doped TCP scaffolds. Our results show that these 3DP SrO-MgO-doped TCP scaffolds have the potential for early wound healing through accelerated osteogenesis and vasculogenesis. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. The phase compositions and microwave dielectric properties of Li2Zn(Ti1-xSnx)3O8 ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Xuepeng; Hu, Jie; Chen, Haoyuan; Xu, Wensheng; Li, Shuai

    2017-08-01

    The Li2Zn(Ti1-xSnx)3O8 (0.02≤x≤0.20) ceramics were prepared by the conventional solid-state ceramic route. The sintering behavior, phase compositions, microstructures and microwave dielectric properties of Li2Zn(Ti1-xSnx)3O8 ceramics were thoroughly investigated. The XRD patterns of Li2Zn(Ti1-xSnx)3O8 ceramics exhibited a single spinel as the main phase in the x value range of 0.02-0.08. The dielectric constants decreased linearly with increasing the substitution of Sn, which was mainly controlled by dielectric polarizabilities and secondary phase. The variation of Q×f values was dependent on average grain sizes and secondary phase. The τf values of Li2Zn(Ti1-xSnx)3O8 ceramics became more negative with higher substitution of Sn, which was related to the variations of their cell volumes. Typically, the Li2Zn(Ti0.92Sn0.08)3O8 ceramic sintered at 1075 °C for 4h exhibited good microwave dielectric properties: ɛr= 24.4, Q×f=89300 GHz, τf= -16.0 ppm/°C.

  3. SinterHab

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rousek, Tomáš; Eriksson, Katarina; Doule, Ondřej

    2012-05-01

    This project describes a design study for a core module on a Lunar South Pole outpost, constructed by 3D printing technology with the use of in-situ resources and equipped with a bio-regenerative life support system. The module would be a hybrid of deployable (CLASS II) and in-situ built (CLASS III) structures. It would combine deployable membrane structures and pre-integrated rigid elements with a sintered regolith shell for enhanced radiation and micrometeorite shielding. The closed loop ecological system would support a sustainable presence on the Moon with particular focus on research activities. The core module accommodates from four to eight people, and provides laboratories as a test bed for development of new lunar technologies directly in the environment where they will be used. SinterHab also includes an experimental garden for development of new bio-regenerative life support system elements. The project explores these various concepts from an architectural point-of-view particularly, as they constitute the building, construction and interior elements. The construction method for SinterHab is based on 3D printing by sintering of the lunar regolith. Sinterator robotics 3D printing technology proposed by NASA JPL enables construction of future generations of large lunar settlements with little imported material and the use of solar energy. The regolith is processed, placed and sintered by the Sinterator robotics system which combines the NASA ATHLETE and the Chariot remotely controlled rovers. Microwave sintering creates a rigid structure in the form of walls, vaults and other architectural elements. The interior is coated with a layer of inflatable membranes inspired by the TransHab project. The life-support system is mainly bio-regenerative and several parts of the system are intrinsically multifunctional and serve more than one purpose. The plants for food production are also an efficient part of atmosphere revitalization and water treatment. Moreover, the plants will be used as a "winter garden" for psychological and recreational purposes. The water in the revitalization system has a multifunctional use, as radiation shielding in the safe-haven habitat core. The garden module creates an artificial outdoor environment mitigating the notion of confinement on the lunar surface. Fiber optics systems and plasma lamps are used for transmission of natural and artificial light into the interior.

  4. Powder Metallurgy Fabrication of Porous 51(at.%)Ni-Ti Shape Memory Alloys for Biomedical Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ibrahim, Mustafa K.; Hamzah, E.; Saud, Safaa N.; Nazim, E. M.

    2018-05-01

    The effect of time and temperature on the microwave sintering of 51(at.%)Ni-Ti shape memory alloys (SMAs) was investigated in the current research. Furthermore, the microstructure, mechanical properties, and bio-corrosion properties were analyzed based on the sintering conditions. The results revealed that the sintering condition of 700 °C for 15 min produced a part with coherent surface survey that does not exhibit gross defects. Increasing the sintering time and temperature created defects on the outer surface, while reducing the temperature to 550 °C severely affected the mechanical properties. The microstructure of these samples showed two regions of Ni-rich region and Ti-rich region between them Ti2Ni, NiTi, and Ni3Ti phases. The differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) curves of Ni-Ti samples exhibited a multi-step phase transformation B19'-R-B2 during heating and cooling. An increase in the sintering temperature from 550 to 700 °C was found to increase the fracture strength significantly and decreased the fracture strain slightly. Reducing the sintering temperature from 700 to 550 °C severely affected the corrosion behaviors of 51%Ni-Ti SMAs. This research aims to select the optimum parameters to produce Ni-Ti alloys with desired microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion behaviors for biomedical applications.

  5. Epsilon Metal Waste Form for Immobilization of Noble Metals from Used Nuclear Fuel

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Crum, Jarrod V.; Strachan, Denis M.; Rohatgi, Aashish

    2013-10-01

    Epsilon metal (ε-metal), an alloy of Mo, Pd, Rh, Ru, and Tc, is being developed as a waste form to treat and immobilize the undissolved solids and dissolved noble metals from aqueous reprocessing of commercial used nuclear fuel. Epsilon metal is an attractive waste form for several reasons: increased durability relative to borosilicate glass, it can be fabricated without additives (100% waste loading), and in addition it also benefits borosilicate glass waste loading by eliminating noble metals from the glass and thus the processing problems related there insolubility in glass. This work focused on the processing aspects of the epsilonmore » metal waste form development. Epsilon metal is comprised of refractory metals resulting in high reaction temperatures to form the alloy, expected to be 1500 - 2000°C making it a non-trivial phase to fabricate by traditional methods. Three commercially available advanced technologies were identified: spark-plasma sintering, microwave sintering, and hot isostatic pressing, and investigated as potential methods to fabricate this waste form. Results of these investigations are reported and compared in terms of bulk density, phase assemblage (X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis), and microstructure (scanning electron microscopy).« less

  6. Epsilon metal waste form for immobilization of noble metals from used nuclear fuel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crum, Jarrod V.; Strachan, Denis; Rohatgi, Aashish; Zumhoff, Mac

    2013-10-01

    Epsilon metal (ɛ-metal), an alloy of Mo, Pd, Rh, Ru, and Tc, is being developed as a waste form to treat and immobilize the undissolved solids and dissolved noble metals from aqueous reprocessing of commercial used nuclear fuel. Epsilon metal is an attractive waste form for several reasons: increased durability relative to borosilicate glass, it can be fabricated without additives (100% waste loading), and in addition it also benefits borosilicate glass waste loading by eliminating noble metals from the glass, thus the processing problems related to their insolubility in glass. This work focused on the processing aspects of the epsilon metal waste form development. Epsilon metal is comprised of refractory metals resulting in high alloying temperatures, expected to be 1500-2000 °C, making it a non-trivial phase to fabricate by traditional methods. Three commercially available advanced technologies were identified: spark-plasma sintering, microwave sintering, and hot isostatic pressing, and investigated as potential methods to fabricate this waste form. Results of these investigations are reported and compared in terms of bulk density, phase assemblage (X-ray diffraction and elemental analysis), and microstructure (scanning electron microscopy).

  7. Directed-energy process technology efforts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alexander, P.

    1985-01-01

    A summary of directed-energy process technology for solar cells was presented. This technology is defined as directing energy or mass to specific areas on solar cells to produce a desired effect in contrast to exposing a cell to a thermal or mass flow environment. Some of these second generation processing techniques are: ion implantation; microwave-enhanced chemical vapor deposition; rapid thermal processing; and the use of lasers for cutting, assisting in metallization, assisting in deposition, and drive-in of liquid dopants. Advantages of directed energy techniques are: surface heating resulting in the bulk of the cell material being cooler and unchanged; better process control yields; better junction profiles, junction depths, and metal sintering; lower energy consumption during processing and smaller factory space requirements. These advantages should result in higher-efficiency cells at lower costs. The results of the numerous contracted efforts were presented as well as the application potentials of these new technologies.

  8. Corrigendum to "Extra-terrestrial construction processes - Advancements, opportunities and challenges" [Adv. Space Res. 60 (2017) 1413-1429

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lim, Sungwoo; Prabhu, Vibha Levin; Anand, Mahesh; Taylor, Lawrence A.

    2018-05-01

    The authors regret that because of an oversight, the published manuscript contained following errors (i) the estimated energy consumption for laser sintering was ten times larger than the real value as a result of incorrect unit conversion from J/mm2 ∗ thickness (μm) to kW h/m3; (ii) an inappropriate comparison with Benaroya (2010) as the estimation for energy consumption in Benaroya (2010) was based on a conventional furnace and NOT microwave heating. The revised text pertaining to paragraph 2 of Section 2.2.1, the last paragraph of Section 3.3 and Table 1 are provided below.

  9. Silicon carbide passive heating elements in microwave-assisted organic synthesis.

    PubMed

    Kremsner, Jennifer M; Kappe, C Oliver

    2006-06-09

    Microwave-assisted organic synthesis in nonpolar solvents is investigated utilizing cylinders of sintered silicon carbide (SiC)--a chemically inert and strongly microwave absorbing material--as passive heating elements (PHEs). These heating inserts absorb microwave energy and subsequently transfer the generated thermal energy via conduction phenomena to the reaction mixture. The use of passive heating elements allows otherwise microwave transparent or poorly absorbing solvents such as hexane, carbon tetrachloride, tetrahydrofuran, dioxane, or toluene to be effectively heated to temperatures far above their boiling points (200-250 degrees C) under sealed vessel microwave conditions. This opens up the possibility to perform microwave synthesis in unpolar solvent environments as demonstrated successfully for several organic transformations, such as Claisen rearrangements, Diels-Alder reactions, Michael additions, N-alkylations, and Dimroth rearrangements. This noninvasive technique is a particularly valuable tool in cases where other options to increase the microwave absorbance of the reaction medium, such as the addition of ionic liquids as heating aids, are not feasible due to an incompatibility of the ionic liquid with a particular substrate. The SiC heating elements are thermally and chemically resistant to 1500 degrees C and compatible with any solvent or reagent.

  10. Microwave absorption studies of magnetic sublattices in microwave sintered Cr3+ doped SrFe12O19

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Praveena, K.; Sadhana, K.; Liu, Hsiang-Lin; Bououdina, M.

    2017-03-01

    The partial substitution of Fe3+ by Cr3+ in strontium hexaferrite has shown to be an effective method to tailor anisotropy for many novel microwave applications. Some basic studies have revealed that this substitution leads to unusual interactions among the magnetic sublattices of the hexaferrite. In order to investigate these interactions, Cr3+ doped SrCrxFe12-xO19 (x=0.0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9) (m-type) hexaferrites were prepared by microwave-hydrothermal (m-H) method and subsequently sintered at 950 °C/90 min using microwave furnace. The magnetic hysteresis (m-H) loops revealed the ferromagnetic nature of nanoparticles (NPs). The coercive field was increasing from 3291 Oe to 7335 Oe with increasing chromium content. This resulting compacts exhibited high squareness ratio (Mr/Ms-80%). The intrinsic coercivity (Hci) above 1,20,000 Oe and high values of magnetocrystalline anisotropy revealed that all samples are magnetically hard materials. A material with high loss as well as high dielectric constant may be desired in applications such as electromagnetic (EM) wave absorbing coatings. The room temperature complex dielectric and magnetic properties (ε‧, ε‧‧, μ‧ and μ‧‧) of Cr3+ doped SrFe12O19 were measured in X-band region. The frequency dependent dielectric and magnetic losses were increasing to large extent. The reflection coefficient varied from -16 to -33 dB at 10.1 GHz as Cr3+ concentration increased from x=0.0 to x=0.9. Ferromagnetic resonance spectra (FMR) were measured in the X-band (9.4 GHz), linewidth decreases with chromium concentration from 1368 to 752 Oe from x=0.0 to x=0.9, which is quite low compared to commercial samples. We also have detailed origins of the FMR linewidth broadenings in terms of some important theoretical models. These results show that chromium doped strontium hexaferrites are useful for microwave absorption in the X-band frequency and also have potential for use in low frequency self-biased microwave/millimeter devices such as circulators and isolators.

  11. Stress insensitive multilayer chip inductor with ferrite core

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vishwas, B.; Madhuri, W., E-mail: madhuriw12@gmail.com; Rao, N. Madhusudan

    2015-06-24

    Mg{sub 0.25}Cu{sub 0.25}Zn{sub 0.5}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} is synthesized by sol gel auto combustion technique. The obtained ferrite powder is finally sintered in a microwave furnace at 850°C. Multilayer chip inductor (MLCI) of two layers is prepared by screen printing technique. The sintered ferrite is characterized by X-ray diffraction. The frequency response of dielectric constant is studied in the frequency range of 100Hz to 5MHz. Dielectric polarization is discussed in the light of Maxwell-Wagner interfacial polarization. The prepared MLCI is studied for stress sensitivity in the range of 0 to 8 MPa.

  12. Method of making tantalum capacitors

    DOEpatents

    McMillan, April D.; Clausing, Robert E.; Vierow, William F.

    1998-01-01

    A method for manufacturing tantalum capacitors includes preparing a tantalum compact by cold pressing tantalum powder, placing the compact, along with loose refractory metal powder, in a microwave-transparent casket to form an assembly, and heating the assembly for a time sufficient to effect at least partial sintering of the compact and the product made by the method.

  13. Synthesis and Characterization of Nano Boron Nitride Reinforced Magnesium Composites Produced by the Microwave Sintering Method

    PubMed Central

    Seetharaman, Sankaranarayanan; Subramanian, Jayalakshmi; Tun, Khin Sandar; Hamouda, Abdelmagid S.; Gupta, Manoj

    2013-01-01

    In this study, magnesium composites with nano-size boron nitride (BN) particulates of varying contents were synthesized using the powder metallurgy (PM) technique incorporating microwave-assisted two-directional sintering followed by hot extrusion. The effect of nano-BN addition on the microstructural and the mechanical behavior of the developed Mg/BN composites were studied in comparison with pure Mg using the structure-property correlation. Microstructural characterization revealed uniform distribution of nano-BN particulates and marginal grain refinement. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) value of the magnesium matrix was improved with the addition of nano-sized BN particulates. The results of XRD studies indicate basal texture weakening with an increase in nano-BN addition. The composites showed improved mechanical properties measured under micro-indentation, tension and compression loading. While the tensile yield strength improvement was marginal, a significant increase in compressive yield strength was observed. This resulted in the reduction of tension-compression yield asymmetry and can be attributed to the weakening of the strong basal texture. PMID:28809252

  14. Lightweight Aluminum/Nano composites for Automotive Drive Train Applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chelluri, Bhanumathi; Knoth, Edward A.; Schumaker, Edward J.

    2012-12-14

    During Phase I, we successfully processed air atomized aluminum powders via Dynamic Magnetic Compaction (DMC) pressing and subsequent sintering to produce parts with properties similar to wrought aluminum. We have also showed for the first time that aluminum powders can be processed without lubes via press and sintering to 100 % density. This will preclude a delube cycle in sintering and promote environmentally friendly P/M processing. Processing aluminum powders via press and sintering with minimum shrinkage will enable net shape fabrication. Aluminum powders processed via a conventional powder metallurgy process produce too large a shrinkage. Because of this, sinter partsmore » have to be machined into specific net shape. This results in increased scrap and cost. Fully sintered aluminum alloy under this Phase I project has shown good particle-to-particle bonding and mechanical properties. We have also shown the feasibility of preparing nano composite powders and processing via pressing and sintering. This was accomplished by dispersing nano silicon carbide (SiC) powders into aluminum matrix comprising micron-sized powders (<100 microns) using a proprietary process. These composite powders of Al with nano SiC were processed using DMC press and sinter process to sinter density of 85-90%. The process optimization along with sintering needs to be carried out to produce full density composites.« less

  15. Recent Advances and Research Status in Energy Conservation of Iron Ore Sintering in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yao-Zu; Zhang, Jian-Liang; Liu, Zheng-Jian; Du, Cheng-Bo

    2017-11-01

    For the ferrous burden of blast furnaces in China, sinter generally accounts for more than 70% and the sintering process accounts for approximately 6-10% of the total energy consumption of the iron and steel enterprise. Therefore, saving energy during the sintering process is important to reduce the energy consumption in the iron and steel industry. This paper aims to illustrate recent advances and the research status of energy conservation of iron ore sintering in China. It focuses on the development and application of energy-saving technologies such as the composite agglomeration process, sintering with high-proportion flue gas recirculation sintering, recovery of sensible heat from the sinter cooling process, homogeneous deep-bed sintering technology, and comprehensive treatment technology of leakage of sintering. Moreover, some suggestions for the future development of energy-saving technologies are put forward.

  16. High Temperature Microwave Dielectric Properties of JSC-1AC Lunar Simulant

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Allan, Shawn M.; Merritt, Brandon J.; Griffin, Brittany F.; Hintze, Paul E.; Shulman, Holly S.

    2011-01-01

    Microwave heating has many potential lunar applications including sintering regolith for lunar surface stabilization and heating regolith for various oxygen production reactors. The microwave properties of lunar simulants must be understood so this technology can be applied to lunar operations. Dielectric properties at microwave frequencies for a common lunar simulant, JSC-1AC, were measured up to 1100 C, which is approximately the melting point. The experimentally determined dielectric properties included real and imaginary permittivity (epsilon', epsilon"), loss tangent (tan delta), and half-power depth, the di stance at which a material absorbs 50% of incident microwave energy. Measurements at 2.45 GHz revealed tan delta of JSC-1A increases from 0.02 at 25 C to 0.31 at 110 C. The corresponding half-power depth decreases from a peak of 286 mm at 110 C, to 13 mm at 1100 C. These data indicate that JSC-1AC becomes more absorbing, and thus a better microwave heater as temperature increases. A half-power depth maximum at 100-200 C presents a barrier to direct microwave heating at low temperatures. Microwave heating experiments confirm the sluggish heating effect of weak absorption below 200 C, and increasingly strong absorption above 200 C, leading to rapid heating and melting of JSC-1AC.

  17. Nanostructured MgTiO3 thick films obtained by electrophoretic deposition from nanopowders prepared by solar PVD

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Apostol, Irina; Mahajan, Amit; Monty, Claude J. A.; Venkata Saravanan, K.

    2015-12-01

    A novel combination of solar physical vapor deposition (SPVD) and electrophoretic deposition (EPD) that was developed to grow MgTiO3 nanostructured thick films is presented. Obtaining nanostructured MgTiO3 thick films, which can replace bulk ceramic components, a major trend in electronic industry, is the main objective of this work. The advantage of SPVD is direct synthesis of nanopowders, while EPD is simple, fast and inexpensive technique for preparing thick films. SPVD technique was developed at CNRS-PROMES Laboratory, Odeillo-Font Romeu, France, while the EPD was performed at University of Aveiro - DeMAC/CICECO, Portugal. The nanopowders with an average crystallite size of about 30 nm prepared by SPVD were dispersed in 50 ml of acetone in basic media with addition of triethanolamine. The obtained well-dispersed and stable suspensions were used for carrying out EPD on 25 μm thick platinum foils. After deposition, films with thickness of about 22-25 μm were sintered in air for 15 min at 800, 900 and 1000 °C. The structural and microstructural characterization of the sintered thick films was carried out using XRD and SEM, respectively. The thickness of the sintered samples were about 18-20 μm, which was determined by cross-sectional SEM. Films sintered at 900 °C exhibit a dielectric constant, ɛr ∼18.3 and dielectric loss, tan δ ∼0.0012 at 1 MHz. The effects of processing techniques (SPVD and EPD) on the structure, microstructure and dielectric properties are reported in detail. The obtained results indicate that the thick films obtained in the present study can be promising for low loss materials for microwave and millimeter wave applications.

  18. An Investigation of Sintering Parameters on Titanium Powder for Electron Beam Melting Processing Optimization.

    PubMed

    Drescher, Philipp; Sarhan, Mohamed; Seitz, Hermann

    2016-12-01

    Selective electron beam melting (SEBM) is a relatively new additive manufacturing technology for metallic materials. Specific to this technology is the sintering of the metal powder prior to the melting process. The sintering process has disadvantages for post-processing. The post-processing of parts produced by SEBM typically involves the removal of semi-sintered powder through the use of a powder blasting system. Furthermore, the sintering of large areas before melting decreases productivity. Current investigations are aimed at improving the sintering process in order to achieve better productivity, geometric accuracy, and resolution. In this study, the focus lies on the modification of the sintering process. In order to investigate and improve the sintering process, highly porous titanium test specimens with various scan speeds were built. The aim of this study was to decrease build time with comparable mechanical properties of the components and to remove the residual powder more easily after a build. By only sintering the area in which the melt pool for the components is created, an average productivity improvement of approx. 20% was achieved. Tensile tests were carried out, and the measured mechanical properties show comparatively or slightly improved values compared with the reference.

  19. Photovoltaic studies of Dye Sensitized Solar cells Fabricated from Microwave Exposed Photo anodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramachandran, Anju; Sreekala, C. O.; Sreelatha, K. S.; Jinchu, I.

    2018-02-01

    The configuration of Dye Sensitized solar cells (DSSC), consists of sintered nanoparticle titanium dioxide film, dyes, electrolyte and counter electrodes. Upon the absorption of photons by the dye molecules, excitons are generated, subsequently electrons are injected into the TiO2 photoanode. Afterward the electrons injected into the TiO2 photoanode, to produce photocurrent, scavenged by redox couple, and the hole transport to the photo cathode. The power conversion efficiency of the device depends on the amount of dye adsorbed by the photoanode. This paper explores in enhancing the efficiency of the device by controlled microwave exposure. With same exposure time, the photoanode is exposed at three different frequencies. SEM analysis is carried out to find the porosity of the photoanode on exposure. Current density is found to have an effect on microwave exposure.

  20. Characterization of M-type barium hexagonal ferrite-based wide band microwave absorber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meshram, M. R.; Agrawal, Nawal K.; Sinha, Bharoti; Misra, P. S.

    2004-05-01

    This paper present the design, development and characterization of the hexagonal ferrite powder [BaCo 0.5δTi 0.5δMn 0.1Fe (11.87-δ)O 19] and [Ba(MnTi) δFe (12-2δ)O 19] at δ=1.6 as a microwave absorber. The hexagonal ferrite powder has been developed by dry attrition and sintering procedure. The developed ferrite powder 60% by weight has been mixed in epoxy resin to form a microwave-absorbing paint. This paint was coated on a conducting aluminum sheet to study the absorption characteristics of a linearly polarized TE wave at X band. The results for single- and two-layer microwave absorbers for different coating thicknesses have been reported. It has been found that it shows the broadband characteristics with minimum absorption of 8 dB from 8 to 12 GHz for a coating thickness of 2 mm.These paints are very useful in military applications such as RCS reduction, camouflaging of the target and prevention of EMI, etc.

  1. 40 CFR 63.1543 - Standards for process and process fugitive sources.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... section. (1) Sinter machine; (2) Blast furnace; (3) Dross furnace; (4) Dross furnace charging location; (5) Blast furnace and dross furnace tapping location; (6) Sinter machine charging location; (7) Sinter machine discharge end; (8) Sinter crushing and sizing equipment; and (9) Sinter machine area. (b) The...

  2. Low-loss electromagnetic composites for RF and microwave applications.

    PubMed

    Wang, Hong; Yang, Haibo; Xiang, Feng; Yao, Xi

    2011-09-01

    Low-loss electromagnetic composites with high permittivity and permeability will benefit the miniaturization and multifunctional of RF devices. A kind of low-loss dielectric-magnetic ceramic-ceramic composite was developed by hybrid processing technology with the goal of integrating the dielectric properties and magnetic properties. The hybrid processing technology exhibits the advantage of lowered sintering temperatures for the composites while retaining good microstructure and high performance. By introducing elastomer as matrix, a kind of flexible low-loss dielectric-magnetic ceramic-polymer composite was prepared and studied. The obtained flexible dielectric-magnetic ceramic-polymer composite exhibited low loss and good mechanical properties. The results show good effects on lowering the dielectric loss and extending the cut-off magnetic frequency of the electromagnetic composite. Methods for tailoring the properties of the multifunctional composites were proposed and discussed.

  3. One step sintering of homogenized bauxite raw material and kinetic study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Chang-he; Jiang, Peng; Li, Yong; Sun, Jia-lin; Zhang, Jun-jie; Yang, Huan-ying

    2016-10-01

    A one-step sintering process of bauxite raw material from direct mining was completed, and the kinetics of this process was analyzed thoroughly. The results show that the sintering kinetics of bauxite raw material exhibits the liquid-phase sintering behavior. A small portion of impurities existed in the raw material act as a liquid phase. After X-ray diffraction analyses, scanning electron microscopy observations, and kinetics calculations, sintering temperature and heating duration were determined as the two major factors contributing to the sintering process and densification of bauxite ore. An elevated heating temperature and longer duration favor the densification process. The major obstacle for the densification of bauxite material is attributed to the formation of the enclosed blowhole during liquid-phase sintering.

  4. Structure and Dielectric Properties of (Sr0.2Ca0.488Nd0.208) TiO3-Li3NbO4 Ceramic Composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xia, C. C.; Chen, G. H.

    2017-12-01

    The new ceramic composites of (1-x) Li3NbO4-x (Sr0.2Ca0.488Nd0.208)TiO3 were prepared by the conventional solid state reaction method. The sintering behavior, phase composition, microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of the ceramics were investigated specially. The SEM and XRD results show that (1-x) Li3NbO4-x (Sr0.2Ca0.488Nd0.208) TiO3 (0.35≤x≤0.5) composites were composed of two phase, i.e. perovskite and Li3NbO4. With the increase of x, the ɛr increases from 27.1 to 38.7, Q×f decreases from 55000 GHz to 16770 GHz, and the τ f increases from -49 ppm/°C to 226.7 ppm/°C. The optimized dielectric properties with ɛr∼31.4, Q×f~16770GHz and τf~-8.1ppm/°C could be obtained as x=0.4 sintered at 1100°C for 4h. The as-prepared ceramic is expected to be used in resonators, filters, and other microwave devices.

  5. The Evolution and Development of the Lunar Regolith and Implications for Lunar Surface Operations and Construction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McKay, David

    2009-01-01

    The lunar regolith consists of about 90% submillimeter particles traditionally termed lunar soil. The remainder consists of larger particles ranging up to boulder size rocks. At the lower size end, soil particles in the 10s of nanometer sizes are present in all soil samples. Lunar regolith overlies bedrock which consists of either lava flows in mare regions or impact-produced megaregolith in highland regions. Lunar regolith has been produced over billions of years by a combination of breaking and communition of bedrock by meteorite bombardment coupled with a variety of complex space weathering processes including solar wind implantation, solar flare and cosmic ray bombardment with attendant radiation damage, melting, vaporization, and vapor condensation driven by impact, and gardening and turnover of the resultant soil. Lunar regolith is poorly sorted compared to most terrestrial soils, and has interesting engineering properties including strong grain adhesion, over-compacted soil density, an abundance of agglutinates with sharp corners, and a variety of properties related to soil maturity. The NASA program has supported a variety of engineering test research projects, the production of bricks by solar or microwave sintering, the production of concrete, the in situ sintering and glazing of regolith by microwave, and the extraction of useful resources such as oxygen, hydrogen, iron, aluminum, silicon and other products. Future requirements for a lunar surface base or outpost will include construction of protective berms, construction of paved roadways, construction of shelters, movement and emplacement of regolith for radiation shielding and thermal control, and extraction of useful products. One early need is for light weight but powerful digging, trenching, and regolith-moving equipment.

  6. The effect of milling time and sintering temperature on Mn, Ti substituted barium hexaferrite nanoparticle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yustanti, Erlina; Manaf, Azwar

    2018-04-01

    Barium hexaferrite (BaO.6Fe2O3/BaFe12O19) is a permanent magnetic material and microwave absorbing material. The value of microwave absorption can be increased through the engineering of the material structure, while the reduction of crystallite and particle size up to nanometer results device performance improvement to be superior. In this research, the structural engineering through mechanical alloying and crystallite size reduction through high power ultrasonic irradiation will be explained. Mixing and alloying of Sigma Aldrich BaCO3, Fe2O3, MnCO3, TiO2 p.a 99% precursor material used ball mill with powder ratio of vial at 1:10. Mechanical alloying for 60 hours at 160 rpm produced amorphous material. The process of the crystalline embryo nucleation for 4 hours produced multicrystalline material at a sinter temperature of 1100°C. Phase analysis of the mechanical alloying result using x-ray diffractometer was confirmed either the formation of BaO.6Fe2-xMnx/2Tix/2O3 (x=0.5) single phase. Multicrystalline powder of BaO.6Fe2-xMnx/2Tix/2O3 (x=0.5) was obtained through 20 hours hand grinding and re-milling to bulk sample. Crystallite size reduction in the analysis was conducted through particle density variation in ultrasonic reactor and variation of the increase in ultrasonic time. Increase in milling time up to 60 hours produced fragmenting so that particle size reduction from 18.8 µm to 0.9 µm was occurred. The 12-h ultrasonic irradiation at a frequency of 20 kHz amplitude of 60 µm produced a crystallite-size reduction up to 18 nm at a 10 g/L particle density.

  7. Microwave dielectric properties of CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} composite

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rahman, Mohd Fariz Ab; Abu, Mohamad Johari; Zaman, Rosyaini Afindi

    2016-07-19

    (1-x)CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12} + (x)Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} composite (0 ≤ x ≤0.25) was prepared via conventional solid-state reaction method. The fabrication of sample was started with synthesizing stoichiometric CCTO from CaCO{sub 3}, CuO and TiO{sub 2} powders, then wet-mixed in deionized water for 24 h. The process was continued with calcined CCTO powder at 900 °C for 12 h before sintered at 1040 °C for 10 h. Next, the calcined CCTO powder with different amount of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} were mixed for 24 h, then palletized and sintered at 1040 °C for 10. X-ray diffraction analysis on the sinteredmore » samples showed that CCTO powder was in a single phase, meanwhile the trace of secondary peaks which belong to CaAl{sub 2}O{sub 4} and Corundum (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) could be observed in the other samples Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that the grain size of the sample is firstly increased with addition of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (x = 0.01), then become smaller with the x > 0.01. Microwave dielectric properties showed that the addition of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (x = 0.01) was remarkably reduced the dielectric loss while slightly increased the dielectric permittivity. However, further addition of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} was reduced both dielectric loss and permittivity at least for an order of magnitude.« less

  8. Doped tricalcium phosphate bone tissue engineering scaffolds using sucrose as template and microwave sintering: enhancement of mechanical and biological properties.

    PubMed

    Ke, Dongxu; Bose, Susmita

    2017-09-01

    β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) is a widely used biocompatible ceramic in orthopedic and dental applications. However, its osteoinductivity and mechanical properties still require improvements. In this study, porous β-TCP and MgO/ZnO-TCP scaffolds were prepared by the thermal decomposition of sucrose. Crack-free cylindrical scaffolds could only be prepared with the addition of MgO and ZnO due to their stabilization effects. Porous MgO/ZnO-TCP scaffolds with a density of 61.39±0.66%, an estimated pore size of 200μm and a compressive strength of 24.96±3.07MPa were prepared by using 25wt% sucrose after conventional sintering at 1250°C. Microwave sintering further increased the compressive strength to 37.94±6.70MPa, but it decreased the open interconnected porosity to 8.74±1.38%. In addition, the incorporation of polycaprolactone (PCL) increased 22.36±3.22% of toughness while maintaining its compressive strength at 25.45±2.21MPa. Human osteoblast cell line was seeded on scaffolds to evaluate the effects of MgO/ZnO and PCL on the biological property of β-TCP in vitro. Both MgO/ZnO and PCL improved osteoinductivity of β-TCP. PCL also decreased osteoblastic apoptosis due to its particular surface chemistry. This novel porous MgO/ZnO-TCP scaffold with PCL shows improved mechanical and biological properties, which has great potential in bone tissue engineering applications. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  9. Effect of Process Parameter on Barium Titanate Stannate (BTS) Materials Sintered at Low Sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shukla, Alok; Bajpai, P. K.

    2011-11-01

    Ba(Ti1-xSnx)O3 solid solutions with (x = 0.15, 0.20, 0.30 and 0.40) are synthesized using conventional solid state reaction method. Formation of solid solutions in the range 0 ≤ x ≤0.40 is confirmed using X-ray diffraction technique. Single phase solid solutions with homogeneous grain distribution are observed at relatively low sintering by controlling process parameters viz. sintering time. Composition at optimized temperature (1150 °C) sintered by varying the sintering time, stabilize in cubic perovskite phase. The % experimental density increase with increasing the time of sintering instead of increasing sintering temperature. The lattice parameter increases by increasing the tin composition in the material. This demonstrates that process parameter optimization can lead to single phase at relatively lower sintering-a major advantage for the materials used as capacitor element in MLCC.

  10. Lanthanide (Nd, Gd) compounds with garnet and monazite structures. Powders synthesis by "wet" chemistry to sintering ceramics by Spark Plasma Sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Potanina, Ekaterina; Golovkina, Ludmila; Orlova, Albina; Nokhrin, Aleksey; Boldin, Maksim; Sakharov, Nikita

    2016-05-01

    Complex oxide Y2.5Nd0.5Al5O12 with garnet structure and phosphates NdPO4 and GdPO4 with monazite structure were obtained by using precipitation methods. Ceramics Y2.5Nd0.5Al5O12 and NdPO4 were processed by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). Relative density more 98%, sintering time did not exceed 8 min, sintering temperature 1330-1390 °C. Leaching rates of elements from ceramics were 10-6-10-7 g/(cm2 d). The process of ceramics sintering has two-stage character: the first step of sintering-compaction process is related to the plastic flow of the material, the second step-to the process of grain boundary diffusion and grain growth.

  11. A Preliminary Attempt at Sintering an Ultrafine Alumina Powder Using Microwaves

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-09-01

    and unusual properties [Ref. B4]. Dielectric properties of individual ceramic phases differ depending on parameters such as compositicn...useful parameter is an estimate of the amount of power dissipated into a dielectric with a known effective loss factor. For a high frequency electric...cavities, and their influence in ceramic samples must be considered. Therefore scattering, diffraction, interference, and reflection and refraction

  12. Generalized green synthesis and formation mechanism of sponge-like ferrite micro-polyhedra with tunable structure and composition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tong, Guoxiu; Du, Fangfang; Xiang, Lingjing; Liu, Fangting; Mao, Lulu; Guan, Jianguo

    2013-12-01

    This paper describes a green versatile glucose-engineered precipitation-sintering process that allows for the selective and mass preparation of spongy porous ferrite (M = Fe, Zn, Co, Ni, Mn, etc.) micro-polyhedra with tunable morphology, texture, and composition. Some kinetic factors, such as the molar ratio of glucose to metal nitrates, reaction temperature, sintering temperature and time, and type of metal nitrates, can be expediently employed to modulate their aspect ratio, shape, size, composition, and textural properties. In this protocol, glucose functions as a reductant, protecting agent, structure-directing agent, and a sacrificial template to guide the assembly of sheet-like nuclei into polyhedral precursors and the formation of spongy porous structures. Owing to larger EM parameters, multiresonant behavior, and dissipative current, spongy porous Fe3O4 polyhedra exhibited enhanced microwave-absorbing properties. This endows them with important potential applications in magnetic devices, catalysis, sorption, photoluminescence, electromagnetic wave absorbing materials, anode materials, and so on. Meanwhile, this general approach can be extended to synthesize other porous sponges with regular geometric configuration because it is simple, inexpensive, environmentally benign, and suitable for extensive production.This paper describes a green versatile glucose-engineered precipitation-sintering process that allows for the selective and mass preparation of spongy porous ferrite (M = Fe, Zn, Co, Ni, Mn, etc.) micro-polyhedra with tunable morphology, texture, and composition. Some kinetic factors, such as the molar ratio of glucose to metal nitrates, reaction temperature, sintering temperature and time, and type of metal nitrates, can be expediently employed to modulate their aspect ratio, shape, size, composition, and textural properties. In this protocol, glucose functions as a reductant, protecting agent, structure-directing agent, and a sacrificial template to guide the assembly of sheet-like nuclei into polyhedral precursors and the formation of spongy porous structures. Owing to larger EM parameters, multiresonant behavior, and dissipative current, spongy porous Fe3O4 polyhedra exhibited enhanced microwave-absorbing properties. This endows them with important potential applications in magnetic devices, catalysis, sorption, photoluminescence, electromagnetic wave absorbing materials, anode materials, and so on. Meanwhile, this general approach can be extended to synthesize other porous sponges with regular geometric configuration because it is simple, inexpensive, environmentally benign, and suitable for extensive production. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, the corresponding pore size distribution curves, TG-DSC curves, XRD pattern, and IR spectra for the precursors; XRD patterns of the samples obtained at various temperatures under N2; XRD pattern, reduction rate, and reactive oxygen species production of ZnO-ZnFe2O4 XRD patterns, SEM images, EDX patterns, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, and the corresponding pore size distribution curves of CoFe2O4-NiFe2O4-Co1.29Ni1.71O4 polyhedra and NiO-ZnFe2O4. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr03745b

  13. Facile synthesis and strongly microstructure-dependent electrochemical properties of graphene/manganese dioxide composites for supercapacitors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Caiyun; Zhu, Xiaohong; Wang, Zhongxing; Sun, Ping; Ren, Yinjuan; Zhu, Jiliang; Zhu, Jianguo; Xiao, Dingquan

    2014-09-01

    Graphene has attracted much attention since it was firstly stripped from graphite by two physicists in 2004, and the supercapacitor based on graphene has obtained wide attention and much investment as well. For practical applications of graphene-based supercapacitors, however, there are still many challenges to solve, for instance, to simplify the technological process, to lower the fabrication cost, and to improve the electrochemical performance. In this work, graphene/MnO2 composites are prepared by a microwave sintering method, and we report here a relatively simple method for the supercapacitor packaging, i.e., dipping Ni-foam into a graphene/MnO2 composite solution directly for a period of time to coat the active material on a current collector. It is found that the microwave reaction time has a significant effect on the microstructure of graphene/MnO2 composites, and consequently, the electrochemical properties of the supercapacitors based on graphene/MnO2 composites are strongly microstructure dependent. An appropriately longer microwave reaction time, namely, 15 min, facilitates a very dense and homogeneous microstructure of the graphene/MnO2 composites, and thus, excellent electrochemical performance is achieved in the supercapacitor device, including a high specific capacitance of 296 F/g and a high capacitance retention of 93% after 3,000 times of charging/discharging cycles.

  14. Facile synthesis and strongly microstructure-dependent electrochemical properties of graphene/manganese dioxide composites for supercapacitors.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Caiyun; Zhu, Xiaohong; Wang, Zhongxing; Sun, Ping; Ren, Yinjuan; Zhu, Jiliang; Zhu, Jianguo; Xiao, Dingquan

    2014-01-01

    Graphene has attracted much attention since it was firstly stripped from graphite by two physicists in 2004, and the supercapacitor based on graphene has obtained wide attention and much investment as well. For practical applications of graphene-based supercapacitors, however, there are still many challenges to solve, for instance, to simplify the technological process, to lower the fabrication cost, and to improve the electrochemical performance. In this work, graphene/MnO2 composites are prepared by a microwave sintering method, and we report here a relatively simple method for the supercapacitor packaging, i.e., dipping Ni-foam into a graphene/MnO2 composite solution directly for a period of time to coat the active material on a current collector. It is found that the microwave reaction time has a significant effect on the microstructure of graphene/MnO2 composites, and consequently, the electrochemical properties of the supercapacitors based on graphene/MnO2 composites are strongly microstructure dependent. An appropriately longer microwave reaction time, namely, 15 min, facilitates a very dense and homogeneous microstructure of the graphene/MnO2 composites, and thus, excellent electrochemical performance is achieved in the supercapacitor device, including a high specific capacitance of 296 F/g and a high capacitance retention of 93% after 3,000 times of charging/discharging cycles. 81.05.ue; 78.67.Sc; 88.80.fh.

  15. Facile synthesis and strongly microstructure-dependent electrochemical properties of graphene/manganese dioxide composites for supercapacitors

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Graphene has attracted much attention since it was firstly stripped from graphite by two physicists in 2004, and the supercapacitor based on graphene has obtained wide attention and much investment as well. For practical applications of graphene-based supercapacitors, however, there are still many challenges to solve, for instance, to simplify the technological process, to lower the fabrication cost, and to improve the electrochemical performance. In this work, graphene/MnO2 composites are prepared by a microwave sintering method, and we report here a relatively simple method for the supercapacitor packaging, i.e., dipping Ni-foam into a graphene/MnO2 composite solution directly for a period of time to coat the active material on a current collector. It is found that the microwave reaction time has a significant effect on the microstructure of graphene/MnO2 composites, and consequently, the electrochemical properties of the supercapacitors based on graphene/MnO2 composites are strongly microstructure dependent. An appropriately longer microwave reaction time, namely, 15 min, facilitates a very dense and homogeneous microstructure of the graphene/MnO2 composites, and thus, excellent electrochemical performance is achieved in the supercapacitor device, including a high specific capacitance of 296 F/g and a high capacitance retention of 93% after 3,000 times of charging/discharging cycles. PACS 81.05.ue; 78.67.Sc; 88.80.fh PMID:25258609

  16. The microwave properties of Ag(Ta0.8Nb0.2)O3 thick film interdigital capacitors on alumina substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Ku-Tak; Koh, Jung-Hyuk

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we will introduce the microwave properties of Ag(Ta0.8Nb0.2)O3 thick film planar type interdigital capacitors fabricated on alumina substrates. The tailored paraelectric state of Ag(Ta,Nb)O3 allows the material to be regarded as a part of the family of microwave materials. As thick films formed in our experiment, Ag(Ta,Nb)O3 exhibited extremely low dielectric loss with relatively high dielectric permittivity. This low dielectric loss is a very important issue for microwave applications. Therefore, we investigated the microwave properties of Ag(Ta0.8Nb0.2)O3 thick film planar type interdigital capacitors. Ag(Ta0.8Nb0.2)O3 thick films were prepared by a screen-printing method on alumina substrates and were sintered at 1140 °C for 2 hrs. The XRD analysis results showed that the Ag(Ta0.8Nb0.2)O3 thick film has the perovskite structure. The frequency dependent dielectric permittivity showed that these Ag(Ta0.8Nb0.2)O3 thick film planar type interdigital capacitors have very weak frequency dispersions with low loss tangents in the microwave range.

  17. Broadening microwave absorption via a multi-domain structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Zhengwang; Che, Renchao; Wei, Yong; Liu, Yupu; Elzatahry, Ahmed A.; Dahyan, Daifallah Al.; Zhao, Dongyuan

    2017-04-01

    Materials with a high saturation magnetization have gained increasing attention in the field of microwave absorption; therefore, the magnetization value depends on the magnetic configuration inside them. However, the broad-band absorption in the range of microwave frequency (2-18 GHz) is a great challenge. Herein, the three-dimensional (3D) Fe/C hollow microspheres are constructed by iron nanocrystals permeating inside carbon matrix with a saturation magnetization of 340 emu/g, which is 1.55 times as that of bulk Fe, unexpectedly. Electron tomography, electron holography, and Lorentz transmission electron microscopy imaging provide the powerful testimony about Fe/C interpenetration and multi-domain state constructed by vortex and stripe domains. Benefiting from the unique chemical and magnetic microstructures, the microwave minimum absorption is as strong as -55 dB and the bandwidth (<-10 dB) spans 12.5 GHz ranging from 5.5 to 18 GHz. Morphology and distribution of magnetic nano-domains can be facilely regulated by a controllable reduction sintering under H2/Ar gas and an optimized temperature over 450-850 °C. The findings might shed new light on the synthesis strategies of the materials with the broad-band frequency and understanding the association between multi-domain coupling and microwave absorption performance.

  18. Numerical Simulation of Sintering Process in Ceramic Powder Injection Moulded Components

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, J.; Barriere, T.; Liu, B.; Gelin, J. C.

    2007-05-01

    A phenomenological model based on viscoplastic constitutive law is presented to describe the sintering process of ceramic components obtained by powder injection moulding. The parameters entering in the model are identified through sintering experiments in dilatometer with the proposed optimization method. The finite element simulations are carried out to predict the density variations and dimensional changes of the components during sintering. A simulation example on the sintering process of hip implant in alumina has been conducted. The simulation results have been compared with the experimental ones. A good agreement is obtained.

  19. Fabrication Processes and Mechanical Behavior of CNT/Metal Nanocomposites

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-12-01

    process, were investigated and applied for fabrication of CNT/Cu and CNT/Ni nanocomposite powders. The spark plasma sintering process was applied... spark plasma sintering process to fabricate CNT/NiTi and CNT/Al-Cu nanocomposites. It is confirmed that the CNTs were homogeneously dispersed in NiTi...can be seen in Figure 1-1. The CNT/NiTi composite powders were consolidated by spark plasma sintering (SPS, Dr. Sinter Lab., Sumitomo). The CNT/NiTi

  20. Flash sintering of ceramic materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dancer, C. E. J.

    2016-10-01

    During flash sintering, ceramic materials can sinter to high density in a matter of seconds while subjected to electric field and elevated temperature. This process, which occurs at lower furnace temperatures and in shorter times than both conventional ceramic sintering and field-assisted methods such as spark plasma sintering, has the potential to radically reduce the power consumption required for the densification of ceramic materials. This paper reviews the experimental work on flash sintering methods carried out to date, and compares the properties of the materials obtained to those produced by conventional sintering. The flash sintering process is described for oxides of zirconium, yttrium, aluminium, tin, zinc, and titanium; silicon and boron carbide, zirconium diboride, materials for solid oxide fuel applications, ferroelectric materials, and composite materials. While experimental observations have been made on a wide range of materials, understanding of the underlying mechanisms responsible for the onset and latter stages of flash sintering is still elusive. Elements of the proposed theories to explain the observed behaviour include extensive Joule heating throughout the material causing thermal runaway, arrested by the current limitation in the power supply, and the formation of defect avalanches which rapidly and dramatically increase the sample conductivity. Undoubtedly, the flash sintering process is affected by the electric field strength, furnace temperature and current density limit, but also by microstructural features such as the presence of second phase particles or dopants and the particle size in the starting material. While further experimental work and modelling is still required to attain a full understanding capable of predicting the success of the flash sintering process in different materials, the technique non-etheless holds great potential for exceptional control of the ceramic sintering process.

  1. The effect of microwave and conventional heating on a modified sol-gel derived biphasic calcium phosphate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Herradi, S.; Bouhazma, S.; Khaldi, M.; El Hachadi, A.; El Bali, B.; Lachkar, M.

    2018-03-01

    A facile sol-gel method was used to synthesize either hydroxyapatite (HA) or beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) as the major phase. Herein, we report, on the one hand, the effect of a very low maturation temperature on the final powder composition after drying step, and on the other hand, we compare the effect of calcination of this powder by microwave or electric furnace. It was found that microwave heating has led to the formation of hydroxyapatite phase upon 180°C for 20 minutes, however, XRD patterns show that the powder becomes less crystallized upon 220°C and amorphous upon 230°C. In contrast, furnace heating at 600°C and 700°C converts the as-synthesized powder to β-TCP as the major phase together with HA as the minor phase. This work shows the possibility to obtain the as-prepared BCP at much lower maturation temperature; it also gives an insight into the role, of either microwave or conventional heating, in controlling the ratio between HA and β-TCP in the sintered powder.

  2. The effect of glass additives on the microwave dielectric properties of Ba(Mg{sub 1/3}Ta{sub 2/3})O{sub 3} ceramics

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Surendran, K.P.; Mohanan, P.; Sebastian, M.T.

    2004-11-01

    The effect of glass additives on the densification, phase evolution, microstructure and microwave dielectric properties of Ba(Mg{sub 1/3}Ta{sub 2/3})O{sub 3} (BMT) was investigated. Different weight percentages of quenched glass such as B{sub 2}O{sub 3}, SiO{sub 2}, B{sub 2}O{sub 3}-SiO{sub 2}, ZnO-B{sub 2}O{sub 3}, 5ZnO-2B{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-SiO{sub 2}, Na{sub 2}O-2B{sub 2}O{sub 3}.10H{sub 2}O, BaO-B{sub 2}O{sub 3}-SiO{sub 2}, MgO-B{sub 2}O{sub 3}-SiO{sub 2}, PbO-B{sub 2}O{sub 3}-SiO{sub 2}, ZnO-B{sub 2}O{sub 3}-SiO{sub 2} and 2MgO-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-5SiO{sub 2} were added to calcined BMT precursor. The sintering temperature of the glass-added BMT samples were lowered down to 1300 deg. C compared to solid-statemore » sintering where the temperature was 1650{sup o}C. The formation of high temperature satellite phases such as Ba{sub 5}Ta{sub 4}O{sub 15} and Ba{sub 7}Ta{sub 6}O{sub 22} were found to be suppressed by the glass addition. Addition of glass systems such as B{sub 2}O{sub 3}, ZnO-B{sub 2}O{sub 3}, 5ZnO-2B{sub 2}O{sub 3} and ZnO-B{sub 2}O{sub 3}-SiO{sub 2} improved the densification and microwave dielectric properties. Other glasses were found to react with BMT to form low-Q phases which prevented densification. The microwave dielectric properties of undoped BMT with a densification of 93.1% of the theoretical density were {epsilon}r=24.8, {tau}f=8ppm/{sup o}C and Q{sub u}xf=80,000GHz. The BMT doped with 1.0wt% of B{sub 2}O{sub 3} has Q{sub u}xf=124,700GHz, {epsilon}r=24.2, and {tau}f=-1.3ppm/ deg/ C. The unloaded Q factor of 0.2wt% ZnO-B{sub 2}O{sub 3}-doped BMT was 136,500GHz while that of 1.0wt% of 5ZnO-2B{sub 2}O{sub 3} added ceramic was Q{sub u}xf=141,800GHz. The best microwave quality factor was observed for ZnO-B{sub 2}O{sub 3}-SiO{sub 2} (ZBS) glass-added ceramics which can act as a perfect liquid-phase medium for the sintering of BMT. The microwave dielectric properties of 0.2wt% ZBS-added BMT dielectric was Q{sub u}xf=152,800GHz, {epsilon}r=25.5, and {tau}f=-1.5ppm/ deg. C.« less

  3. 40 CFR 63.1543 - Standards for process and process fugitive sources.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... paragraphs (a)(1) through (9) of this section. (1) Sinter machine; (2) Blast furnace; (3) Dross furnace; (4... machine charging location; (7) Sinter machine discharge end; (8) Sinter crushing and sizing equipment; and (9) Sinter machine area. (b) No owner or operator of any existing, new, or reconstructed primary lead...

  4. 40 CFR 63.1543 - Standards for process and process fugitive sources.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... paragraphs (a)(1) through (9) of this section. (1) Sinter machine; (2) Blast furnace; (3) Dross furnace; (4... machine charging location; (7) Sinter machine discharge end; (8) Sinter crushing and sizing equipment; and (9) Sinter machine area. (b) No owner or operator of any existing, new, or reconstructed primary lead...

  5. 40 CFR 63.1543 - Standards for process and process fugitive sources.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... paragraphs (a)(1) through (9) of this section. (1) Sinter machine; (2) Blast furnace; (3) Dross furnace; (4... machine charging location; (7) Sinter machine discharge end; (8) Sinter crushing and sizing equipment; and (9) Sinter machine area. (b) No owner or operator of any existing, new, or reconstructed primary lead...

  6. Effect of sintering process on the magnetic and mechanical properties of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Z. H.; Qu, H. J.; Zhao, J. Q.; Yan, C. J.; Liu, X. M.

    2014-11-01

    The magnetic and mechanical properties of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets prepared by different sintering processes were investigated. The results showed that the intrinsic coercivity and fracture toughness of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets first increased, and then declined with increasing annealing temperature. The optimum magnetic properties and fracture toughness of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets were obtained at the annealing temperature of 540 °C. Sintering temperature increasing from 1047 °C to 1071 °C had hardly effect on the magnetic properties of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets. The variation of Vickers hardness and fracture toughness was not the same with increasing sintering temperature, and the effect of sintering temperature on the mechanical properties was complex and irregular. The reasons for the variation on magnetic and mechanical properties were analyzed, and we presumed that the effect of microstructure on the mechanical properties was more sensitive than the magnetic properties through analyzing the microstructure of sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets.

  7. Effects of pressure and temperature on sintering of Cr-doped Al2O3 by pulsed electric current sintering process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dang, K. Q.; Nanko, M.

    2011-03-01

    The aluminium oxide crystal, Al2O3, which contains a small amount of chromium, Cr, is called ruby. Pulsed electric current sintering (PECS) was applied to sinter ruby polycrystals. Cr2O3-Al2O3 powder mixture prepared by drying an aqueous slurry containing amounts of Al2O3 and Cr(NO3)3 was consolidated by PECS process. The PECS process was performed in vacuum at sintering temperature raging from 1100 to 1300°C with heating rate of 2 K/min under applied uniaxial pressure varied from 40 to 100 MPa. This study found that highly densified and transparent Cr-doped Al2O3 can be obtained by the PECS process with the high applied pressure at sintering temperature of 1200°C.

  8. Debinding and Sintering of an Injection-Moulded Hypereutectic Al⁻Si Alloy.

    PubMed

    Ni, Jiaqi; Yu, Muhuo; Han, Keqing

    2018-05-16

    Hypereutectic Al⁻Si (20 wt.%) alloy parts were fabricated by employing a powder injection moulding (PIM) technique with a developed multi-component binder system composed of high-density polyethylene (35 wt.%), carnauba wax (62 wt.%) and stearic acid (3 wt.%). The feedstocks contained 83 wt.% metal powders. The debinding process was carried out by a combination of solvent extraction and thermal decomposition. The effects of solvent debinding variables such as kind of solvents, debinding temperatures and time, and the bulk surface area to volume ratios on the debinding process were investigated. Thermal debinding and the subsequent sintering process were carried out in a heating sequence under a nitrogen atmosphere. The influences of sintering temperature and sintering time on the mechanical properties and structure were considered. Under the optimal sintering condition, sintering at 550 °C for 3 h, the final sintering parts were free of distortion and exhibited good mechanical properties. Relative sintered density, Brinell hardness, and tensile strength were ~95.5%, 58 HBW and ~154, respectively.

  9. Effect of starting powders on the sintering of nanostructured ZrO2 ceramics by colloidal processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suárez, Gustavo; Sakka, Yoshio; Suzuki, Tohru S.; Uchikoshi, Tetsuo; Zhu, Xinwen; Aglietti, Esteban F.

    2009-04-01

    The effect of starting powders on the sintering of nanostructured tetragonal zirconia was evaluated. Suspensions were prepared with a concentration of 10 vol.% by mixing a bicomponent mixture of commercial powders (97 mol.% monoclinic zirconia with 3 mol.% yttria) and by dispersing commercially available tetragonal zirconia (3YTZ, Tosoh). The preparation of the slurry by bead-milling was optimized. Colloidal processing using 50 μm zirconia beads at 4000 rpm generated a fully deagglomerated suspension leading to the formation of high-density consolidated compacts (62% of the theoretical density (TD) for the bicomponent suspension). Optimum colloidal processing of the bicomponent suspension followed by the sintering of yttria and zirconia allowed us to obtain nanostructured tetragonal zirconia. Three different sintering techniques were investigated: normal sintering, two-step sintering and spark plasma sintering. The inhibition of grain growth in the bicomponent mixed powders in comparison with 3YTZ was demonstrated. The inhibition of the grain growth may have been caused by inter-diffusion of cations during the sintering.

  10. Physicomechanical, In Vitro and In Vivo Performance of 3D Printed Doped Tricalcium Phosphate Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tarafder, Solaiman

    Although tricalcium phosphate (TCP) is widely used in bone tissue engineering, the strength degradation kinetics is not well controlled. This study focuses on the underlying mechanism of strength degradation kinetics by incorporating trace elements in TCP. The objective of this research is to modify the mechanical properties of TCP to achieve the desired degradation rate for the specific need, and improve the in vivo bioactivity for early wound healing by incorporating trace elements such as strontium (Sr2+), magnesium (Mg2+) and silicon (Si4+) as dopants. The hypothesis of this research is that the presence of different trace elements in TCP will influence its phase stability, microstructure, mechanical strength, and both in vitro and in vivo bioactivity. Direct three dimensional printing (3DP) was used to fabricate designed interconnected macroporous pure and doped TCP scaffolds. Microwave sintering as opposed to conventional sintering was also used for better densification and higher mechanical strength. A maximum compressive strength of 10.95 +/- 1.28 MPa and 12.01 +/- 1.56 MPa were achieved for pure and Sr2+-Mg2+ doped TCP scaffolds with 500 microm designed pores (˜400 microm after sintering) sintered in microwave furnace, respectively. Substitution of Mg2+ and Sr2+ into calcium (Ca2+) sites of TCP crystal lattice contributed to phase stability and controlled gradual degradation. On the other hand, Si4+ substitution into phosphorous (P5+) sites destabilized the crystal structure and accelerated degradation of TCP. Interconnected macroporous beta-TCP scaffolds facilitated in vivo guided bone tissue regeneration through infiltration of cells and extracellular matrix into the designed pores. Presence of Sr2+, Mg2+ and Si4+ into beta-TCP induced increased in vivo early bone formation and better bone remodeling through increased extracellular matrix production such as, collagen and osteocalcin, when tested in rat and rabbit distal femur model. The presence of Si4+ along with Mg 2+ induced increased new blood vessel formation. Our results exhibited that Sr2+, Mg2+ and Si4+ doped 3DP TCP scaffolds have strong potential in bone tissue engineering applications for early wound healing.

  11. Sintering Kinetics of Inkjet Printed Conductive Silver Lines on Insulating Plastic Substrate

    DOE PAGES

    Zhou, Wenchao; List, III, Frederick Alyious; Duty, Chad E; ...

    2015-01-24

    This paper focuses on sintering kinetics of inkjet printed lines containing silver nanoparticles deposited on a plastic substrate. Upon heat treatment, the change of resistance in the printed lines was measured as a function of time and sintering temperatures from 150 to 200 C. A critical temperature was observed for the sintering process, beyond which there was no further reduction in resistance. Analysis shows the critical temperature correlates to the boiling point of the solvent, which is attributed to a liquid-mediated sintering mechanism. It is demonstrated that the sintering process shuts down after the solvent has completely evaporated.

  12. Titanium diboride-chromium diboride-yttrium titanium oxide ceramic composition and a process for making the same

    DOEpatents

    Holcombe, Cressie E.; Dykes, Norman L.

    1991-01-01

    A ceramic composition is described. The ceramic composition consists essentially of from about 84 to 96 w/o titanium diboride, from about 1 to 9 w/o chromium diboride, and from about 3 to about 15 w/o yttrium-titanium-oxide. A method of making the ceramic composition is also described. The method of making the ceramic composition comprises the following steps: Step 1--A consolidated body containing stoichiometric quantities of titanium diboride and chromium diboride is provided. Step 2--The consolidated body is enclosed in and in contact with a thermally insulated package of yttria granules having a thickness of at least 0.5 inches. Step 3--The consolidated body enclosed in the thermally insulated package of yttria granules is heated in a microwave oven with microwave energy to a temperature equal to or greater than 1,900 degrees centigrade to sinter and uniformly disperse yttria particles having a size range from about 1 to about 12 microns throughout the consolidated body forming a densified body consisting essentially of titanium diboride, chromium diboride, and yttrium-titanium-oxide. The resulting densified body has enhanced fracture toughness and hardness.

  13. Process for making a titanium diboride-chromium diboride-yttrium titanium oxide ceramic composition

    DOEpatents

    Holcombe, Cressie E.; Dykes, Norman L.

    1992-01-01

    A ceramic composition composition is described. The ceramic composition consists essentially of from about 84 to 96 w/o titanium diboride, from about 1 to 9 w/o chromium diboride, and from about 3 to aobut 15 w/o yttrium-titanium-oxide. A method of making the ceramic composition is also described. The method of making the ceramic composition comprises the following steps: Step 1--A consolidated body containing stoichiometric quantities of titanium diboride and chromium diboride is provided. Step 2--The consolidated body is enclosed in and in contact with a thermally insulated package of yttria granules having a thickness of at least 0.5 inches. Step 3--The consolidated body enclosed in the thermally insulated package of yttria granules is heated in a microwave oven with microwave energy to a temperature equal to or greater than 1,900 degrees centigrade to sinter and uniformly disperse yttria particles having a size range from about 1 to about 12 microns throughout the consolidated body forming a densified body consisting essentially of titanium diboride, chromium diboride, and yttrium-titanium-oxide. The resulting densified body has enhanced fracture toughness and hardness.

  14. Process for making a titanium diboride-chromium diboride-yttrium titanium oxide ceramic composition

    DOEpatents

    Holcombe, C.E.; Dykes, N.L.

    1992-04-28

    A ceramic composition is described. The ceramic composition consists essentially of from about 84 to 96 w/o titanium diboride, from about 1 to 9 w/o chromium diboride, and from about 3 to about 15 w/o yttrium-titanium-oxide. A method of making the ceramic composition is also described. The method of making the ceramic composition comprises the following steps: Step 1--A consolidated body containing stoichiometric quantities of titanium diboride and chromium diboride is provided. Step 2--The consolidated body is enclosed in and in contact with a thermally insulated package of yttria granules having a thickness of at least 0.5 inches. Step 3--The consolidated body enclosed in the thermally insulated package of yttria granules is heated in a microwave oven with microwave energy to a temperature equal to or greater than 1,900 degrees centigrade to sinter and uniformly disperse yttria particles having a size range from about 1 to about 12 microns throughout the consolidated body forming a densified body consisting essentially of titanium diboride, chromium diboride, and yttrium-titanium-oxide. The resulting densified body has enhanced fracture toughness and hardness. No Drawings

  15. Multiferroic properties of microwave sintered PbFe12-xO19-δ

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prathap, S.; Madhuri, W.

    2017-05-01

    The effect of iron deficiency on the structural, electrical, ferroelectric and magnetic properties of nano PbFe12-xO19-δ (where x=0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.0) hexaferrites prepared by sol-gel auto combustion and processed by microwaves are investigated. X-ray analysis confirms single phase magneto-plumbite phase formation. The surface morphology is studied from Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope. Further, optical properties are investigated using Fourier Transform Infrared spectra and UV-visible spectra. AC electrical conductivity is estimated as a function of temperature and frequency in the range of room temperature (RT) to 500 °C and 100 Hz to 5MHz. AC electrical conduction analysis shows that conduction is mainly due to small polaron hopping mechanism. The variation of polarization with applied electric field exhibits hysteresis loop confirming the ferroelectric nature. The initial permeability studies with varying temperature reveals that the Curie transition temperature for the present series is around 400 °C. Variation of initial permeability with frequency ranging from 100 to 5 MHz shows a constant value (except for x=0.0) opening avenues for high frequency applications.

  16. Process for the production of metal nitride sintered bodies and resultant silicon nitride and aluminum nitride sintered bodies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yajima, S.; Omori, M.; Hayashi, J.; Kayano, H.; Hamano, M.

    1983-01-01

    A process for the manufacture of metal nitride sintered bodies, in particular, a process in which a mixture of metal nitrite powders is shaped and heated together with a binding agent is described. Of the metal nitrides Si3N4 and AIN were used especially frequently because of their excellent properties at high temperatures. The goal is to produce a process for metal nitride sintered bodies with high strength, high corrosion resistance, thermal shock resistance, thermal shock resistance, and avoidance of previously known faults.

  17. Verification of the Skorohod-Olevsky Viscous Sintering (SOVS) Model

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lester, Brian T.

    2017-11-16

    Sintering refers to a manufacturing process through which mechanically pressed bodies of ceramic (and sometimes metal) powders are heated to drive densification thereby removing the inherit porosity of green bodies. As the body densifies through the sintering process, the ensuing material flow leads to macroscopic deformations of the specimen and as such the final configuration differs form the initial. Therefore, as with any manufacturing step, there is substantial interest in understanding and being able to model the sintering process to predict deformation and residual stress. Efforts in this regard have been pursued for face seals, gear wheels, and consumer productsmore » like wash-basins. To understand the sintering process, a variety of modeling approaches have been pursued at different scales.« less

  18. Enhanced Densification and Hardness of Titanium Bodies Sintered by Advanced Hydrogen Sintering Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oh, Jung-Min; Koo, Ja-Geon; Lim, Jae-Won

    2018-05-01

    A new sintering technique for enhancing a densification and hardness of sintered titanium body by supplying hydrogen was developed (Hydrogen Sintering Process, HSP). The HSP was developed by only injecting hydrogen into an argon atmosphere during the core time. As a result, sound titanium sintered bodies with high density and hardness were obtained by the HSP. In addition, a pore size and number of the HSP specimens were smaller than those of the argon atmosphere specimen. It was found that the injecting hydrogen into the argon atmosphere by HSP can prevent the formation of oxide layers, resulting in enhanced densification and hardness.

  19. Rapid sintering of anisotropic, nanograined Nd-Fe-B by flash-spark plasma sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Castle, Elinor; Sheridan, Richard; Grasso, Salvatore; Walton, Allan; Reece, Mike

    2016-11-01

    A Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) furnace was used to Flash-Sinter (FS) Nd-Fe-Dy-Co-B-Ga melt spun permanent magnetic material. During the 10 s "Flash" process (heating rate 2660 K min-1), sample sintering (to theoretical density) and deformation (54% height reduction) occurred. This produced texturing and significant magnetic anisotropy, comparable to conventional die-upset magnets; yet with much greater coercivities (>1600 kA m-1) due to the nanoscale characteristics of the plate-like sintered grains. These preliminary results suggest that Flash-SPS could provide a new processing route for the mass production of highly anisotropic, nanocrystalline magnetic materials with high coercivity.

  20. Solvent/non-solvent sintering: a novel route to create porous microsphere scaffolds for tissue regeneration.

    PubMed

    Brown, Justin L; Nair, Lakshmi S; Laurencin, Cato T

    2008-08-01

    Solvent/non-solvent sintering creates porous polymeric microsphere scaffolds suitable for tissue engineering purposes with control over the resulting porosity, average pore diameter, and mechanical properties. Five different biodegradable biocompatible polyphosphazenes exhibiting glass transition temperatures from -8 to 41 degrees C and poly (lactide-co-glycolide), (PLAGA) a degradable polymer used in a number of biomedical settings, were examined to study the versatility of the process and benchmark the process to heat sintering. Parameters such as: solvent/non-solvent sintering solution composition and submersion time effect the sintering process. PLAGA microsphere scaffolds fabricated with solvent/non-solvent sintering exhibited an interconnected porosity and pore size of 31.9% and 179.1 mum, respectively which was analogous to that of conventional heat sintered PLAGA microsphere scaffolds. Biodegradable polyphosphazene microsphere scaffolds exhibited a maximum interconnected porosity of 37.6% and a maximum compressive modulus of 94.3 MPa. Solvent/non-solvent sintering is an effective strategy for sintering polymeric microspheres, with a broad spectrum of glass transition temperatures, under ambient conditions making it an excellent fabrication route for developing tissue engineering scaffolds and drug delivery vehicles. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Solvent/Non-Solvent Sintering: A Novel Route to Create Porous Microsphere Scaffolds For Tissue Regeneration

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Justin L.; Nair, Lakshmi S.; Laurencin, Cato T.

    2009-01-01

    Solvent/non-solvent sintering creates porous polymeric microsphere scaffolds suitable for tissue engineering purposes with control over the resulting porosity, average pore diameter and mechanical properties. Five different biodegradable biocompatible polyphosphazenes exhibiting glass transition temperatures from −8°C to 41oC and poly(lactide-co-glycolide), (PLAGA) a degradable polymer used in a number of biomedical settings, were examined to study the versatility of the process and benchmark the process to heat sintering. Parameters such as: solvent/non-solvent sintering solution composition and submersion time effect the sintering process. PLAGA microsphere scaffolds fabricated with solvent/non-solvent sintering exhibited an interconnected porosity and pore size of 31.9% and 179.1µm respectively which was analogous to that of conventional heat sintered PLAGA microsphere scaffolds. Biodegradable polyphosphazene microsphere scaffolds exhibited a maximum interconnected porosity of 37.6% and a maximum compressive modulus of 94.3MPa. Solvent/non-solvent sintering is an effective strategy for sintering polymeric microspheres, with a broad spectrum of glass transition temperatures, under ambient conditions making it an excellent fabrication route for developing tissue engineering scaffolds and drug delivery vehicles. PMID:18161819

  2. Low-temperature sintered Li2(MnxTi1-x)O3 microwave dielectric ceramics with adjustable τf

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Cheng; Zhang, Huaiwu; Su, Hua; Li, Jie; Liao, Yulong; Jia, Lijun; Li, Yuanxun

    2017-12-01

    B2O3-Bi2O3-SiO2-ZnO (BBSZ) glass-modified Li2(MnxTi1-x)O3 ceramics were fabricated via a solid-state reaction route. Pure phase and dense crystal morphology were obtained at 900∘C. Suitable amount of Mn4+-ion substitution could adjust the τf value of the Li2(MnxTi1-x)O3 system to near zero. Among all of the Li2(MnxTi1-x)O3 samples, the sample with x = 0.9 (marked as BL9 in this paper) possessed good microwave dielectric properties: 𝜀r = 18, Q × f = 14,056 GHz (9.58 GHz) and τf = (+)2.43 ppm/∘C. It is suggested that the Li2(MnxTi1-x)O3 ceramic with BBSZ glass is a suitable low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) candidate for microwave applications.

  3. Sintering Behavior of Spark Plasma Sintered SiC with Si-SiC Composite Nanoparticles Prepared by Thermal DC Plasma Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Yeon-Tae; Naik, Gautam Kumar; Lim, Young-Bin; Yoon, Jeong-Mo

    2017-11-01

    The Si-coated SiC (Si-SiC) composite nanoparticle was prepared by non-transferred arc thermal plasma processing of solid-state synthesized SiC powder and was used as a sintering additive for SiC ceramic formation. Sintered SiC pellet was prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) process, and the effect of nano-sized Si-SiC composite particles on the sintering behavior of micron-sized SiC powder was investigated. The mixing ratio of Si-SiC composite nanoparticle to micron-sized SiC was optimized to 10 wt%. Vicker's hardness and relative density was increased with increasing sintering temperature and holding time. The relative density and Vicker's hardness was further increased by reaction bonding using additional activated carbon to the mixture of micron-sized SiC and nano-sized Si-SiC. The maximum relative density (97.1%) and Vicker's hardness (31.4 GPa) were recorded at 1800 °C sintering temperature for 1 min holding time, when 0.2 wt% additional activated carbon was added to the mixture of SiC/Si-SiC.

  4. New Polymer Materials for the Laser Sintering Process: Polypropylene and Others

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wegner, Andreas

    Laser sintering of polymers gets more and more importance for small series production. However, there is only a little number of materials available for the process. In most cases parts are build up using polyamide 12 or polyamide 11. Reasons for that are high prices, a restricted availability, poor mechanical part properties or an insufficient understanding of the processing of other materials. These problems result from the complex processing conditions in laser sintering with high requirements on the material's characteristics. Within this area, at the chair for manufacturing technology fundamental knowledge was established. Aim of the presented study was to qualify different polymers for the laser sintering process. Polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide 6, polyoxymethylene as well as polybutylene terephthalate were analyzed. Within the study problems of qualifying new materials are discussed using some examples. Furthermore, the processing conditions as well as mechanical properties of a new polypropylene compound are shown considering also different laser sintering machines.

  5. Synthesis of Highly Uniform and Compact Lithium Zinc Ferrite Ceramics via an Efficient Low Temperature Approach.

    PubMed

    Xu, Fang; Liao, Yulong; Zhang, Dainan; Zhou, Tingchuan; Li, Jie; Gan, Gongwen; Zhang, Huaiwu

    2017-04-17

    LiZn ferrite ceramics with high saturation magnetization (4πM s ) and low ferromagnetic resonance line widths (ΔH) represent a very critical class of material for microwave ferrite devices. Many existing approaches emphasize promotion of the grain growth (average size is 10-50 μm) of ferrite ceramics to improve the gyromagnetic properties at relatively low sintering temperatures. This paper describes a new strategy for obtaining uniform and compact LiZn ferrite ceramics (average grains size is ∼2 μm) with enhanced magnetic performance by suppressing grain growth in great detail. The LiZn ferrites with a formula of Li 0.415 Zn 0.27 Mn 0.06 Ti 0.1 Fe 2.155 O 4 were prepared by solid reaction routes with two new sintering strategies. Interestingly, results show that uniform, compact, and pure spinel ferrite ceramics were synthesized at a low temperature (∼850 °C) without obvious grain growth. We also find that a fast second sintering treatment (FSST) can further improve their gyromagnetic properties, such as higher 4πM s and lower ΔH. The two new strategies are facile and efficient for densification of LiZn ferrite ceramics via suppressing grain growth at low temperatures. The sintering strategy reported in this study also provides a referential experience for other ceramics, such as soft magnetism ferrite ceramics or dielectric ceramics.

  6. Energy-Saving Sintering of Electrically Conductive Powders by Modified Pulsed Electric Current Heating Using an Electrically Nonconductive Die

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ito, Mikio; Kawahara, Kenta; Araki, Keita

    2014-04-01

    Sintering of Cu and thermoelectric Ca3Co4O9 was tried using a modified pulsed electric current sintering (PECS) process, where an electrically nonconductive die was used instead of a conventional graphite die. The pulsed electric current flowed through graphite punches and sample powder, which caused the Joule heating of the powder compact itself, resulting in sintering under smaller power consumption. Especially for the Ca3Co4O9 powder, densification during sintering was also accelerated by this modified PECS process.

  7. Al2O3-TiC Composite Prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering Process: Evaluation of Mechanical and Tribological Properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Rohit; Chaubey, A. K.; Bathula, Sivaiah; Prashanth, K. G.; Dhar, Ajay

    2018-03-01

    Al2O3-10TiC composites were synthesized by spark plasma sintering (SPS) process. Microstructural and mechanical properties of the composite reveal homogeneous distribution of the fine TiC particles in the matrix. The samples were produced with different sintering temperature, and it shows that the hardness and density gradually increases with increasing sintering temperature. Abrasion wear test result reveals that the composite sintered at 1500 °C shows high abrasion resistance (wt. loss 0.016 g) and the lowest abrasion resistance was observed for the composite sample sintered at 1100 °C (wt. loss 1.459 g). The profilometry surface roughness study shows that sample sintered at 1100 °C shows maximum roughness ( R a = 6.53 µm) compared to the sample sintered at 1500 °C ( R a = 0.66 µm) corroborating the abrasion wear test results.

  8. Behavior of Oxide Film at Interface between Particles of Al-Mg Alloy Powder Compacts Prepared by Pulse Electric Current Sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Guoqiang; Ohashi, Osamu; Yamaguchi, Norio; Song, Minghui; Mitsuishi, Kazutaka; Furuya, Kazuo; Noda, Tetsuji

    2003-07-01

    Al-1.0 mass% Mg alloy powders were sintered using the pulse electric current sintering (PECS) process at various temperatures. The microstructure at the interfaces between powder particles and the effect of sintering temperature on interface characteristics were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The precipitates were observed at the interfaces between powder particles of the compacts. The amounts of the precipitates increased and the compositions changed with an increase in sintering temperature: MgO for the compact sintered at 613 K, MgAl2O4+MgO for those at 663 K and 713 K, and MgAl2O4 for those above 763 K. Comparing the results obtained by the PECS process with those of diffusion bonding experiments and thermodynamic calculation, it was suggested that the temperature at the interfaces between the particles was higher than that of the particles sintered by the PECS process.

  9. Sintering Theory and Practice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    German, Randall M.

    1996-01-01

    Although sintering is an essential process in the manufacture of ceramics and certain metals, as well as several other industrial operations, until now, no single book has treated both the background theory and the practical application of this complex and often delicate procedure. In Sintering Theory and Practice, leading researcher and materials engineer Randall M. German presents a comprehensive treatment of this subject that will be of great use to manufacturers and scientists alike. This practical guide to sintering considers the fact that while the bonding process improves strength and other engineering properties of the compacted material, inappropriate methods of control may lead to cracking, distortion, and other defects. It provides a working knowledge of sintering, and shows how to avoid problems while accounting for variables such as particle size, maximum temperature, time at that temperature, and other problems that may cause changes in processing. The book describes the fundamental atomic events that govern the transformation from particles to solid, covers all forms of the sintering process, and provides a summary of many actual production cycles. Building from the ground up, it begins with definitions and progresses to measurement techniques, easing the transition, especially for students, into advanced topics such as single-phase solid-state sintering, microstructure changes, the complications of mixed particles, and pressure-assisted sintering. German draws on some six thousand references to provide a coherent and lucid treatment of the subject, making scientific principles and practical applications accessible to both students and professionals. In the process, he also points out and avoids the pitfalls found in various competing theories, concepts, and mathematical disputes within the field. A unique opportunity to discover what sintering is all about--both in theory and in practice What is sintering? We see the end product of this thermal process all around us--in manufactured objects from metals, ceramics, polymers, and many compounds. From a vast professional literature, Sintering Theory and Practice emerges as the only comprehensive, systematic, and self-contained volume on the subject. Covering all aspects of sintering as a processing topic, including materials, processes, theories, and the overall state of the art, the book Offers numerous examples, illustrations, and tables that detail actual processing cycles, and that stress existing knowledge in the field Uses the specifics of various consolidation cycles to illustrate the basics Leads the reader from the fundamentals to advanced topics, without getting bogged down in various mathematical disputes over treatments and measurements Supports the discussion with critically selected references from thousands of sources Examines the sintering behavior of a wide variety of engineered materials--metals, alloys, oxide ceramics, composites, carbides, intermetallics, glasses, and polymers Guides the reader through the sintering processes for several important industrial materials and demonstrates how to control these processes effectively and improve present techniques Provides a helpful reference for specific information on materials, processing problems, and concepts For practitioners and researchers in ceramics, powder metallurgy, and other areas, and for students and faculty in materials science and engineering, this book provides the know-how and understanding crucial to many industrial operations, offers many ideas for further research, and suggests future applications of this important technology. This book offers an unprecedented opportunity to explore sintering in both practical and theoretical terms, whether at the lab or in real-world applications, and to acquire a broad, yet thorough, understanding of this important technology.

  10. Effects of Natural Rubber on Microwave Absorption Characteristics of Some Li-Ni-Zn Ferrite-Thermoplastic Natural Rubber Composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdul Hamid, Siti Atkah; Abdullah, Mustaffa Hj.; Ahmad, Sahrim Hj.; Mansor, Abdul Aziz; Yusoff, Ahmad Nazlim

    2002-09-01

    A microwave (Li0.5Fe0.5)0.4Ni0.3Zn0.3Fe2O4 (LNZ) ferrite was prepared by a conventional sintering method in air. Thermoplastic natural rubber (TPNR) was prepared from polypropylene (PP) and natural rubber (NR) in the ratios of 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50 and 40:60 with liquid natural rubber as a compatibilizer by a melt blending technique. LNZ ferrite-TPNR composites with 20 wt% ferrite filler were prepared using a Brabender plasticorder internal mixer. The microwave electromagnetic properties of the composites were studied in the frequency range of 0.3-13.5 GHz using a microwave vector network analyzer (MVNA). The real and imaginary components of the relative complex dielectric permittivity (\\varepsilonr*=\\varepsilonr\\prime-j\\varepsilonr\\prime\\prime) and magnetic permeability (μr*=μr\\prime-jμr\\prime\\prime) were calculated from the measured complex scattering parameters (S11* and S12*) using the Nicolson-Ross model. The dielectric and magnetic properties were found to depend on the NR and PP content in the composites. The minimum reflection loss (RL) under the matching conditions increases with increasing NR content.

  11. Low-Temperature Oxidation-Free Selective Laser Sintering of Cu Nanoparticle Paste on a Polymer Substrate for the Flexible Touch Panel Applications.

    PubMed

    Kwon, Jinhyeong; Cho, Hyunmin; Eom, Hyeonjin; Lee, Habeom; Suh, Young Duk; Moon, Hyunjin; Shin, Jaeho; Hong, Sukjoon; Ko, Seung Hwan

    2016-05-11

    Copper nanomaterials suffer from severe oxidation problem despite the huge cost effectiveness. The effect of two different processes for conventional tube furnace heating and selective laser sintering on copper nanoparticle paste is compared in the aspects of chemical, electrical and surface morphology. The thermal behavior of the copper thin films by furnace and laser is compared by SEM, XRD, FT-IR, and XPS analysis. The selective laser sintering process ensures low annealing temperature, fast processing speed with remarkable oxidation suppression even in air environment while conventional tube furnace heating experiences moderate oxidation even in Ar environment. Moreover, the laser-sintered copper nanoparticle thin film shows good electrical property and reduced oxidation than conventional thermal heating process. Consequently, the proposed selective laser sintering process can be compatible with plastic substrate for copper based flexible electronics applications.

  12. Flash (Ultra-Rapid) Spark-Plasma Sintering of Silicon Carbide

    PubMed Central

    Olevsky, Eugene A.; Rolfing, Stephen M.; Maximenko, Andrey L.

    2016-01-01

    A new ultra-rapid process of flash spark plasma sintering is developed. The idea of flash spark plasma sintering (or flash hot pressing - FHP) stems from the conducted theoretical analysis of the role of thermal runaway phenomena for material processing by flash sintering. The major purpose of the present study is to theoretically analyze the thermal runaway nature of flash sintering and to experimentally address the challenge of uncontrollable thermal conditions by the stabilization of the flash sintering process through the application of the external pressure. The effectiveness of the developed FHP technique is demonstrated by the few seconds–long consolidation of SiC powder in an industrial spark plasma sintering device. Specially designed sacrificial dies heat the pre-compacted SiC powder specimens to a critical temperature before applying any voltage to the powder volume and allowing the electrode-punches of the SPS device setup to contact the specimens and pass electric current through them under elevated temperatures. The experimental results demonstrate that flash sintering phenomena can be realized using conventional SPS devices. The usage of hybrid heating SPS devices is pointed out as the mainstream direction for the future studies and utilization of the new flash hot pressing (ultra-rapid spark plasma sintering) technique. PMID:27624641

  13. Flash (Ultra-Rapid) Spark-Plasma Sintering of Silicon Carbide

    DOE PAGES

    Olevsky, Eugene A.; Rolfing, Stephen M.; Maximenko, Andrey L.

    2016-09-14

    A new ultra-rapid process of flash spark plasma sintering is developed. The idea of flash spark plasma sintering (or flash hot pressing - FHP) stems from the conducted theoretical analysis of the role of thermal runaway phenomena for material processing by flash sintering. The major purpose of the present study is to theoretically analyze the thermal runaway nature of flash sintering and to experimentally address the challenge of uncontrollable thermal conditions by the stabilization of the flash sintering process through the application of the external pressure. The effectiveness of the developed FHP technique is demonstrated by the few seconds–long consolidationmore » of SiC powder in an industrial spark plasma sintering device. Specially designed sacrificial dies heat the pre-compacted SiC powder specimens to a critical temperature before applying any voltage to the powder volume and allowing the electrode-punches of the SPS device setup to contact the specimens and pass electric current through them under elevated temperatures. The experimental results demonstrate that flash sintering phenomena can be realized using conventional SPS devices. The usage of hybrid heating SPS devices is pointed out as the mainstream direction for the future studies and utilization of the new flash hot pressing (ultra-rapid spark plasma sintering) technique.« less

  14. Effects of Gd-Substitutions on the Microstructure, Electrical and Electromagnetic Behavior of M-Type Hexagonal Ferrites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmad, Ishtiaq; Ahmad, Mahmood; Ali, Ihsan; Kanwal, M.; Awan, M. S.; Mustafa, Ghulam; Ahmad, Mukhtar

    2015-07-01

    A series of Gd-substituted Ba-Co-based (M-type) hexaferrites having the chemical compositions of Ba0.5Co0.5Gd x Fe12- x O19 ( x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0) were prepared by co-precipitation method. The pellets formed by co-precipitated powder were calcined at a temperature of 1200°C for 20 h. Final sintering was done at 1320°C for 4 h. From the x-ray diffraction analysis, it was revealed that all the samples showed M-type hexagonal structure as a major phase. The scanning electron microscope was used to examine the morphology of the sintered ferrites. The average grain size estimated by the line intercept method was found to be in the range of 2.8-1.0 μm. The room temperature DC resistivity increases with increasing Gd-contents to make these ferrites useful for high frequency applications and microwave devices. Lower values of coercivity ( H c) and higher saturation magnetization ( M s) may be suitable to enhance the permeability of these ferrites, which is favorable for impedance matching in microwave absorption. In addition, reflection coefficients for a sample was also measured from a frequency of 1 MHz to 3 GHz and a reflection peak was observed at about 2.2 GHz.

  15. Mechanical and microstructural characterization of W–Cu FGM fabricated by one-step sintering method through PM route

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gupta, Rajat; Kumar, Rohit; Chaubey, A. K.; Kanpara, Shailesh; Khirwadkar, S. S.

    2018-03-01

    Five layer W-Cu functionally graded material (FGM) for components in nuclear fusion application was fabricated by a one-step resistance sintering process, known as spark plasma sintering (SPS). In this study effect of sintering temperature (Ts) on physical, mechanical and surface property was investigated. Detailed microstructural study revealed that the graded structure of the composite layers with varying composition from 0 to 100 wt% W and Cu in opposite directions could be well densified after the SPS process. It also indicates that the fine microstructure within functionally graded layers can be maintained because of short sintering time. The sample sintered at 1050°C shows more than 90% theoretical density, hardness greater than 239±5 Hv and excellent surface scratch resistance. The result demonstrates that SPS is promising and more suitable process for fabrication of W-Cu FGM.

  16. Effect of temperature on porosity of iron ore sinter with biochar derived from EFB

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Purwanto, H.; Rozhan, A. N.; Zakiyuddin, A.; Mohamad, A. S.

    2018-01-01

    In this research, the replacement of fossil fuel energy (coke) with oil palm empty fruit bunch as a potential energy in sintering of iron ore was investigated. Carbon derived biomass has been produced by using oil palm empty fruit bunch by heat treatment process. In the present investigation, sintering process was carried out by heating the mixed iron ore and biochar at various temperatures. The apparent density and porosity for iron sinter show a significant increase and gradual decrement as the temperature increase, respectively. The porosity of iron sinter shows a gradual decrement from 950 °C to 1050 °C but up to 1150 °C it shows a significant decrement about 44%. Inferring to the micrograph, the agglomeration and assimilation of sinter at high temperature is better compared with low sintering temperature.

  17. Reflow-oven-processing of pressureless sintered-silver interconnects

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wereszczak, Andrew A.; Chen, Branndon R.; Oistad, Brian A.

    Here, a method was developed to pressurelessly fabricate strong and consistent sinterable-silver joints or interconnects using reflow oven heating. Circular sinterable-silver interconnects, having nominal diameter of 5 mm and 0.1 mm thickness were stencil printed, contact-dried, and then pressurelessly sinter-bonded to Au-plated direct copper bonded ceramic substrates at 250 °C in ambient air. That sintering was done in either a reflow oven or a convective oven (latter being a conventional heating source for processing sinterable-silver). Consistently strong (>40 MPa) interconnects were produced with reflow oven heating and were as strong as those produced with convective oven heating. This is significantmore » because reflow oven technology affords better potential for continuous mass production and it was shown that strong sintered-silver bonds can indeed be achieved with its use.« less

  18. Reflow-oven-processing of pressureless sintered-silver interconnects

    DOE PAGES

    Wereszczak, Andrew A.; Chen, Branndon R.; Oistad, Brian A.

    2018-01-04

    Here, a method was developed to pressurelessly fabricate strong and consistent sinterable-silver joints or interconnects using reflow oven heating. Circular sinterable-silver interconnects, having nominal diameter of 5 mm and 0.1 mm thickness were stencil printed, contact-dried, and then pressurelessly sinter-bonded to Au-plated direct copper bonded ceramic substrates at 250 °C in ambient air. That sintering was done in either a reflow oven or a convective oven (latter being a conventional heating source for processing sinterable-silver). Consistently strong (>40 MPa) interconnects were produced with reflow oven heating and were as strong as those produced with convective oven heating. This is significantmore » because reflow oven technology affords better potential for continuous mass production and it was shown that strong sintered-silver bonds can indeed be achieved with its use.« less

  19. Sintering Behavior of Spark Plasma Sintered SiC with Si-SiC Composite Nanoparticles Prepared by Thermal DC Plasma Process.

    PubMed

    Yu, Yeon-Tae; Naik, Gautam Kumar; Lim, Young-Bin; Yoon, Jeong-Mo

    2017-11-25

    The Si-coated SiC (Si-SiC) composite nanoparticle was prepared by non-transferred arc thermal plasma processing of solid-state synthesized SiC powder and was used as a sintering additive for SiC ceramic formation. Sintered SiC pellet was prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) process, and the effect of nano-sized Si-SiC composite particles on the sintering behavior of micron-sized SiC powder was investigated. The mixing ratio of Si-SiC composite nanoparticle to micron-sized SiC was optimized to 10 wt%. Vicker's hardness and relative density was increased with increasing sintering temperature and holding time. The relative density and Vicker's hardness was further increased by reaction bonding using additional activated carbon to the mixture of micron-sized SiC and nano-sized Si-SiC. The maximum relative density (97.1%) and Vicker's hardness (31.4 GPa) were recorded at 1800 °C sintering temperature for 1 min holding time, when 0.2 wt% additional activated carbon was added to the mixture of SiC/Si-SiC.

  20. Effect of Annealing Time of YAG:Ce3+ Phosphor on White Light Chromaticity Values

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abd, Husnen R.; Hassan, Z.; Ahmed, Naser M.; Almessiere, Munirah Abdullah; Omar, A. F.; Alsultany, Forat H.; Sabah, Fayroz A.; Osman, Ummu Shuhada

    2018-02-01

    Yttrium and aluminium nitrate phosphors doped with cerium nitrate and mixed with urea (fuel) are prepared by using microwave-induced combustion synthesis according to the formula Y(3-0.06)Al5O12:0.06Ce3+ (YAG:Ce3+) to produce white light emitting diodes by conversion from blue indium gallium nitride-light emitting diode chips. The sintering time with fixed temperature (1050°C) for phosphor powder was optimized and found to be 5 h. The crystallinity, structure, chemical composition, luminescent properties with varying currents densities and chromaticity were characterized by x-ray diffraction, field emission-scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, photoluminescence emission, electroluminescence and standard CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram, respectively. The energy levels of Ce3+ in YAG were discussed based on its absorption and excitation spectra. The results show that the obtained YAG:Ce3+ phosphor sintered for 5 h has good crystallinity with pure phase, low agglomerate with spherical shaped particles and strong yellow emission, offering cool-white LED with tuneable correlated color temperature and a good color rendering index compared to those prepared by sintering for 2 h and as-prepared phosphor powders.

  1. Magnetic and dielectric characterization of Co{sub 0.9}Ni{sub 0.1}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} prepared by hydroxide co-precipitation method

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mane, S. M., E-mail: manesagar99@gmail.com; Vijaysingh Mohite Patil Mahavidyalaya Natepute, Solapur-413109; Tirmali, P. M., E-mail: pravintirmali@gmail.com

    2016-04-13

    Co{sub 1–x} Ni{sub x}Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} (where x=0.1) were prepared by using the hydroxide co-precipitation method. An obtained precipitate was sintered at 1100°C by microwave sintering technique. The structural analysis confirms the single-phase cubic spinel structure with Fd-3m space group. The magnetic characterization was carried out at temperature 300K.Saturation magnetisation and coercivity is 77.22 and 908 Oe. Irreversibility is observed between the ZFC and FC curves at 100 Oe. The variation in the dielectric constant and loss tangent are studied at room temperature with increasing frequency. Continues decrease in the the dielectric constant with increasing frequency shows inverse dependence onmore » frequency. Morphological and elemental studies were done by using the scanning electron microscope with EDAX.« less

  2. Densification behavior, nanocrystallization, and mechanical properties of spark plasma sintered Fe-based bulk amorphous alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Ashish Kumar

    Fe-based amorphous alloys are gaining increasing attention due to their exceptional wear and corrosion resistance for potential structural applications. Two major challenges that are hindering the commercialization of these amorphous alloys are difficulty in processing of bulk shapes (diameter > 10 mm) and lack of ductility. Spark plasma sintering (SPS) is evolving as a promising technique for processing bulk shapes of amorphous and nanocrystalline materials. The objective of this work is to investigate densification behavior, nanocrystallization, and mechanical properties of SPS sintered Fe-based amorphous alloys of composition Fe48Cr15Mo14Y2C15B6. SPS processing was performed in three distinct temperature ranges of amorphous alloys: (a) below glass transition temperature (Tg), (b) between Tg and crystallization temperature (Tx), and (c) above Tx. Punch displacement data obtained during SPS sintering was correlated with the SPS processing parameters such as temperature, pressure, and sintering time. Powder rearrangement, plastic deformation below T g, and viscous flow of the material between Tg and Tx were observed as the main densification stages during SPS sintering. Micro-scale temperature distributions at the point of contact and macro-scale temperature distribution throughout the sample during SPS of amorphous alloys were modeled. The bulk amorphous alloys are expected to undergo structural relaxation and nanocrystallization during SPS sintering. X-ray diffraction (XRD), small angle neutron scattering (SANS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was performed to investigate the evolution of nanocrystallites in SPS sintered Fe-based bulk amorphous alloys. The SANS analysis showed significant scattering for the samples sintered in the supercooled region indicating local structural and compositional changes with the profuse nucleation of nano-clusters (~4 nm). Compression tests and microhardness were performed on the samples sintered at different temperatures ranging from 570 °C to 800 °C. Maximum compression strength (1.1+/-0.2 MPa) was obtained for the samples sintered in the supercooled region. Effects of crystallization on tribological behavior of sintered samples were also investigated where crystallization resulted in increase in wear resistance. Laser surface hardening of SPS sintered amorphous samples were performed. Depending on the processing parameters, the laser surface irradiation causes structural relaxation and nanocrystallization, resulting in surface hardening.

  3. Development of a sintering process for recycling oil shale fly ash and municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash into glass ceramic composite.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Zhikun; Zhang, Lei; Li, Aimin

    2015-04-01

    Oil shale fly ash and municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash are industrial and municipal by-products that require further treatment before disposal to avoid polluting the environment. In the study, they were mixed and vitrified into the slag by the melt-quench process. The obtained vitrified slag was then mixed with various percentages of oil shale fly ash and converted into glass ceramic composites by the subsequent sintering process. Differential thermal analysis was used to study the thermal characteristics and determine the sintering temperatures. X-ray diffraction analysis was used to analyze the crystalline phase compositions. Sintering shrinkage, weight loss on ignition, density and compressive strength were tested to determine the optimum preparation condition and study the co-sintering mechanism of vitrified amorphous slag and oil shale fly ash. The results showed the product performances increased with the increase of sintering temperatures and the proportion of vitrified slag to oil shale fly ash. Glass ceramic composite (vitrified slag content of 80%, oil shale fly ash content of 20%, sintering temperature of 1000 °C and sintering time of 2h) showed the properties of density of 1.92 ± 0.05 g/cm(3), weight loss on ignition of 6.14 ± 0.18%, sintering shrinkage of 22.06 ± 0.6% and compressive strength of 67 ± 14 MPa. The results indicated that it was a comparable waste-based material compared to previous researches. In particular, the energy consumption in the production process was reduced compared to conventional vitrification and sintering method. Chemical resistance and heavy metals leaching results of glass ceramic composites further confirmed the possibility of its engineering applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Stress-dislocation interaction mechanism in low-temperature thermo-compression sintering of Ag NPs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Fuliang; Tang, Zikai; He, Hu

    2018-04-01

    The sintering of metal nanoparticles (NPs) has been widely studied in the field of nanotechnology, and low-temperature sintering has become the industry standard. In this study, a molecular dynamics (MD) model was established to study the sintering behaviour of silver NPs during low-temperature thermo-compression. Primarily, we studied the sintering process, in which the ratio of neck radius to particle radius (x/r) changes. Under a uniaxial pressure, the maximum ratio in the temperature range 420-425 K was 1. According to the change of x/r, the process can be broken down into three stages: the neck-formation stage, neck-growth stage, and neck-stability stage. In addition, the relationship between potential energy, internal stress, and dislocation density during sintering is discussed. The results showed that cycling internal stress played an important role in sintering. Under the uniaxial pressure, the stress-dislocation interaction was found to be the major mechanism for thermo-compression sintering because the plastic deformation product dislocation intensified the diffusion of atoms. Also, the displacement vector, the mean square displacement, and the changing crystal structure during sintering were studied.

  5. Effect of surface oxide films on the properties of pulse electric-current sintered metal powders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Guoqiang; Ohashi, Osamu; Yamaguchi, Norio; Wang, Airu

    2003-11-01

    Metallic powders with various thermodynamic stability oxide films (Ag, Cu, and Al powders) were sintered using a pulse electric-current sintering (PECS) process. Behavior of oxide films at powder surfaces and their effect on the sintering properties were investigated. The results showed that the sintering properties of metallic powders in the PECS process were subject to the thermodynamic stability of oxide films at particles surfaces. The oxide films at Ag powder surfaces are decomposed during sintering with the contact region between the particles being metal/metal bond. The oxide films at Cu powder surfaces are mainly broken via loading pressure at a low sintering temperature. At a high sintering temperature, they are mainly dissolved in the parent metal, and the contact regions turn into the direct metal/metal bonding. Excellent sintering properties can be received. The oxide films at Al powder surfaces are very stable, and cannot be decomposed and dissolved, but broken by plastic deformation of particles under loading pressure at experimental temperatures. The interface between particles is partially bonded via the direct metal/metal bonding making it difficult to achieve good sintered properties.

  6. Enhanced thermal conductivity of uranium dioxide-silicon carbide composite fuel pellets prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yeo, S.; Mckenna, E.; Baney, R.; Subhash, G.; Tulenko, J.

    2013-02-01

    Uranium dioxide (UO2)-10 vol% silicon carbide (SiC) composite fuel pellets were produced by oxidative sintering and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) at a range of temperatures from 1400 to 1600 °C. Both SiC whiskers and SiC powder particles were utilized. Oxidative sintering was employed over 4 h and the SPS sintering was employed only for 5 min at the highest hold temperature. It was noted that composite pellets sintered by SPS process revealed smaller grain size, reduced formation of chemical products, higher density, and enhanced interfacial contact compared to the pellets made by oxidative sintering. For given volume of SiC, the pellets with powder particles yielded a smaller grain size than pellets with SiC whiskers. Finally thermal conductivity measurements at 100 °C, 500 °C, and 900 °C revealed that SPS sintered UO2-SiC composites exhibited an increase of up to 62% in thermal conductivity compared to UO2 pellets, while the oxidative sintered composite pellets revealed significantly inferior thermal conductivity values. The current study points to the improved processing capabilities of SPS compared to oxidative sintering of UO2-SiC composites.

  7. Borax as flux on sintering of iron Ancor Steel 1000® under glow discharge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ariza Suarez, H. G.; Sarmiento Santos, A.; Ortiz Otálora, C. A.

    2016-02-01

    This work studies the flux effect of borax (di sodium tetraborate decahydrate) on sintering of iron Ancor Steel 1000® in abnormal glow discharge. The incidence of the percentage by weight of borax and the sintering temperature in the process were observed. Samples of powder metallurgical iron were prepared with proportions of 0.50%, 2.0%, 4.0% and 6.0% by weight of borax using the procedures of powder metallurgy. The samples were sintered at 800 and 1100°C for 30min, by glow discharge at low pressure in a reducing atmosphere composed of 20% H2+80% Ar. The samples in compact green-state were analyzed by TGA-DSC to determine the fusion process and mass loss during sintering. The analysis of microhardness and density, shows that at a sintering temperature of 800°C the sample density decreases and the sample microhardness increases with respect to sintered samples without borax. Sintered samples were analysed by DRX showing the absence of precipitates.

  8. Estimation of Sintering Kinetics of Oxidized Magnetite Pellet Using Optical Dilatometer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sandeep Kumar, T. K.; Viswanathan, Neelakantan Nurni; Ahmed, Hesham M.; Andersson, Charlotte; Björkman, Bo

    2015-04-01

    The quality of magnetite pellet is primarily determined by the physico-chemical changes the pellet undergoes as it makes excursion through the gaseous and thermal environment in the induration furnace. Among these physico-chemical processes, the oxidation of magnetite phase and the sintering of oxidized magnetite (hematite) and magnetite (non-oxidized) phases are vital. Rates of these processes not only depend on the thermal and gaseous environment the pellet gets exposed in the induration reactor but also interdependent on each other. Therefore, a systematic study should involve understanding these processes in isolation to the extent possible and quantify them seeking the physics. With this motivation, the present paper focusses on investigating the sintering kinetics of oxidized magnetite pellet. For the current investigation, sintering experiments were carried out on pellets containing more than 95 pct magnetite concentrate from LKAB's mine, dried and oxidized to completion at sufficiently low temperature to avoid sintering. The sintering behavior of this oxidized pellet is quantified through shrinkage captured by Optical Dilatometer. The extent of sintering characterized by sintering ratio found to follow a power law with time i.e., Kt n . The rate constant K for sintering was determined for different temperatures from isothermal experiments. The rate constant, K, varies with temperature as and the activation energy ( Q) and reaction rate constant ( K') are estimated. Further, the sintering kinetic equation was also extended to a non-isothermal environment and validated using laboratory experiments.

  9. [Application of sintered Ti powder to dental prostheses].

    PubMed

    Hikosaka, Tatsuya; Tanaka, Yoshinobu; Hoshiai, Kazumoto; Kanazawa, Takeshi; Nakamura, Yoshinori; Tsuda, Kenji; Ohasi, Hideya

    2005-04-01

    Powder metallurgy is a metal processing technology. Porous titanium produced from powder is widely used. The method is applied to titanium, which is not easy to cast as it sinters under melting point. In prosthetic dentistry, powder metallurgy can be applied to high fusing metal that is biocompatible. In this study, we examined the mechanical characteristics of the Ti sheet produced by sintering and discussed its application to dental prosthesis manufacturing. Ti sheets of 1-mm thickness, in which a binder was added to spherical Ti powder, were produced with the Doctor Blade Method. The sintering was carried out between 900-1150 degrees C at 6 temperatures. The sintered compact was evaluated by dimensional change rate, hardness test, bending strength, tensile strength and SEM observation. Another compact was sintered on the refractory cast. Mechanical strength significantly increased with sintering temperature. In addition, excellent mechanical strength was acquired by adding crushed powder and performing the de-binder process. In the sintering on the refractory cast, pre-baking for more than 100 minutes and sintering at over 1050 degrees C was needed for practical application. It thus seems possible to apply sintered titanium to dental prostheses. However, it will be necessary to examine the control of the shrinkage of the sintered compact in the future too.

  10. Accelerated sintering in phase-separating nanostructured alloys

    PubMed Central

    Park, Mansoo; Schuh, Christopher A.

    2015-01-01

    Sintering of powders is a common means of producing bulk materials when melt casting is impossible or does not achieve a desired microstructure, and has long been pursued for nanocrystalline materials in particular. Acceleration of sintering is desirable to lower processing temperatures and times, and thus to limit undesirable microstructure evolution. Here we show that markedly enhanced sintering is possible in some nanocrystalline alloys. In a nanostructured W–Cr alloy, sintering sets on at a very low temperature that is commensurate with phase separation to form a Cr-rich phase with a nanoscale arrangement that supports rapid diffusional transport. The method permits bulk full density specimens with nanoscale grains, produced during a sintering cycle involving no applied stress. We further show that such accelerated sintering can be evoked by design in other nanocrystalline alloys, opening the door to a variety of nanostructured bulk materials processed in arbitrary shapes from powder inputs. PMID:25901420

  11. Ice sintering timescales at the surface of Europa and implications for surface properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Phillips, C. B.; Molaro, J.; Meirion-Griffith, G.

    2017-12-01

    The planned exploration of Europa by NASA's Europa Clipper Mission and the possibility of a future Europa lander have driven the need to characterize its surface strength, roughness, porosity, thermal conductivity, and regolith depth in order to accurately interpret remote sensing data and develop appropriate spacecraft landing systems. Many processes contribute to Europa's landscape evolution, such as sputtering, mass wasting, thermal segregation, and impact gardening, driving the creation and distribution of icy regolith across the surface. While the efficacy of these processes are not well constrained, any amount of regolith emplaced at the surface will undergo subsequent processing due to sintering. Ice sintering is a form of frost metamorphism whereby contacting ice grains experience the diffusion of material into their contact region, forming a "neck" between them and densifying over time. Over long enough timescales, ice aggregates will sinter into solid material, which may contribute to the incorporation of non-ice material into Europa's subsurface and help to drive subsurface chemistry. Sintering also interacts with other processes, adding to the complexity of icy surface evolution. For example, sputtering preferentially removes larger grains and may enhance sintering rates, and changes in ice porosity may affect the response of the surface to micrometeorite impacts. Quantifying the effects of ice sintering will allow us to predict the microstructural properties of Europa's surface at spacecraft scales. To this end, we have modeled pressure-less (no overburden) sintering of spherical water-ice grains and validated the results with a laboratory experiment. We also modeled ice at the surface of Europa to obtain a first-order approximation of the sintering timescale and surface properties. Preliminary results indicate that ice grains will experience neck growth but not significant densification over Europa's surface age, suggesting that loose surface ice forms a weak and porous crust. Furthermore, our results suggest that existing models do not accurately quantify all stages of the sintering process for ice, emphasizing the need for more laboratory studies on this topic.

  12. Optimization of Sinter Plant Operating Conditions Using Advanced Multivariate Statistics: Intelligent Data Processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernández-González, Daniel; Martín-Duarte, Ramón; Ruiz-Bustinza, Íñigo; Mochón, Javier; González-Gasca, Carmen; Verdeja, Luis Felipe

    2016-08-01

    Blast furnace operators expect to get sinter with homogenous and regular properties (chemical and mechanical), necessary to ensure regular blast furnace operation. Blends for sintering also include several iron by-products and other wastes that are obtained in different processes inside the steelworks. Due to their source, the availability of such materials is not always consistent, but their total production should be consumed in the sintering process, to both save money and recycle wastes. The main scope of this paper is to obtain the least expensive iron ore blend for the sintering process, which will provide suitable chemical and mechanical features for the homogeneous and regular operation of the blast furnace. The systematic use of statistical tools was employed to analyze historical data, including linear and partial correlations applied to the data and fuzzy clustering based on the Sugeno Fuzzy Inference System to establish relationships among the available variables.

  13. Sintering activation energy MoSi2-WSi2-Si3N4 ceramic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Titov, D. D.; Lysenkov, A. S.; Kargin, Yu F.; Frolova, M. G.; Gorshkov, V. A.; Perevislov, S. N.

    2018-04-01

    The activation energy of sintering process was calculated based on dilatometric studies of shrinkage processes (Mo,W)Si2 + Si3N4 composite ceramic. (Mo,W)Si2 powders was obtained by solid-phase solutions of 70 wt% MoSi2 and 30 wt% WSi2 by SHS in the ISMAN RAS. The concentration rate Si3N4 was from 1 to 15 wt.%. The sintering was carried out to 1850°C in Ar atmosphere the heating rate of 5, 10, 12 and 15°C/min by the way of dilatometer tests. Based on the differential kinetic analysis method (Friedman’s method), the sintering process activation energy of (Mo,W)Si2 + Si3N4 were calculated. The two-stage sintering process and the dependence of the activation energy on the Si3N4 content was shown. Average value of 370 kJ/mol for Q was obtained.

  14. Temperature compensation effects of TiO2 on Ca[(Li1/3Nb2/3)0.8Sn0.2]O3-δ microwave dielectric ceramic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Mingzhe; Wei, Huanghe; Xiao, Lihua; Zhang, Kesheng; Hao, Yongde

    2017-10-01

    The crystal structure and dielectric properties of TiO2-modified Ca[(Li1/3Nb2/3)0.8Sn0.2]O3-δ microwave ceramics are investigated in the present paper. The crystal structure is probed by XRD patterns and their Rietveld refinement, results show that a single perovskite phase is formed in TiO2-modified Ca[(Li1/3Nb2/3)0.8Sn0.2]O3-δ ceramics with the crystal structure belonging to the orthorhombic Pbnm 62 space group. Raman spectra results indicate that the B-site order-disorder structure transition is a key point to the dielectric loss of TiO2-modified Ca[(Li1/3Nb2/3)0.8Sn0.2]O3-δ ceramics at microwave frequencies. After properly modified by TiO2, the large negative temperature coefficient of Ca[(Li1/3Nb2/3)0.8Sn0.2]O3-δ ceramic can be compensated and the optimal microwave dielectric properties can reach 𝜀r = 25.66, Qf = 18,894 GHz and TCF = -6.3 ppm/∘C when sintered at 1170∘C for 2.5 h, which manifests itself for potential use in microwave dielectric devices for modern wireless communication.

  15. Sintering of MSW fly ash for reuse as a concrete aggregate.

    PubMed

    Mangialardi, T

    2001-10-12

    The sintering process of municipal solid waste (MSW) fly ash was investigated in order to manufacture sintered products for reuse as concrete aggregates. Four types of fly ash resulting from different Italian MSW incineration plants were tested in this study. A modification of the chemical composition of MSW fly ash--through a preliminary four-stage washing treatment of this material with water--was attempted to improve the chemical and mechanical characteristics of sintered products.The sintering treatment of untreated or washed fly ash was performed on cylindrical compact specimens (15 mm in diameter and 20mm in height) at different compact pressures, sintering temperatures and times.The sintering process of untreated MSW fly ashes proved to be ineffective for manufacturing sintered products for reuse as a construction material, because of the adverse chemical characteristics of these fly ashes in terms of sulfate, chloride, and vitrifying oxide contents.A preliminary washing treatment of MSW fly ash with water greatly improved the chemical and mechanical characteristics of sintered products and, for all the types of fly ash tested, the sintered products satisfied the Italian requirements for normal weight aggregates for use in concretes having a specified strength not greater than 12 and 15N/mm(2), when measured on cylindrical and cubic specimens, respectively.A compact pressure of 28 N/mm(2), a sintering temperature of 1140 degrees C, and a sintering time of 60 min were the best operating conditions for manufacturing sintered products of washed MSW fly ash.

  16. Radiation-Thermal Sintering of Zirconia Powder Compacts Under Conditions of Bilateral Heating Using Beams of Low-Energy Electrons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghyngazov, S. A.; Frangulyan, T. S.; Chernyavskii, A. V.; Goreev, A. K.; Naiden, E. P.

    2015-06-01

    Comparative experiments on sintering zirconia ceramics are performed using colliding beams of low-energy electrons and under conditions of thermal heating. The density and microhardness of ceramic materials manufactured via different processes are determined. The use of a regime of bilateral heating by high-intensity,low-energy electron beams is shown to intensify the sintering process and yield material specimens with improved characteristics compared to those formed by thermal sintering.

  17. Development of a sintering process for recycling oil shale fly ash and municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash into glass ceramic composite

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Zhikun; Zhang, Lei; Li, Aimin, E-mail: leeam@dlut.edu.cn

    Highlights: • Glass ceramic composite is prepared from oil shale fly ash and MSWI bottom ash. • A novel method for the production of glass ceramic composite is presented. • It provides simple route and lower energy consumption in terms of recycling waste. • The vitrified slag can promote the sintering densification process of glass ceramic. • The performances of products decrease with the increase of oil shale fly ash content. - Abstract: Oil shale fly ash and municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash are industrial and municipal by-products that require further treatment before disposal to avoid polluting the environment.more » In the study, they were mixed and vitrified into the slag by the melt-quench process. The obtained vitrified slag was then mixed with various percentages of oil shale fly ash and converted into glass ceramic composites by the subsequent sintering process. Differential thermal analysis was used to study the thermal characteristics and determine the sintering temperatures. X-ray diffraction analysis was used to analyze the crystalline phase compositions. Sintering shrinkage, weight loss on ignition, density and compressive strength were tested to determine the optimum preparation condition and study the co-sintering mechanism of vitrified amorphous slag and oil shale fly ash. The results showed the product performances increased with the increase of sintering temperatures and the proportion of vitrified slag to oil shale fly ash. Glass ceramic composite (vitrified slag content of 80%, oil shale fly ash content of 20%, sintering temperature of 1000 °C and sintering time of 2 h) showed the properties of density of 1.92 ± 0.05 g/cm{sup 3}, weight loss on ignition of 6.14 ± 0.18%, sintering shrinkage of 22.06 ± 0.6% and compressive strength of 67 ± 14 MPa. The results indicated that it was a comparable waste-based material compared to previous researches. In particular, the energy consumption in the production process was reduced compared to conventional vitrification and sintering method. Chemical resistance and heavy metals leaching results of glass ceramic composites further confirmed the possibility of its engineering applications.« less

  18. Hybrid processing and anisotropic sintering shrinkage in textured ZnO ceramics

    PubMed Central

    Keskinbora, Kahraman; Suzuki, Tohru S; Ozgur Ozer, I; Sakka, Yoshio; Suvaci, Ender

    2010-01-01

    We have studied the combined effects of the templated grain growth and magnetic alignment processes on sintering, anisotropic sintering shrinkage, microstructure development and texture in ZnO ceramics. Suspensions of 0–10 vol % ZnO template particles were slip cast in a 12 T rotating magnetic field. Sintering and texture characteristics were investigated via thermomechanical analysis and electron backscatter diffraction, respectively. Sintering as well as texture characteristics depend on template concentration. For the studied ZnO system, there is a critical template concentration (2 vol % in this study) above which densification is limited by the templates owing to constrained sintering. Below this limit, the densification is enhanced and the anisotropic shrinkage is reduced, which is attributed to densifying characteristics of the templates. PMID:27877373

  19. Advanced Ceramic Technology for Space Applications at NASA MSFC

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alim, Mohammad A.

    2003-01-01

    The ceramic processing technology using conventional methods is applied to the making of the state-of-the-art ceramics known as smart ceramics or intelligent ceramics or electroceramics. The sol-gel and wet chemical processing routes are excluded in this investigation considering economic aspect and proportionate benefit of the resulting product. The use of ceramic ingredients in making coatings or devices employing vacuum coating unit is also excluded in this investigation. Based on the present information it is anticipated that the conventional processing methods provide identical performing ceramics when compared to that processed by the chemical routes. This is possible when sintering temperature, heating and cooling ramps, peak temperature (sintering temperature), soak-time (hold-time), etc. are considered as variable parameters. In addition, optional calcination step prior to the sintering operation remains as a vital variable parameter. These variable parameters constitute a sintering profile to obtain a sintered product. Also it is possible to obtain identical products for more than one sintering profile attributing to the calcination step in conjunction with the variables of the sintering profile. Overall, the state-of-the-art ceramic technology is evaluated for potential thermal and electrical insulation coatings, microelectronics and integrated circuits, discrete and integrated devices, etc. applications in the space program.

  20. Enery Efficient Press and Sinter of Titanium Powder for Low-Cost Components in Vehicle Applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thomas Zwitter; Phillip Nash; Xiaoyan Xu

    2011-03-31

    This is the final technical report for the Department of Energy NETL project NT01931 Energy Efficient Press and Sinter of Titanium Powder for Low-Cost Components in Vehicle Applications. Titanium has been identified as one of the key materials with the required strength that can reduce the weight of automotive components and thereby reduce fuel consumption. Working with newly developed sources of titanium powder, Webster-Hoff will develop the processing technology to manufacture low cost vehicle components using the single press/single sinter techniques developed for iron based powder metallurgy today. Working with an automotive or truck manufacturer, Webster-Hoff will demonstrate the feasibilitymore » of manufacturing a press and sinter titanium component for a vehicle application. The project objective is two-fold, to develop the technology for manufacturing press and sinter titanium components, and to demonstrate the feasibility of producing a titanium component for a vehicle application. The lowest cost method for converting metal powder into a net shape part is the Powder Metallurgy Press and Sinter Process. The method involves compaction of the metal powder in a tool (usually a die and punches, upper and lower) at a high pressure (up to 60 TSI or 827 MPa) to form a green compact with the net shape of the final component. The powder in the green compact is held together by the compression bonds between the powder particles. The sinter process then converts the green compact to a metallurgically bonded net shape part through the process of solid state diffusion. The goal of this project is to expand the understanding and application of press and sinter technology to Titanium Powder applications, developing techniques to manufacture net shape Titanium components via the press and sinter process. In addition, working with a vehicle manufacturer, demonstrate the feasibility of producing a titanium component for a vehicle. This is not a research program, but rather a project to develop a process for press and sinter of net shape Titanium components. All of these project objectives have been successfully completed.« less

  1. Heat treatment effects on dielectric properties of SRFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} hexaferrite prepared by an SHS route

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Panchal, Nital R.; Jotania, Rajshree B., E-mail: natal_panchal@yahoo.co.in, E-mail: rbjotania@gmail.com

    2011-07-01

    The M-type Strontium Hexaferrite SRFe{sub 12}O{sub 19} particles were prepared by a Self propagating High temperature Synthesis (SHS) route. Precursors were heated under two different conditions: microwave heating for 30 minutes and sintered at 950 deg C for 4 hrs. The dielectric properties: dielectric constant ({epsilon}{sup '}), dielectric loss (tan {delta} ) and ac conductivity ({sigma}{sub ac}) were measured at room temperature in the frequency range from 100 Hz to 2 MHz. The samples present a non-linear behavior for the dielectric constant at 1 kHz, 100 kHz and 2 MHz. The dielectric properties of prepared Strontium Hexaferrite samples were discussedmore » in view of applications as a material for microwave devices, permanent magnets and high density magnetic recording media. (author)« less

  2. Removable partial denture alloys processed by laser-sintering technique.

    PubMed

    Alageel, Omar; Abdallah, Mohamed-Nur; Alsheghri, Ammar; Song, Jun; Caron, Eric; Tamimi, Faleh

    2018-04-01

    Removable partial dentures (RPDs) are traditionally made using a casting technique. New additive manufacturing processes based on laser sintering has been developed for quick fabrication of RPDs metal frameworks at low cost. The objective of this study was to characterize the mechanical, physical, and biocompatibility properties of RPD cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) alloys produced by two laser-sintering systems and compare them to those prepared using traditional casting methods. The laser-sintered Co-Cr alloys were processed by the selective laser-sintering method (SLS) and the direct metal laser-sintering (DMLS) method using the Phenix system (L-1) and EOS system (L-2), respectively. L-1 and L-2 techniques were 8 and 3.5 times more precise than the casting (CC) technique (p < 0.05). Co-Cr alloys processed by L-1 and L-2 showed higher (p < 0.05) hardness (14-19%), yield strength (10-13%), and fatigue resistance (71-72%) compared to CC alloys. This was probably due to their smaller grain size and higher microstructural homogeneity. All Co-Cr alloys exhibited low porosity (2.1-3.3%); however, pore distribution was more homogenous in L-1 and L-2 alloys when compared to CC alloys. Both laser-sintered and cast alloys were biocompatible. In conclusion, laser-sintered alloys are more precise and present better mechanical and fatigue properties than cast alloys for RPDs. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 1174-1185, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Effects of the addition of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash on the behavior of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans in the iron ore sintering process.

    PubMed

    Min, Yi; Liu, Chengjun; Shi, Peiyang; Qin, Chongda; Feng, Yutao; Liu, Baichen

    2018-04-11

    Raw materials were co-sintered with municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash through iron ore sintering to promote the safe treatment and utilization of MSWI fly ash. To assess the feasibility of this co-sintering method, in this study, the effects of the addition of MSWI fly ash on the formation and emission of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) were estimated via iron ore sintering pot experiments. During co-sintering, most of the PCDD/Fs in the added MSWI fly ash were decomposed and transformed into PCDD/Fs associated with iron sintering, and the concentrations of lower- and mid-chlorinated congeners increased. As there was a sufficient chlorine source and the sintering bed permeability was decreased by the addition of MSWI fly ash, the PCDD/F concentration in the exhaust gas increased. The mass emission of PCDD/Fs decreased; however, the emission of toxic PCDD/Fs increased beyond the total emissions from the independent MSW incineration and iron ore sintering processes due to the transformation of PCDD/F congeners. The co-sintering may be an important solution after technological improvements in the flue gas cleaning system and PCDD/F formation inhibition procedures. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Thermal barrier coating resistant to sintering

    DOEpatents

    Subramanian, Ramesh; Seth, Brig B.

    2005-08-23

    A device (10) is made, having a ceramic thermal barrier coating layer (16) characterized by a microstructure having gaps (18) with a sintering inhibiting material (22) disposed on the columns (20) within the gaps (18). The sintering resistant material (22) is stable over the range of operating temperatures of the device (10), is not soluble with the underlying ceramic layer (16) and is applied by a process that is not an electron beam physical vapor deposition process. The sintering inhibiting material (22) has a morphology adapted to improve the functionality of the sintering inhibiting material (22), characterized as continuous, nodule, rivulet, grain, crack, flake and combinations thereof and being disposed within at least some of the vertical and horizontal gaps.

  5. Improved carbon control in the sintering of structural PM parts

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nowotarski, M.; Gaines, G.

    1981-12-01

    The use of a nitrogen-methanol atmosphere and a system of control of the atmosphere in furnace zones to provide improved control of carbon in sintering of sprockets are described.A new process has been developed by the Linde Div. of Union Carbide for the sintering of structural PM parts. The process is based on a nitrogen/methanol sintering atmosphere and features superior carbon control (/plus or minus/.03%), elimination of sooting due to lubricant decomposition, and significantly reduced furnace atmosphere gas flows as compared to typical endothermic atmosphere gas consumption.

  6. Application of the Zero-Order Reaction Rate Model and Transition State Theory to predict porous Ti6Al4V bending strength.

    PubMed

    Reig, L; Amigó, V; Busquets, D; Calero, J A; Ortiz, J L

    2012-08-01

    Porous Ti6Al4V samples were produced by microsphere sintering. The Zero-Order Reaction Rate Model and Transition State Theory were used to model the sintering process and to estimate the bending strength of the porous samples developed. The evolution of the surface area during the sintering process was used to obtain sintering parameters (sintering constant, activation energy, frequency factor, constant of activation and Gibbs energy of activation). These were then correlated with the bending strength in order to obtain a simple model with which to estimate the evolution of the bending strength of the samples when the sintering temperature and time are modified: σY=P+B·[lnT·t-ΔGa/R·T]. Although the sintering parameters were obtained only for the microsphere sizes analysed here, the strength of intermediate sizes could easily be estimated following this model. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Processing and Characterization of Porous Ti2AlC with Controlled Porosity and Pore Size

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-09-11

    fabricated by spark plasma sintering , were also characterized. The effects of porosity and/or pore size on the room temperature elastic moduli...pressureless- sintered without NaCl pore former, or fabricated by spark plasma sintering , were also characterized. The effects of porosity and/or pore size...as well as several samples sintered using spark plasma sintering (SPS). Furthermore, we demon- strate that the developed methodology can be implemented

  8. Studies on magnetocapacitance, dielectric, ferroelectric, and magnetic properties of microwave sintered (1-x) (Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3) - x (Co0.9Ni0.1Fe2O4) multiferroic composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mane, Sagar M.; Tirmali, Pravin M.; Ranjit, Bhakti; Khan, Madiha; Khan, Nargis; Tarale, Arjun N.; Kulkarni, Shrinivas B.

    2018-07-01

    Present paper reports the synthesis of multiferroic composite (1-x) [Ba0.8Sr0.2Ti)O3]-x[Co0.9Ni0.1Fe2O4] were x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4. Both phases of the composite i.e. ferroelectric (BST) and ferrite (CNFO) are synthesized via hydroxide co-precipitation method followed by microwave sintering technique at 1100 °C. These composites were characterized for their structural, microstructural, dielectric analysis, magnetodielectric (MD) effect and ferroelectric properties. Presence of both the phases ferroelectric (BST) and ferromagnetic (CNFO) are confirmed by the x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopic analysis. Maxwell-Wagner type dielectric dispersion is observed in frequency dependent dielectric measurement. Temperature-dependent dielectric properties were measured from 25 °C to 500 °C at various applied frequencies. Ferroelectric behavior in the composites was confirmed by the polarization vs. Electric field analysis. The magnetodielectric effect was studied in the presence of applied magnetic field from 0 to 1 Tesla. Magnetocapacitance (%) increases with increase in the ferrite concentration in the ferroelectric phase. The maximum percentage of magnetocapacitance is observed in 60BST-40CNFO composite which is MC = 30% at the frequency 1 KHz with the applied magnetic field is 1-Tesla. Room temperature magnetic hysteresis loops show an increase in saturation magnetization (Ms) with an increase in ferrite concentration.

  9. Ice sintering timescales at the surface of Europa and implications for surface properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Molaro, Jamie; Phillips, Cynthia B.; Meirion-Griffith, Gareth

    2017-10-01

    The planned exploration of Europa by NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission and the possibility of a future Europa lander have driven the need to characterize its surface strength, roughness, porosity, thermal conductivity, and regolith depth in order to accurately interpret remote sensing data and develop appropriate spacecraft landing systems. Many processes contribute to Europa’s landscape evolution, such as sputtering, mass wasting, thermal segregation, and impact gardening, driving the creation and distribution of icy regolith across the surface. While the efficacy of these processes are not well constrained, any amount of regolith emplaced at the surface will undergo subsequent processing due to sintering. Ice sintering is a form of frost metamorphism whereby contacting ice grains experience the diffusion of material into their contact region, forming a “neck” between them and densifying over time. Over long enough timescales, ice aggregates will sinter into solid material, which may contribute to the incorporation of non-ice material into Europa’s subsurface and help to drive subsurface chemistry. Sintering also interacts with other processes, adding to the complexity of icy surface evolution. For example, sputtering preferentially removes larger grains and may enhance sintering rates, and changes in ice porosity may affect the response of the surface to micrometeorite impacts.Quantifying the effects of ice sintering will allow us to predict the microstructural properties of Europa’s surface at spacecraft scales. To this end, we have modeled pressure-less (no overburden) sintering of spherical water-ice grains and validated the results with a laboratory experiment. We also modeled ice at the surface of Europa to obtain a first-order approximation of the sintering timescale and surface properties. Preliminary results indicate that ice grains will experience neck growth but not significant densification over Europa’s surface age, suggesting that loose surface ice forms a weak and porous crust. Furthermore, our results suggest that existing models do not accurately quantify all stages of the sintering process for ice, emphasizing the need for more laboratory studies on this topic.

  10. Optimal Design of Material and Process Parameters in Powder Injection Molding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ayad, G.; Barriere, T.; Gelin, J. C.; Song, J.; Liu, B.

    2007-04-01

    The paper is concerned with optimization and parametric identification for the different stages in Powder Injection Molding process that consists first in injection of powder mixture with polymer binder and then to the sintering of the resulting powders part by solid state diffusion. In the first part, one describes an original methodology to optimize the process and geometry parameters in injection stage based on the combination of design of experiments and an adaptive Response Surface Modeling. Then the second part of the paper describes the identification strategy that one proposes for the sintering stage, using the identification of sintering parameters from dilatometeric curves followed by the optimization of the sintering process. The proposed approaches are applied to the optimization of material and process parameters for manufacturing a ceramic femoral implant. One demonstrates that the proposed approach give satisfactory results.

  11. Determining optimal operation parameters for reducing PCDD/F emissions (I-TEQ values) from the iron ore sintering process by using the Taguchi experimental design.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yu-Cheng; Tsai, Perng-Jy; Mou, Jin-Luh

    2008-07-15

    This study is the first one using the Taguchi experimental design to identify the optimal operating condition for reducing polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/ Fs) formations during the iron ore sintering process. Four operating parameters, including the water content (Wc; range = 6.0-7.0 wt %), suction pressure (Ps; range = 1000-1400 mmH2O), bed height (Hb; range = 500-600 mm), and type of hearth layer (including sinter, hematite, and limonite), were selected for conducting experiments in a pilot scale sinter pot to simulate various sintering operating conditions of a real-scale sinter plant We found that the resultant optimal combination (Wc = 6.5 wt%, Hb = 500 mm, Ps = 1000 mmH2O, and hearth layer = hematite) could decrease the emission factor of total PCDD/Fs (total EF(PCDD/Fs)) up to 62.8% by reference to the current operating condition of the real-scale sinter plant (Wc = 6.5 wt %, Hb = 550 mm, Ps = 1200 mmH2O, and hearth layer = sinter). Through the ANOVA analysis, we found that Wc was the most significant parameter in determining total EF(PCDD/Fs (accounting for 74.7% of the total contribution of the four selected parameters). The resultant optimal combination could also enhance slightly in both sinter productivity and sinter strength (30.3 t/m2/day and 72.4%, respectively) by reference to those obtained from the reference operating condition (29.9 t/m (2)/day and 72.2%, respectively). The above results further ensure the applicability of the obtained optimal combination for the real-scale sinter production without interfering its sinter productivity and sinter strength.

  12. An experimental study on effect of coke ratio on SO2 and NOx emissions in sintering process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Hui; Zhang, Pu; Yang, Jingling

    2018-02-01

    By using the sinter cup experiment, the effects of different coke ratios of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% on the formation and total emissions of SO2 and NOx in the sintering process were studied with the Testo350 flue gas analyzer. The experimental results show that the emissions of SO2 and NOx are closely related to sintering process. With the increase of the coke proportion, the sintering temperature changes and the maximum peak time appears earlier. SO2 concentration has a bimodal distribution and NOx concentration has a triple peak. Besides, the both maximum peaks appear at the end of sintering. In addition, due to the increasing of the S and N contents in the fuel with the coke ratios from 0% to 100%, the amounts of SO2 and NOx emissions are raised respectively at 10.82 mg, 11.42 mg, 13.84 mg, 13.69 mg, 20.36 mg and 3.11 mg, 3.39 mg, 4.44 mg, 4.31 mg, 6.16 mg.

  13. Study of sintering behavior of vapor forms of 1-octanethiol coated copper nanoparticles for application to ink-jet printing technology.

    PubMed

    Kwon, Jinhyeong; Park, Shinyoung; Haque, Md Mominul; Kim, Young-Seok; Lee, Caroline Sunyong

    2012-04-01

    Sub-50 nm copper nanoparticles coated with sub-5 nm 1-octanethiol layer for oxidation inhibition were examined to confirm the 1-octanethiol removal temperature as the sub-50 nm copper nanoparticles are sintered. As a result, 1-octanethiol Self-Assembled Multi-layers (SAMs) on sub-50 nm copper nanoparticles were successfully removed before sintering of copper nanoparticles so that a high density of copper line could be obtained. Finally, the line resistivity was measured and compared to verify the effect of sintering in different atmospheres. As a result, electrical resistivity of the copper pattern sintered in hydrogen atmosphere was measured at 6.96 x 10(-6) ohm-cm whereas that of the copper pattern sintered in mixed gas atmosphere was measured at 2.62 x 10(-5) ohm-cm. Thus, sintering of copper patterns was successfully done to show low electrical resistivity values. Moreover, removal of 1-octanethiol coating after sintering process was confirmed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. By showing no sulfur content, XPS results indicate that 1-octanethiol is completely removed. Therefore, the vapor form of 1-octanethiol coating layers can be safely used as an oxidation inhibition layer for low temperature sintering processes and ink-jet applications.

  14. Vacuum Pressureless Sintering of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy with Full Densification and Forged-Like Mechanical Properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Ce; Lu, Boxin; Wang, Haiying; Guo, Zhimeng; Paley, Vladislav; Volinsky, Alex A.

    2018-01-01

    Ti-6Al-4V ingots with a nearly 100% density, fine and homogeneous basket-weave microstructure, and better comprehensive mechanical properties (UTS = 935 MPa, Y.S. = 865 MPa, El. = 15.8%), have been manufactured by vacuum pressureless sintering of blended elemental powders. Coarse TiH2 powder, Al powder (2, 20 μm), V powder, and Al-V master alloy powder were used as raw materials to produce different powder mixtures ( D 50 = 10 μm). Then, the compacts made by cold isostatic pressing were consolidated by different sintering curves. A detailed investigation of different as-sintered samples revealed that a higher density can be obtained by generating transient molten Al in the sintering process. Coarse Al powder and a rapid heating rate under the melting point of Al contribute to molten Al formation. The presence of temporary liquid phase changes the sintering mechanism, accelerating the sintering neck formation, improving sinterability of the powder mixtures. Density of 99.5% was achieved at 1150 °C, which is markedly lower than the sintering temperatures reported for conventional blended elemental powder metallurgy routes. In addition, low interstitial content, especially for oxygen (0.17 wt.%), is obtained by strict process control.

  15. Preparation of Porous Stainless Steel Hollow-Fibers through Multi-Modal Particle Size Sintering towards Pore Engineering

    PubMed Central

    Allioux, Francois-Marie; Etxeberria Benavides, Miren

    2017-01-01

    The sintering of metal powders is an efficient and versatile technique to fabricate porous metal elements such as filters, diffusers, and membranes. Neck formation between particles is, however, critical to tune the porosity and optimize mass transfer in order to minimize the densification process. In this work, macro-porous stainless steel (SS) hollow-fibers (HFs) were fabricated by the extrusion and sintering of a dope comprised, for the first time, of a bimodal mixture of SS powders. The SS particles of different sizes and shapes were mixed to increase the neck formation between the particles and control the densification process of the structure during sintering. The sintered HFs from particles of two different sizes were shown to be more mechanically stable at lower sintering temperature due to the increased neck area of the small particles sintered to the large ones. In addition, the sintered HFs made from particles of 10 and 44 μm showed a smaller average pore size (<1 μm) as compared to the micron-size pores of sintered HFs made from particles of 10 μm only and those of 10 and 20 μm. The novel HFs could be used in a range of applications, from filtration modules to electrochemical membrane reactors. PMID:28777352

  16. Extra-terrestrial construction processes - Advancements, opportunities and challenges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lim, Sungwoo; Prabhu, Vibha Levin; Anand, Mahesh; Taylor, Lawrence A.

    2017-10-01

    Government space agencies, including NASA and ESA, are conducting preliminary studies on building alternative space-habitat systems for deep-space exploration. Such studies include development of advanced technologies for planetary surface exploration, including an in-depth understanding of the use of local resources. Currently, NASA plans to land humans on Mars in the 2030s. Similarly, other space agencies from Europe (ESA), Canada (CSA), Russia (Roscosmos), India (ISRO), Japan (JAXA) and China (CNSA) have already initiated or announced their plans for launching a series of lunar missions over the next decade, ranging from orbiters, landers and rovers for extended stays on the lunar surface. As the Space Odyssey is one of humanity's oldest dreams, there has been a series of research works for establishing temporary or permanent settlement on other planetary bodies, including the Moon and Mars. This paper reviews current projects developing extra-terrestrial construction, broadly categorised as: (i) ISRU-based construction materials; (ii) fabrication methods; and (iii) construction processes. It also discusses four categories of challenges to developing an appropriate construction process: (i) lunar simulants; (ii) material fabrication and curing; (iii) microwave-sintering based fabrication; and (iv) fully autonomous and scaled-up construction processes.

  17. Green synthesis of Si-incorporated hydroxyapatite using sodium metasilicate as silicon precursor and in vitro antibiotic release studies.

    PubMed

    Abinaya Sindu, P; Kolanthai, Elayaraja; Suganthi, R V; Thanigai Arul, K; Manikandan, E; Catalani, Luiz H; Narayana Kalkura, S

    2017-10-01

    The aim of the current study is to synthesize nanosized silicon incorporated HAp (Si-HAP) using sodium metasilicate as the silicon source. The sol-gel derived samples were further subjected to microwave irradiation. Incorporation of Si into HAp did not alter the HAp phase, as confirmed by the X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Moreover, variation in the lattice parameters of the Si-incorporated HAp indicates that Si is substituted into the HAp lattice. The decrease in the intensity of the peaks attributed to hydroxyl groups, which appeared in the FTIR and Raman spectra of Si-HAp, further confirms the Si substitution in HAp lattices. The silicon incorporation enhanced the nanorods length by 70%, when compared to that of pure HAp. Microwave irradiation improved the crystallinity of Si-HAp when compared to as-synthesized Si-HAp samples. As-synthesized Si-incorporated HAp sample showed an intense blue emission under UV excitation. Microwave irradiation reduced the intensity of blue emission and exhibited red shift due to the reduction of defects in the Si-HAp crystal. The morphological change from rod to spherical and ribbon-like forms was observed with an increase in silicon content. Further, Si-HAp exhibited better bioactivity and low dissolution rate. Initially there was a burst release of amoxicillin from all the samples, subsequently it followed a sustained release. The microwave-irradiated HAp showed extended period of sustained release than that of as-synthesized HAp and Si-HAp. Similarly, the microwave-irradiated Si-incorporated samples exhibited prolonged drug release, as compared to that of the as-synthesized samples. Hence, Si-HAp is rapidly synthesized by a simple and cost effective method without inducing any additional phases, as compared to the conventional sintering process. This study provides a new insight into the rapid green synthesis of Si-HAp. Si-HAp could emerge as a promising material for the bone tissue replacement and as a drug delivery system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Selective laser sintering: A qualitative and objective approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Sanjay

    2003-10-01

    This article presents an overview of selective laser sintering (SLS) work as reported in various journals and proceedings. Selective laser sintering was first done mainly on polymers and nylon to create prototypes for audio-visual help and fit-to-form tests. Gradually it was expanded to include metals and alloys to manufacture functional prototypes and develop rapid tooling. The growth gained momentum with the entry of commercial entities such as DTM Corporation and EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems. Computational modeling has been used to understand the SLS process, optimize the process parameters, and enhance the efficiency of the sintering machine.

  19. Influence of Hydrogen on Atomized Titanium Powders Sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Senkevich, K. S.

    2018-07-01

    The aim of this work is to study the effect of hydrogen reversible alloying (thermohydrogen processing, THP) on low-temperature sintering of atomized titanium powders. It is stated that alloying with 0.2 to 0.8 wt pct of hydrogen beneficially affects titanium powders sintering. The effect is caused by phase transformations occurring upon hydrogen saturation of powders and dehydrogenation, which substantially intensifies sintering at temperatures from 800 °C to 900 °C. The role of certain THP stages (sintering in hydrogenated state and upon dehydrogenation) on formation of sintered contacts in porous materials is shown.

  20. Influence of Hydrogen on Atomized Titanium Powders Sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Senkevich, K. S.

    2018-05-01

    The aim of this work is to study the effect of hydrogen reversible alloying (thermohydrogen processing, THP) on low-temperature sintering of atomized titanium powders. It is stated that alloying with 0.2 to 0.8 wt pct of hydrogen beneficially affects titanium powders sintering. The effect is caused by phase transformations occurring upon hydrogen saturation of powders and dehydrogenation, which substantially intensifies sintering at temperatures from 800 °C to 900 °C. The role of certain THP stages (sintering in hydrogenated state and upon dehydrogenation) on formation of sintered contacts in porous materials is shown.

  1. Improvement of mechanical strength of sintered Mo alloyed steel by optimization of sintering and cold-forging processes with densification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kamakoshi, Y.; Shohji, I.; Inoue, Y.; Fukuda, S.

    2017-10-01

    Powder metallurgy (P/M) materials have been expected to be spread in automotive industry. Generally, since sintered materials using P/M ones contain many pores and voids, mechanical properties of them are inferior to those of conventional wrought materials. To improve mechanical properties of the sintered materials, densification is effective. The aim of this study is to improve mechanical strength of sintered Mo-alloyed steel by optimizing conditions in sintering and cold-forging processes. Mo-alloyed steel powder was compacted. Then, pre-sintering (PS) using a vacuum sintering furnace was conducted. Subsequently, coldforging (CF) by a backward extrusion method was conducted to the pre-sintered specimen. Moreover, the cold-forged specimen was heat treated by carburizing, tempering and quenching (CQT). Afterwards, mechanical properties were investigated. As a result, it was found that the density of the PS specimen is required to be more than 7.4 Mg/m3 to strengthen the specimen by heat treatment after CF. Furthermore, density and the microstructure of the PS specimen are most important factors to make the high density and strength material by CF. At the CF load of 1200 kN, the maximum density ratio reached approximately 99% by the use of the PS specimen with proper density and microstructure. At the CF load of 900 kN, although density ratio was high like more than 97.8%, transverse rupture strength decreased sharply. Since densification caused high shear stress and stress concentration in the surface layer, microcracks occurred by the damages of inter-particle sintered connection of the surface layer. On the contrary, in case of the CF load of 1200 kN, ultra-densification of the surface layer occurred by a sufficient plastic flow. Such sufficient compressed specimens regenerated the sintered connections by high temperature heat treatment and thus the high strength densified material was obtained. These processes can be applicable to near net shape manufacturing without surface machining.

  2. Characteristics of iron ore sinter with EFB addition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Purwanto, H.; Rozhan, A. N.; Mohamad, A. S.; Zakiyuddin, A.

    2018-04-01

    Utilization of EFB-derived biochar in sintering of iron ore has been conducted in this work with regards to the porosity of iron sinter. EFB has been heated up in argon atmosphere to 450°C in order to produce biochar. In the present work, the sintering process was conducted at 1150°C with variations of biochar content from 5% to 10%. In this case, the apparent density for iron sinter shows significant decrease as the biochar addition increase. The porosity of iron sinter showed a gradual increment from 5% to 7.5% and escalated at 10% biochar content. The results of porosity and apparent density were in line with the micrograph of iron sinter.

  3. An investigation of the thermal shock resistance of lunar regolith and the recovery of hydrogen from lunar soil heated using microwave radiation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meek, T. T.

    1991-01-01

    The objective is to develop a better understanding of the thermal shock properties of lunar regolith sintered using 2.45 GHz electromagnetic radiation and to do a preliminary study into the recovery of bound hydrogen in lunar soil heated using 2.45 GHz radiation. During the first phase of this work, lunar simulant material was used to test whether or not microhardness data could be used to infer thermal shock resistance and later actual lunar regolith was used. Results are included on the lunar regolith since this is of primary concern and not the simulant results. They were similar, however. The second phase investigated the recovery of hydrogen from lunar regolith and results indicate that microwave heating of lunar regolith may be a good method for recovery of bound gases in the regolith.

  4. Neutron and electron diffraction studies of La(Zn1/2Ti1/2)O3 perovskite.

    PubMed

    Ubic, Rick; Hu, Yi; Abrahams, Isaac

    2006-08-01

    The crystallography and microwave dielectric properties of La(Zn(1/2)Ti(1/2))O(3) (LZT) ceramics prepared via the mixed-oxide route were investigated in this study. While samples were largely single phase, small amounts of ZnO impurity were detected in sintered pellets. Observed reflections in electron and neutron diffraction patterns indicate that the symmetry of LZT is P2(1)/n. The B site is ordered on {110} or pseudocubic {111}, but the presence of the pseudocubic 1/2(111) reflection is in itself insufficient to indicate the existence of such order. Rietveld refinements of the neutron diffraction data yield an excellent fit for such a model. The structure is highly twinned, with variants related through common {211} composition planes and 90 degrees rotations about <011>. The microwave dielectric properties measured were epsilon(r) = 34, Qf = 36,090 and tau(f) = -70 MK(-1).

  5. Temperature Field Simulation of Powder Sintering Process with ANSYS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Hongxiu; Wang, Jun; Li, Shuting; Chen, Zhilong; Sun, Jinfeng; You, Ying

    2018-03-01

    Aiming at the “spheroidization phenomenon” in the laser sintering of metal powder and other quality problems of the forming parts due to the thermal effect, the finite element model of the three-dimensional transient metal powder was established by using the atomized iron powder as the research object. The simulation of the mobile heat source was realized by means of parametric design. The distribution of the temperature field during the sintering process under different laser power and different spot sizes was simulated by ANSYS software under the condition of fully considering the influence of heat conduction, thermal convection, thermal radiation and thermophysical parameters. The influence of these factors on the actual sintering process was also analyzed, which provides an effective way for forming quality control.

  6. Numerical study of the process parameters in spark plasma sintering (sps)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chowdhury, Redwan Jahid

    Spark plasma sintering (SPS) is one of the most widely used sintering techniques that utilizes pulsed direct current together with uniaxial pressure to consolidate a wide variety of materials. The unique mechanisms of SPS enable it to sinter powder compacts at a lower temperature and in a shorter time than the conventional hot pressing, hot isostatic pressing and vacuum sintering process. One of the limitations of SPS is the presence of temperature gradients inside the sample, which could result in non-uniform physical and microstructural properties. Detailed study of the temperature and current distributions inside the sintered sample is necessary to minimize the temperature gradients and achieve desired properties. In the present study, a coupled thermal-electric model was developed using finite element codes in ABAQUS software to investigate the temperature and current distributions inside the conductive and non-conductive samples. An integrated experimental-numerical methodology was implemented to determine the system contact resistances accurately. The developed sintering model was validated by a series of experiments, which showed good agreements with simulation results. The temperature distribution inside the sample depends on some process parameters such as sample and tool geometry, punch and die position, applied current and thermal insulation around the die. The role of these parameters on sample temperature distribution was systematically analyzed. The findings of this research could prove very useful for the reliable production of large size sintered samples with controlled and tailored properties.

  7. Effect of Alloying Type and Lean Sintering Atmosphere on the Performance of PM Components

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sundaram, M. Vattur; Shvab, R.; Millot, S.; Hryha, E.; Nyborg, L.

    2017-12-01

    In order to be cost effective and to meet increasing performance demands, powder metallurgy steel components require continuous improvement in terms of materials and process development. This study demonstrates the feasibility of manufacturing structural components using two different alloys systems, i.e. lean Cr-prealloyed and diffusion bonded water atomised powders with different processing conditions. The components were sintered at two different temperatures, i.e. 1120 and 1250 °C for 30 minutes in three different atmospheres: vacuum, N2- 10%H2 atmosphere as well as lean N2-5%H2-0.5%CO-(0.1-0.4)%CH4 sintering atmosphere. Components after sintering were further processed by either low pressure carburizing, sinterhardening or case hardening. All trials were performed in the industrial furnaces to simulate the actual production of the components. Microstructure, fractography, apparent and micro hardness analyses were performed close to the surface and in the middle of the sample to characterize the degree of sintering (temperature and atmosphere) and the effect of heat treatment. In all cases, components possess mostly martensitic microstructure with a few bainitic regions. The fracture surface shows well developed sinter necks. Inter- and trans-granular ductile and cleavage fracture modes are dominant and their fraction is determined by the alloy and processing route.

  8. Consolidation & Factors Influencing Sintering Process in Polymer Powder Based Additive Manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sagar, M. B.; Elangovan, K.

    2017-08-01

    Additive Manufacturing (AM) is two decade old technology; where parts are build layer manufacturing method directly from a CAD template. Over the years, AM techniques changes the future way of part fabrication with enhanced intricacy and custom-made features are aimed. Commercially polymers, metals, ceramic and metal-polymer composites are in practice where polymers enhanced the expectations in AM and are considered as a kind of next industrial revolution. Growing trend in polymer application motivated to study their feasibility and properties. Laser sintering, Heat sintering and Inhibition sintering are the most successful AM techniques for polymers but having least application. The presentation gives up selective sintering of powder polymers and listed commercially available polymer materials. Important significant factors for effective processing and analytical approaches to access them are discussed.

  9. Quality prediction modeling for sintered ores based on mechanism models of sintering and extreme learning machine based error compensation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tiebin, Wu; Yunlian, Liu; Xinjun, Li; Yi, Yu; Bin, Zhang

    2018-06-01

    Aiming at the difficulty in quality prediction of sintered ores, a hybrid prediction model is established based on mechanism models of sintering and time-weighted error compensation on the basis of the extreme learning machine (ELM). At first, mechanism models of drum index, total iron, and alkalinity are constructed according to the chemical reaction mechanism and conservation of matter in the sintering process. As the process is simplified in the mechanism models, these models are not able to describe high nonlinearity. Therefore, errors are inevitable. For this reason, the time-weighted ELM based error compensation model is established. Simulation results verify that the hybrid model has a high accuracy and can meet the requirement for industrial applications.

  10. Processing, characterization, and in vitro/in vivo evaluations of powder metallurgy processed Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloys.

    PubMed

    Bottino, Marco C; Coelho, Paulo G; Henriques, Vinicius A R; Higa, Olga Z; Bressiani, Ana H A; Bressiani, José C

    2009-03-01

    This article presents details of processing, characterization and in vitro as well as in vivo evaluations of powder metallurgy processed Ti-13Nb-13Zr samples with different levels of porosity. Sintered samples were characterized for density, crystalline phases (XRD), and microstructure (SEM and EDX). Samples sintered at 1000 degrees C showed the highest porosity level ( approximately 30%), featuring open and interconnected pores ranging from 50 to 100 mum in diameter but incomplete densification. In contrast, samples sintered at 1300 and 1500 degrees C demonstrated high densification with 10% porosity level distributed in a homogeneous microstructure. The different sintering conditions used in this study demonstrated a coherent trend that is increase in temperature lead to higher sample densification, even though densification represents a drawback for bone ingrowth. Cytotoxicity tests did not reveal any toxic effects of the starting and processed materials on surviving cell percentage. After an 8-week healing period in rabbit tibias, the implants were retrieved, processed for nondecalcified histological evaluation, and then assessed by backscattered electron images (BSEI-SEM) and EDX. Bone growth into the microstructure was observed only in samples sintered at 1000 degrees C. Overall, a close relation between newly formed bone and all processed samples was observed. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Effects of particle packing on the sintered microstructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barringer, E. A.; Bowen, H. K.

    1988-04-01

    The sintering process is shown to be critically dependent on particle-packing density and porosity uniformity. Sintering experiments were conducted on compacts consisting of monodisperse, spherical TiO2 particles. Densification kinetics and microstructure evolution for two initial packing densities, 55% and 69% of theoretical, were investigated. The lower-density compacts sintered rapidly to theoretical density, yet improved particle-packing density and uniformity significantly enhanced densification.

  12. Faxing Structures to the Moon: Freeform Additive Construction System (FACS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Howe, A. Scott; Wilcox, Brian; McQuin, Christopher; Townsend, Julie; Rieber, Richard; Barmatz, Martin; Leichty, John

    2013-01-01

    Using the highly articulated All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer (ATHLETE) robotic mobility system as a precision positioning tool, a variety of print head technologies can be used to 3D print large-scale in-situ structures on planetary surfaces such as the moon or Mars. In effect, in the same way CAD models can be printed in a 3D printer, large-scale structures such as walls, vaults, domes, berms, paving, trench walls, and other insitu derived elements can be FAXed to the planetary surface and built in advance of the arrival of crews, supplementing equipment and materials brought from earth. This paper discusses the ATHLETE system as a mobility / positioning platform, and presents several options for large-scale additive print head technologies, including tunable microwave "sinterator" approaches and in-situ concrete deposition. The paper also discusses potential applications, such as sintered-in-place habitat shells, radiation shielding, road paving, modular bricks, and prefabricated construction components.

  13. Concentrated solar energy used for sintering magnesium titanates for electronic applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Apostol, Irina; Rodríguez, Jose; Cañadas, Inmaculada; Galindo, Jose; Mendez, Senen Lanceros; de Abreu Martins, Pedro Libȃnio; Cunha, Luis; Saravanan, Kandasamy Venkata

    2018-04-01

    Solar energy is an important renewable source of energy with many advantages: it is unlimited, clean and free. The main objective of this work was to sinter magnesium titanate ceramics in a solar furnace using concentrated solar energy, which is a novel and original process. The direct conversion of solar power into high temperature makes this process simple, feasible and ecologically viable/environmentally sustainable. We performed the solar sintering experiments at Plataforma Solar de Almeria-CIEMAT, Spain. This process takes place in a vertical axis solar furnace (SF5-5 kW) hosting a mobile flat mirror heliostat, a fixed parabolic mirror concentrator, an attenuator and a test table the concentrator focus. We sintered (MgO)0.63(TiO2)0.37, (MgO)0.49(TiO2)0.51, (MgO)0.50(TiO2)0.50 ceramics samples in air at about 1100 °C for a duration of 16 min, 1 h, 2 h and 3 h in the solar furnace. The MgO/TiO2 ratio and the dwell time was varied in order to obtain phase pure MgTiO3 ceramic. We obtained a pure MgTiO3 geikielite phase by solar sintering of (MgO)0.63(TiO2)0.37 samples at 1100 °C (16 min-3 h). Samples of (MgO)0.63(TiO2)0.37, solar sintered at 1100 °C for 3 h, resulted in well-sintered, non-porous samples with good density (3.46 g/cm3). The sintered samples were analyzed by XRD for phase determination. The grain and surface morphology was observed using SEM. Electrical measurements were carried out on solar sintered samples. The effect of processing parameters on microstructure and dielectric properties were investigated and is presented.

  14. [Influence on microstructure of dental zirconia ceramics prepared by two-step sintering].

    PubMed

    Jian, Chao; Li, Ning; Wu, Zhikai; Teng, Jing; Yan, Jiazhen

    2013-10-01

    To investigate the microstructure of dental zirconia ceramics prepared by two-step sintering. Nanostructured zirconia powder was dry compacted, cold isostatic pressed, and pre-sintered. The pre-sintered discs were cut processed into samples. Conventional sintering, single-step sintering, and two-step sintering were carried out, and density and grain size of the samples were measured. Afterward, T1 and/or T2 of two-step sintering ranges were measured. Effects on microstructure of different routes, which consisted of two-step sintering and conventional sintering were discussed. The influence of T1 and/or T2 on density and grain size were analyzed as well. The range of T1 was between 1450 degrees C and 1550 degrees C, and the range of T2 was between 1250 degrees C and 1350 degrees C. Compared with conventional sintering, finer microstructure of higher density and smaller grain could be obtained by two-step sintering. Grain growth was dependent on T1, whereas density was not much related with T1. However, density was dependent on T2, and grain size was minimally influenced. Two-step sintering could ensure a sintering body with high density and small grain, which is good for optimizing the microstructure of dental zirconia ceramics.

  15. Infiltration sintering properties of Ni-4B-4Si(wt.%) alloy powders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Q.; Zhang, X. C.; Wang, F. L.; Zou, J. T.

    2018-01-01

    The Ni-4B-4Si(wt.%) alloy powders were infiltrated into the nickel skeletons, the effects of sintering temperatures (1050-1150 °C) and skeletons (loose and compact nickel powders) on the microstructures and hardness of the sintered alloys were investigated. The Ni-B-Si alloy sintered at 1100 °C consisted of γ-Ni and Ni3B, and Si mainly solid soluted in the γ-Ni. The loose nickel powders favored to the infiltration of Ni-B-Si liquid alloy into the nickel skeletons, the sintered alloys exhibited dense microstructures and good interfacial bonding with Ni substrates. The interfacial hardness was equal to that of the sintered alloys and Ni substrates. Loose nickel powders ensured the density and interfacial bonding of the sintered alloys, the infiltration sintering process can be simplified and easily applied to practice.

  16. Surface hardening of Al alloys through controlled ball-milling and sintering.

    PubMed

    Kim, Seek Hyeoun; Kim, Yong Jin; Ahn, Jung-Ho

    2012-07-01

    One of the drawbacks of aluminum and its alloys is the lack of proper heat-treatment for surface-hardening. In the present work, a new and simple method of hardening the surface of aluminum and its alloys was developed. Low-energy ball-milling using specific process control agents (PCAs) was employed, using subsequent sintering in a controlled atmosphere. The PCAs in the present work were very effective both for milling and the formation of hard nanocrystalline dispersoids during sintering. The residual oxygen in a sintering atmosphere also played an important role in the formation of AIN or Al-O-N dispersoids. Through the proper control of the processing atmosphere and PCAs, the hardness and thickness of the hardened layers could be adjusted. The results of the wear test showed that the present aluminum alloys can be effectively utilized as light-weight components with a good wear resistance. Furthermore, the present method involves a simple forming process of die-compaction and sintering.

  17. A constitutive model and numerical simulation of sintering processes at macroscopic level

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wawrzyk, Krzysztof; Kowalczyk, Piotr; Nosewicz, Szymon; Rojek, Jerzy

    2018-01-01

    This paper presents modelling of both single and double-phase powder sintering processes at the macroscopic level. In particular, its constitutive formulation, numerical implementation and numerical tests are described. The macroscopic constitutive model is based on the assumption that the sintered material is a continuous medium. The parameters of the constitutive model for material under sintering are determined by simulation of sintering at the microscopic level using a micro-scale model. Numerical tests were carried out for a cylindrical specimen under hydrostatic and uniaxial pressure. Results of macroscopic analysis are compared against the microscopic model results. Moreover, numerical simulations are validated by comparison with experimental results. The simulations and preparation of the model are carried out by Abaqus FEA - a software for finite element analysis and computer-aided engineering. A mechanical model is defined by the user procedure "Vumat" which is developed by the first author in Fortran programming language. Modelling presented in the paper can be used to optimize and to better understand the process.

  18. Porous Titanium Parts Fabricated by Sintering of TiH2 and Ti Powder Mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peng, Qin; Yang, Bin; Friedrich, Bernd

    2018-01-01

    A new simple powder metallurgy process by sintering TiH2 powders was used to manufacture porous Ti components. The effects of the processing parameters (pressure of cold isostatic pressing and sintering temperature) and the TiH2/Ti ratio in the powder mixtures on the impurities, the linear shrinkage and the pore properties (including overall and open porosities) were comprehensively determined. The addition of TiH2 as a reactant has been found beneficial for the synthesis of porous Ti components. The formation mechanisms of pores were demonstrated based on the dehydrogenation process of TiH2 during sintering, resulting in highest reactivity due to the "in statu nascendi" generation of the metal. In addition, the hardness and corrosion resistance of all the sintered samples were evaluated, related to the overall and open porosities. As a result, an optimal composition of Ti-40 wt.% TiH2 was defined, as its maximum open porosity was about 23%.

  19. Numerical Study of the Features of Ti-Nb Alloy Crystallization during Selective Laser Sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dmitriev, A. I.; Nikonov, A. Y.

    2016-07-01

    The demand for implants with individual shape requires the development of new methods and approaches to their production. The obvious advantages of additive technologies and selective laser sintering are the capabilities to form both the external shape of the product and its internal structure. Recently appeared and attractive from the perspective of biomechanical compatibility are beta alloys of titanium-niobium that have similar mechanical properties to those of cortical bone. This paper studies the processes occurring at different stages of laser sintering using computer simulation on atomic scale. The effect of cooling rate on the resulting crystal structure of Ti-Nb alloy was analysed. Also, the dependence of tensile strength of sintered particles on heating time and cooling rate was studied. It was shown that the main parameter, which determines the adhesive properties of sintered particles, is the contact area obtained during sintering process. The simulation results can both help defining the technological parameters of the process to provide the desired mechanical properties of the resulting products and serve as a necessary basis for calculations on large scale levels in order to study the behaviour of actually used implants.

  20. The recovery of Zn and Pb and the manufacture of lightweight bricks from zinc smelting slag and clay.

    PubMed

    Hu, Huiping; Deng, Qiufeng; Li, Chao; Xie, Yue; Dong, Zeqin; Zhang, Wei

    2014-04-30

    Novel lightweight bricks have been produced by sintering mixes of zinc smelting slag and clay. A two-stage sintered process has been proposed to recovery of Zn and Pb and reutilization of the zinc smelting slag. In the first stage of the process, called reduction and volatilization procedure, zinc and lead were reduced by the carbon contained in the zinc smelting slag and volatilized into the dust, and the dust can be used as a secondary zinc resource. In the second stage of the process, called oxidation sintering procedure, a lightweight brick was produced. Samples containing up to 60 wt.% zinc smelting slag and 40 wt.% kaolin clay were reduced at 1050°C for 6h, and then sintered at 1050°C for 4h. The recoveries of Zn and Pb from the brick are 94.5 ± 0.6% and 97.6 ± 0.2%, respectively. Low bulk density (1.42 g cm(-3)) and relatively high compressive strength (2 2MPa) sintered bricks were produced, and the leaching toxicity of the sintered bricks was below the regulatory thresholds of Chinese National Standards. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Method of preparing uranium nitride or uranium carbonitride bodies

    DOEpatents

    Wilhelm, Harley A.; McClusky, James K.

    1976-04-27

    Sintered uranium nitride or uranium carbonitride bodies having a controlled final carbon-to-uranium ratio are prepared, in an essentially continuous process, from U.sub.3 O.sub.8 and carbon by varying the weight ratio of carbon to U.sub.3 O.sub.8 in the feed mixture, which is compressed into a green body and sintered in a continuous heating process under various controlled atmospheric conditions to prepare the sintered bodies.

  2. Thermal barrier coating resistant to sintering

    DOEpatents

    Subramanian, Ramesh; Seth, Brij B.

    2004-06-29

    A device (10) is made, having a ceramic thermal barrier coating layer (16) characterized by a microstructure having gaps (18) with a sintering inhibiting material (22) disposed on the columns (20) within the gaps (18). The sintering resistant material (22) is stable over the range of operating temperatures of the device (10), is not soluble with the underlying ceramic layer (16) and is applied by a process that is not an electron beam physical vapor deposition process.

  3. Nanocrystalline Iron-Cobalt Alloys for High Saturation Indutance

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-02-24

    toroid. Before fully embarking on the problem of creating the toroid’s from particles sintered by a process known as sparked plasma sintering which...allows the particles to be rapidly sintered without compromising the nano crystalline particle size, it was deemed necessary to anticipate the

  4. SINTERING AND SULFATION OF CALCIUM SILICATE-ALUMINATE

    EPA Science Inventory

    The effect of sintering on the reactivity of solids at high temperature was studied. The nature of the interaction was studied with calcium silicate-aluminate reacting with SO2 between 665 and 800 C. The kinetics of the sintering and sulfation processes were measured independentl...

  5. Low-cost optical fabrication of flexible copper electrode via laser-induced reductive sintering and adhesive transfer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Back, Seunghyun; Kang, Bongchul

    2018-02-01

    Fabricating copper electrodes on heat-sensitive polymer films in air is highly challenging owing to the need of expensive copper nanoparticles, rapid oxidation of precursor during sintering, and limitation of sintering temperature to prevent the thermal damage of the polymer film. A laser-induced hybrid process of reductive sintering and adhesive transfer is demonstrated to cost-effectively fabricate copper electrode on a polyethylene film with a thermal resistance below 100 °C. A laser-induced reductive sintering process directly fabricates a high-conductive copper electrode onto a glass donor from copper oxide nanoparticle solution via photo-thermochemical reduction and agglomeration of copper oxide nanoparticles. The sintered copper patterns were transferred in parallel to a heat-sensitive polyethylene film through self-selective surface adhesion of the film, which was generated by the selective laser absorption of the copper pattern. The method reported here could become one of the most important manufacturing technologies for fabricating low-cost wearable and disposable electronics.

  6. Development and Investigation of Tungsten Copper Sintered Parts for Using in Medium and High Voltage Switching Devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lungu, M. V.; Lucaci, M.; Tsakiris, V.; Brătulescu, A.; Cîrstea, C. D.; Marin, M.; Pătroi, D.; Mitrea, S.; Marinescu, V.; Grigore, F.; Tălpeanu, D.; Stancu, N.; Godeanu, P.; Melnic, C.

    2017-06-01

    Abstract Tungsten-copper (W-Cu) sintered parts with 75 wt.% W, 24 wt.% Cu and 1 wt.% Ni for using as arcing contacts in medium and high voltage switching devices were developed successfully by powder metallurgy (PM) techniques. Sintered parts with diameter of 50±0.5 mm and height of 6±0.5 mm were manufactured by pressing-sintering-infiltration (P-S-I) and spark plasma sintering (SPS) at sintering temperature of 1150°C, and 1050°C, respectively. Physical, chemical, electrical, thermal and mechanical properties of the samples were investigated. Microstructure was analyzed by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Material properties were influenced by the consolidation processes. The best results were achieved by SPS process. The relative density was more than 95 %, Vickers hardness HV1/15 was over 227, elastic modulus was over 143 GPa, and homogeneous microstructure was revealed. These good properties can contribute to higher lifetime of arcing contacts under severe working conditions.

  7. Toward Interpreting Failure in Sintered-Silver Interconnection Systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wereszczak, Andrew A; Waters, Shirley B

    2016-01-01

    The mechanical strength and subsequent reliability of a sintered-silver interconnection system is a function of numerous independent parameters. That system is still undergoing process development. Most of those parameters (e.g., choice of plating) are arguably and unfortunately taken for granted and are independent of the silver s cohesive strength. To explore such effects, shear strength testing and failure analyses were completed on a simple, mock sintered-silver interconnection system consisting of bonding two DBC ceramic substrates. Silver and gold platings were part of the test matrix, as was pre-drying strategies, and the consideration of stencil-printing vs. screen-printing. Shear strength of sintered-silvermore » interconnect systems was found to be was insensitive to the choice of plating, drying practice, and printing method provided careful and consistent processing of the sintered-silver are practiced. But if the service stress in sintered silver interconnect systems is anticipated to exceed ~ 60 MPa, then the system will likely fail.« less

  8. In situ process monitoring in selective laser sintering using optical coherence tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gardner, Michael R.; Lewis, Adam; Park, Jongwan; McElroy, Austin B.; Estrada, Arnold D.; Fish, Scott; Beaman, Joseph J.; Milner, Thomas E.

    2018-04-01

    Selective laser sintering (SLS) is an efficient process in additive manufacturing that enables rapid part production from computer-based designs. However, SLS is limited by its notable lack of in situ process monitoring when compared with other manufacturing processes. We report the incorporation of optical coherence tomography (OCT) into an SLS system in detail and demonstrate access to surface and subsurface features. Video frame rate cross-sectional imaging reveals areas of sintering uniformity and areas of excessive heat error with high temporal resolution. We propose a set of image processing techniques for SLS process monitoring with OCT and report the limitations and obstacles for further OCT integration with SLS systems.

  9. Electric field-assisted sintering of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite for biomedical applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tran, Tien Bich

    As the main inorganic component of bone, hydroxyapatite (HA, Ca 10(PO4)6(OH)2) should be an ideal candidate in biomaterials selection. When grain sizes are in the nanometric regime, protein adsorption and cell adhesion are enhanced, while strength, hardness, and wear resistance are improved. Unfortunately, low phase stability, poor sinterability, and a tendency towards exaggerated grain coarsening challenge full densification of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite by conventional sintering methods. The field-assisted sintering technique (FAST) has successfully consolidated a variety of nanocrystalline metals and ceramics in dramatically reduced times. The sintering enhancements observed during FAST can be attributed to thermal and athermal effects. The rapid heating rates (up to ˜1000ºC/min) afforded by FAST contribute a significant thermal effect. Since fast heating rates reduce powder exposure to sub-sintering temperatures, non-densifying surface diffusion is limited. The athermal effects of FAST are less well understood and can include plasma generation, dielectric breakdown, particle surface cleaning, grain boundary pinning, and space charge effects. Applying the field-assisted sintering technique to nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite yielded surprising results. Deviations from conventional densification behavior were observed, with dehydroxylation identified as the most deleterious process to densification as well as mechanical and biological performance. Since hydroxyapatite is not a stable phase at high temperatures and low water partial pressure atmospheres, desintering due to dehydroxylation-related pore formation became apparent during Stage III sintering. In fact, the degree of desintering and pore formation increased with the extent of Stage III sintering and grain growth. The atomic rearrangements taking place during grain boundary migration are believed to favor the formation of more-stable oxyapatite through hydroxyapatite dehydroxylation. This behavior was consistent during varied heating rate (50--400ºC/min) and varied pressure application (25--90 MPa) studies. While in vitro cytocompatibility studies using MG63 osteoblast-like cells demonstrated the biocompatibility of the FAST-processed specimens, bioactivity was sensitive to processing parameters. Since extensive dehydroxylation reduces the surface charge of the sintered materials, apatite deposition during simulated body fluid immersion only occurred when dehydroxylation was mild---i.e., on specimens sintered at low temperatures (800--900ºC) or for short periods. Microstructural investigations revealed that HA sintered at temperatures above 900ºC under an applied electric field contained nanometric residual pores in grain interiors, as well as micron-sized dehydroxylation-related pores at grain boundaries and grain boundary junctions. These larger pores were responsible for the increasing embrittlement of specimens sintered at higher temperatures. Although grain size dependence could not be found in the 60--100 nm grain size range, fracture toughness (KIC = 1.92 MPa√m, maximum) increased with decreasing sintering temperature. Results from the suite of investigations conducted demonstrate that biocompatible and bioactive nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite with enhanced mechanical properties can be efficiently manufactured by field-assisted sintering under controlled processing conditions.

  10. Mechanism research on arsenic removal from arsenopyrite ore during a sintering process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheng, Ri-jin; Ni, Hong-wei; Zhang, Hua; Zhang, Xiao-kun; Bai, Si-cheng

    2017-04-01

    The mechanism of arsenic removal during a sintering process was investigated through experiments with a sintering pot and arsenic-bearing iron ore containing arsenopyrite; the corresponding chemical properties of the sinter were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The experimental results revealed that the reaction of arsenic removal is mainly related to the oxygen atmosphere and temperature. During the sintering process, arsenic could be removed in the ignition layer, the sinter layer, and the combustion zone. A portion of FeAsS reacted with excess oxygen to generate FeAsO4, and the rest of the FeAsS reacted with oxygen to generate As2O3(g) and SO2(g). A portion of As2O3(g) mixed with Al2O3 or CaO, which resulted in the formation of arsenates such as AlAsO4 and Ca3(AsO4)2, leading to arsenic residues in sintering products. The FeAsS component in the blending ore was difficult to decompose in the preliminary heating zone, the dry zone, or the bottom layer because of the relatively low temperatures; however, As2O3(g) that originated from the high-temperature zone could react with metal oxides, resulting in the formation of arsenate residues.

  11. Development of bismuth tellurium selenide nanoparticles for thermoelectric applications via a chemical synthetic process

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kim, Cham; Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology; Kim, Dong Hwan

    2011-03-15

    Research highlights: {yields} We synthesized a Bi{sub 2}Te{sub y}Se{sub 3-y} nano-compound via a chemical synthetic process. {yields} The compound was sintered to achieve an average grain size of about 300 nm. {yields} The resulting sintered body showed very low thermal conductivity. It is likely caused by the vigorous phonon scattering of the nano-sized grains. -- Abstract: Bismuth tellurium selenide (Bi{sub 2}Te{sub y}Se{sub 3-y}) nanoparticles for thermoelectric applications are successfully prepared via a water-based chemical reaction under atmospheric conditions. The nanostructured compound is prepared using a complexing agent (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) and a reducing agent (ascorbic acid) to stabilize the bismuth precursormore » (Bi(NO{sub 3}){sub 3}) in water and to favor the reaction with reduced sources of tellurium and selenium. The resulting powder is smaller than ca. 100 nm and has a crystalline structure corresponding to the rhombohedral Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 2.7}Se{sub 0.3}. The nanocrystalline powder is sintered via a spark plasma sintering process to obtain a sintered body composed of nano-sized grains. Important transport properties of the sintered body are measured to calculate its most important characteristic, the thermoelectric performance. The results demonstrate a relationship between the nanostructure of the sintered body and its thermal conductivity.« less

  12. Phosphorus as sintering activator in powder metallurgical steels: characterization of the distribution and its technological impact.

    PubMed

    Krecar, Dragan; Vassileva, Vassilka; Danninger, Herbert; Hutter, Herbert

    2004-06-01

    Powder metallurgy is a highly developed method of manufacturing reliable ferrous parts. The main processing steps in a powder metallurgical line are pressing and sintering. Sintering can be strongly enhanced by the formation of a liquid phase during the sintering process when using phosphorus as sintering activator. In this work the distribution (effect) of phosphorus was investigated by means of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) supported by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and electron probe micro analysis (EPMA). To verify the influence of the process conditions (phosphorus content, sintering atmosphere, time) on the mechanical properties, additional measurements of the microstructure (pore shape) and of impact energy were performed. Analysis of fracture surfaces was performed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The concentration of phosphorus differs in the samples from 0 to 1% (w/ w). Samples with higher phosphorus concentrations (1% (w/ w) and above) are also measurable by EPMA, whereas the distributions of P at technically relevant concentrations and the distribution of possible impurities are only detectable (visible) by means of SIMS. The influence of the sintering time on the phosphorus distribution will be demonstrated. In addition the grain boundary segregation of P was measured by AES at the surface of in-situ broken samples. It will be shown that the distribution of phosphorus depends also on the concentration of carbon in the samples.

  13. Clean recycle and utilization of hazardous iron-bearing waste in iron ore sintering process.

    PubMed

    Gan, Min; Ji, Zhiyun; Fan, Xiaohui; Chen, Xuling; Zhou, Yang; Wang, Guojing; Tian, Ye; Jiang, Tao

    2018-04-18

    Applying recycled iron-bearing waste materials (RIM) into iron ore sintering process is the general disposal approach worldwide, while its use is still a thorny problem. Results showed that adding RIM increased contents of hazardous elements (K, Na, Pb, Zn, and Cl) in sinter product, and also enhanced emission concentration of PM 2.5 in flue gas; increasing reaction temperature, and contents of CaO & coke breeze in raw mixtures improved hazardous elements removal. Based on these features, a novel method through granulating natural iron ores and RIM separately and distributing granulated RIM in bottom sintering layers was proposed for clean RIM cycle. When recycling 5% RIM, granulating RIM separately with higher contents of CaO and coke breeze removed hazardous elements effectively, the contents of which in sinter were reduced to comparable level of the case without RIM. Moreover, distributing RIM in bottom sintering layer reached intensive release of hazardous elements and PM 2.5 during sintering, which reduced the flue gas volume needing purification by about 2/3. Through activated carbon purification, about 60% of PM 2.5 comprised high contents of hazardous elements was removed. Novel technique eliminated the negative impact of RIM and has the prospect to reach clean recycle in sinter-making plants. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. A Fully Coupled Simulation and Optimization Scheme for the Design of 3D Powder Injection Molding Processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ayad, G.; Song, J.; Barriere, T.; Liu, B.; Gelin, J. C.

    2007-05-01

    The paper is concerned with optimization and parametric identification of Powder Injection Molding process that consists first in injection of powder mixture with polymer binder and then to the sintering of the resulting powders parts by solid state diffusion. In the first part, one describes an original methodology to optimize the injection stage based on the combination of Design Of Experiments and an adaptive Response Surface Modeling. Then the second part of the paper describes the identification strategy that one proposes for the sintering stage, using the identification of sintering parameters from dilatometer curves followed by the optimization of the sintering process. The proposed approaches are applied to the optimization for manufacturing of a ceramic femoral implant. One demonstrates that the proposed approach give satisfactory results.

  15. Selective Laser Sintering of Nano Al2O3 Infused Polyamide

    PubMed Central

    Warnakula, Anthony; Singamneni, Sarat

    2017-01-01

    Nano Al2O3 polyamide composites are evaluated for processing by selective laser sintering. A thermal characterization of the polymer composite powders allowed us to establish the possible initial settings. Initial experiments are conducted to identify the most suitable combinations of process parameters. Based on the results of the initial trials, more promising ranges of different process parameters could be identified. The post sintering characterization showed evidence of sufficient inter-particle sintering and intra-layer coalescence. While the inter-particle coalescence gradually improved, the porosity levels slightly decreased with increasing laser power. The nano-filler particles tend to agglomerate around the beads along the solid tracks, possibly due to Van der Walls forces. The tensile stress results showed an almost linear increase with increasing nano-filler content. PMID:28773220

  16. The effect of impurities elements on titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) MIM sintered part properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmad, M. Azmirruddin; Jabir, M.; Johari, N.; Ibrahim, R.; Hamidi, N.

    2017-12-01

    The titanium alloys (Ti-6Al-4V) compact were fabricated by Metal Injection Molding (MIM). However, the real challenge of MIM processing for titanium alloy is its affinity to be contaminated by interstitial light elements such as oxygen and carbon which could degrade the mechanical properties of sintered titanium alloy such as its tensile strength and ductility. The sintering temperature effect on carbon and oxygen content that affects its physical and mechanical properties of the sintered titanium alloy was studied. The titanium MIM brown specimen was sintered at four different sintering temperatures which are 1100 °C, 1150 °C, 1200 °C and 1250 °C for 4 hours under furnace control atmosphere. The experimental result indicated that the specimen which has been made from 100% gas atomized powder have a relative density of 92.2 % - 97.6 %, the range of porosity percent around 2.38 %-3.84 %. Ultimate tensile strength of 873.11 MPa - 1007.19 MPa and ductility percent in range of 1.89 %-3.46 %. The titanium alloy MIM specimen which was sintered at 1150 °C contained 0.145 % of carbon and 0.143 % of oxygen possess the highest value of density and tensile strength, with value of 4.344 gcm-3 and 1007.2 MPa respectively. Meanwhile, the titanium alloy MIM specimen which was sintered at 1200 °C contains 0.130 % of carbon and 0.127 % of oxygen, has the highest percentage of ductility with 3.46 %. The carbon content level increased as the sintering temperature increased due to decomposition of high molecule weight of residue binder system which could not be eliminated during solvent extraction debinding process and sintered at low temperature. Contrarily, the oxygen content level indicates a decrease as the sintering temperature increased. Briefly, the sintering temperature could influence the physical and mechanical properties of titanium alloy MIM sintered specimen as it influences the oxygen and carbon content level in the alloys.

  17. [Microwave In-situ Regeneration of Cu-Mn-Ce/ZSM Catalyst Adsorbed Toluene and Distribution of Bed Temperature].

    PubMed

    Hu, Xue-jiao; Bo, Long-li; Liang, Xin-xin; Meng, Hai-long

    2015-08-01

    Microwave in-situ regeneration of Cu-Mn-Ce/ZSM catalyst adsorbed toluene, distribution of fixed bed temperature, adsorption breakthrough curves of the catalyst after several regenerations and characterizations of the catalyst by BET and SEM were investigated in this study. The research indicated that regeneration effect of the catalyst adsorbed was excellent under conditions of microwave power 117 W, air flow 0.5 m3 x h(-1) and catalyst dosage of 800 g. Toluene desorbed was oxidized onto the surface of the catalyst, and the adsorption capacity of the catalyst was recovered simultaneously. Under microwave irradiation, bed temperature decreased slowly from inside to outside in horizontal level, and increased gradually from down to up in vertical level so that the highest temperature reached 250-350 degrees C at the upper sites of the bed. Sintering and agglomeration occurred on the surface of the catalyst in the course of regeneration so that the special surface area and micropore volume of the catalyst were reduced and breakthrough time was shortened, which was verified by six adsorption breakthrough curves and related characteristics of the catalyst. However, the structure of the catalyst was steady after two regenerations, and adsorption breakthrough time was kept at 70 min. The result showed that the changes of surface morphology and pore structure were positively correlated with the distribution of bed temperature.

  18. Effects of TiO2 addition on microwave dielectric properties of Li2MgSiO4 ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rose, Aleena; Masin, B.; Sreemoolanadhan, H.; Ashok, K.; Vijayakumar, T.

    2018-03-01

    Silicates have been widely studied for substrate applications in microwave integrated circuits owing to their low dielectric constant and low tangent loss values. Li2MgSiO4 (LMS) ceramics are synthesized through solid-state reaction route using TiO2 as an additive to the pure ceramics. Variations in dielectric properties of LMS upon TiO2 addition in different weight percentages (0.5, 1.5, 2) are studied by keeping the sintering parameters constant. Crystalline structure, phase composition, and microstructure of LMS and LMS-TiO2 ceramics were studied using x-ray diffraction spectrometer and High Resolution Scanning electron microscope. Density was measured through Archimedes method and the microwave dielectric properties were examined by Cavity perturbation technique. LMS achieved relative permittivity (ε r) of 5.73 and dielectric loss (tan δ) of 5.897 × 10‑4 at 8 GHz. In LMS-TiO2 ceramics, 0.5 wt% TiO2 added LMS showed comparatively better dielectric properties than other weight percentages where ε r = 5.67, tan δ = 7.737 × 10‑4 at 8 GHz.

  19. Physical properties and microstructure study of 316L SS fabricated by metal injection moulding process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dandang, Nur Aidah Nabihah; Harun, Wan Sharuzi Wan; Khalil, Nur Zalikha; Ismail, Muhammad Hussain; Ibrahim, Rosdi

    2017-12-01

    Metal injection moulding (MIM) has been practised to process alloy powders to become components with significant physical and mechanical properties. Dissimilar than other methods, MIM focuses on the production of high volume, a small, and complex shape of products. The performance of the compacts depends on the suitable sintering parameters that governs their strengths in the final phase which determines the excellent properties of the sintered compacts. Three different sintering temperatures were utilised; 1100, 1200, and 1300 °C with two different soaking times; 1 and 3 hours at 10 °C/min heating rate to study their effect on the physical properties and microstructure analysis of 316L SS alloy compacts. The shrinkage measurement, surface roughness, and density measurement had been conducted for physical properties study. Different sintering temperatures give an effect to the physical properties of the sintered compacts. The shrinkage measurement at 1300 °C and 3-hour sintering condition demonstrated the highest percentage reading which was 10.1 % compared to the lowest percentage reading of 6.4 % at 1100 °C and 1-hour sintering conditions. Whereas, the minimum percentage of density measurement can be found at sintering conditions of 1100 °C and 1-hour which is 83.9 % and the highest percentage is at 1300 °C and 3-hour sintering condition which is about 89.51 %. Therefore, it has been determined that there could be a significant relationship between sintering temperature and physical properties in which it can be found from the porosity of the compact based on the microstructure studies.

  20. An application of powder metallurgy to dentistry.

    PubMed

    Oda, Y; Ueno, S; Kudoh, Y

    1995-11-01

    Generally, the dental casting method is used to fabricate dental prostheses made with metal. The method of fabricating dental prostheses from sintered titanium alloy has certain advantages: the elimination of casting defects, a sintering temperature that is lower than the melting point, and a shorter processing time. By examining (1) the properties of green, sintered compacts of titanium powder, (2) the effects of adding aluminum powder on the properties of green, sintered compacts of Ti-Al compound, and (3) the effects of adding copper powder on the properties of green, sintered compacts of Ti-Al-Cu compound, the authors developed a sintered titanium alloy on a trial basis. Because the properties satisfied the requirements of dental restorations, a powder metallurgical method of making dental restorations from this sintered titanium alloy was devised. Applications of such sintered titanium alloys for the metal coping of metal-ceramic crowns and denture base plates were discussed.

  1. Microstructural Evolution in Friction Stir Welding of Ti-6Al-4V

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rubisoff, H.; Querin, J.; Magee, D.; Schneider, J.

    2008-01-01

    Friction stir welding (FSW) is a thermo-mechanical process that utilizes a nonconsumable rotating pin tool to consolidate a weld joint. In the conventional FSW process, the pin tool is responsible for generating both the heat required to soften the material and the forces necessary to deform and combine the weld seam. As such, the geometry of the pin tool is important to the quality of the weld and the process parameters required to produce the weld. Because the geometry of the pin tool is limitless, a reduced set of pin tools was formed to systematically study their effect on the weldment with respect to mechanical properties and resultant microstructure. In this study 0deg, 15deg, 30deg, 45deg, and 60deg tapered, microwave sintered, tungsten carbide (WC) pin tools were used to FSW Ti-6Al-4V. Transverse sections of the weld were used to test for mechanical properties and to document the microstructure using optical microscopy. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was also used to characterize the microstructure in the welds. FSW results for the 45deg and 60deg pin tools are reported in this paper.

  2. Grain growth effects on magnetic properties of Ni0.6Zn0.4Fe2O4 material prepared using mechanically alloyed nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Syazwan, M. M.; Hapishah, A. N.; Azis, R. S.; Abbas, Z.; Hamidon, M. N.

    2018-06-01

    The effect of grain growth via sintering temperature on some magnetic properties is reported in this research. Ni0.6Zn0.4Fe2O4 nanoparticles were mechanically alloyed for 6 h and the sintering process starting from 600 to 1200 °C with 25 °C increment with only one sample subjected to all sintering scheme. The resulting change in the material was observed after each sintering. Single phase has been formed at 600 °C and above and the intensity peaks increased with sintering temperature as well as crystallinity increment. The morphological studies showed grain size increment as the sintering temperature increased. Moreover, the density increased while the porosity decreased with increasing sintering temperature. The saturation induction, Bs increased with the increased of grain size. On the other hand, the coercivity-vs-grain size plot reveals the critical single-domain-to-multidomain grain size to be about ∼400 nm. The initial permeability, μi value was increased with grain size enhancement. The microstructural grain growth, as exposed for the first time by this research, is shown as a process of multiple activation energy barriers.

  3. Behavior of oxide film at the interface between particles in sintered Al powders by pulse electric-current sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Guoqiang; Ohashi, Osamu; Song, Minghui; Furuya, Kazuo; Noda, Tetsuji

    2003-03-01

    The microstructure of the bonding interfaces between particles in aluminum (Al) powder sintered specimens by the pulse electric-current sintering (PECS) process was observed, using conventional transmission electron microscopy (CTEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The behavior of oxide film at the interface between Al particles and its effect on properties of the sintered specimens were investigated. The results showed there were two kinds of bonding interfaces in the sintered specimens, namely, the direct metal/metal bonding and the metal/oxide film layer/metal bonding interface. By increasing the fraction of the direct metal/metal bonding interfaces, the tensile strength of the sintered specimens increased, and the electrical resistivity decreased. By increasing the loading pressure at higher sintering temperatures or increasing the sintering temperature under loading pressure, the breakdown of oxide film was promoted. The broken oxide film debris was dispersed in aluminum metal near the bonding interfaces between particles.

  4. Ir-based refractory superalloys by pulse electric current sintering (PECS) process (II prealloyed powder)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, C.; Yamabe-Mitarai, Y.; Harada, H.

    2002-02-01

    Five prealloyed powder samples prepared from binary Ir-based refractory superalloys were sintered at 1800 °C for 4 h by Pulse Electric Current Sintering (PECS). No metal loss was observed during sintering. The relative densities of the sintered specimens all exceeded 90% T.D. The best one was Ir-13% Hf with the density of 97.82% T.D. Phases detected in sintered samples were in accordance with the phase diagram as expected. Fractured surfaces were observed in two samples (Ir-13% Hf and Ir-15% Zr). Some improvements obtained by using prealloyed powders instead of elemental powders, which were investigated in the previous studies, were presented.

  5. Process Parameter Optimization of Extrusion-Based 3D Metal Printing Utilizing PW-LDPE-SA Binder System.

    PubMed

    Ren, Luquan; Zhou, Xueli; Song, Zhengyi; Zhao, Che; Liu, Qingping; Xue, Jingze; Li, Xiujuan

    2017-03-16

    Recently, with a broadening range of available materials and alteration of feeding processes, several extrusion-based 3D printing processes for metal materials have been developed. An emerging process is applicable for the fabrication of metal parts into electronics and composites. In this paper, some critical parameters of extrusion-based 3D printing processes were optimized by a series of experiments with a melting extrusion printer. The raw materials were copper powder and a thermoplastic organic binder system and the system included paraffin wax, low density polyethylene, and stearic acid (PW-LDPE-SA). The homogeneity and rheological behaviour of the raw materials, the strength of the green samples, and the hardness of the sintered samples were investigated. Moreover, the printing and sintering parameters were optimized with an orthogonal design method. The influence factors in regard to the ultimate tensile strength of the green samples can be described as follows: infill degree > raster angle > layer thickness. As for the sintering process, the major factor on hardness is sintering temperature, followed by holding time and heating rate. The highest hardness of the sintered samples was very close to the average hardness of commercially pure copper material. Generally, the extrusion-based printing process for producing metal materials is a promising strategy because it has some advantages over traditional approaches for cost, efficiency, and simplicity.

  6. Process Parameter Optimization of Extrusion-Based 3D Metal Printing Utilizing PW–LDPE–SA Binder System

    PubMed Central

    Ren, Luquan; Zhou, Xueli; Song, Zhengyi; Zhao, Che; Liu, Qingping; Xue, Jingze; Li, Xiujuan

    2017-01-01

    Recently, with a broadening range of available materials and alteration of feeding processes, several extrusion-based 3D printing processes for metal materials have been developed. An emerging process is applicable for the fabrication of metal parts into electronics and composites. In this paper, some critical parameters of extrusion-based 3D printing processes were optimized by a series of experiments with a melting extrusion printer. The raw materials were copper powder and a thermoplastic organic binder system and the system included paraffin wax, low density polyethylene, and stearic acid (PW–LDPE–SA). The homogeneity and rheological behaviour of the raw materials, the strength of the green samples, and the hardness of the sintered samples were investigated. Moreover, the printing and sintering parameters were optimized with an orthogonal design method. The influence factors in regard to the ultimate tensile strength of the green samples can be described as follows: infill degree > raster angle > layer thickness. As for the sintering process, the major factor on hardness is sintering temperature, followed by holding time and heating rate. The highest hardness of the sintered samples was very close to the average hardness of commercially pure copper material. Generally, the extrusion-based printing process for producing metal materials is a promising strategy because it has some advantages over traditional approaches for cost, efficiency, and simplicity. PMID:28772665

  7. Processing of sintered alpha SiC

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Storm, R. S.

    1984-01-01

    Processing methods of sintered alpha SiC for engine applications are developed in a cost effective manner, using a submicron sized powder blended with sintering aids (boron and carbon). The processes for forming a green powder compact, such as dry pressing, cold isostatic pressing and green machining, slip casting, aqueous extrusion, plastic extrusion, and injection molding, are described. Dry pressing is the simplest route to component fabrication, and is carried out at approximately 10,000 psi pressure, while in the cold isostatic method the pressure could go as high as 20,000 psi. Surfactants are added to control settling rates and casting characteristics in the slip casting. The aqueous extrusion process is accomplished by a hydraulic ram forcing the aqueous mixture through a die. The plastic forming processes of extrusion and injection molding offer the potential of greater diversity in shape capacity. The physical properties of sintered alpha SiC (hardness, Young's modulus, shear modulus, and thermal diffusivity) are extensively tested. Corrosion resistance test results of silicon carbide are included.

  8. Method of electrode fabrication for solid oxide electrochemical cells

    DOEpatents

    Jensen, R.R.

    1990-11-20

    A process for fabricating cermet electrodes for solid oxide electrochemical cells by sintering is disclosed. First, a porous metal electrode is fabricated on a solid oxide cell, such as a fuel cell by, for example, sintering, and is then infiltrated with a high volume fraction stabilized zirconia suspension. A second sintering step is used to sinter the infiltrated zirconia to a high density in order to more securely attach the electrode to the solid oxide electrolyte of the cell. High performance fuel electrodes can be obtained with this process. Further electrode performance enhancement may be achieved if stabilized zirconia doped with cerium oxide, chromium oxide, titanium oxide, and/or praseodymium oxide for electronic conduction is used. 5 figs.

  9. Method of electrode fabrication for solid oxide electrochemical cells

    DOEpatents

    Jensen, Russell R.

    1990-01-01

    A process for fabricating cermet electrodes for solid oxide electrochemical cells by sintering is disclosed. First, a porous metal electrode is fabricated on a solid oxide cell, such as a fuel cell by, for example, sintering, and is then infiltrated with a high volume fraction stabilized zirconia suspension. A second sintering step is used to sinter the infiltrated zirconia to a high density in order to more securely attach the electrode to the solid oxide electrolyte of the cell. High performance fuel electrodes can be obtained with this process. Further electrode performance enhancement may be achieved if stabilized zirconia doped with cerium oxide, chromium oxide, titanium oxide, and/or praseodymium oxide for electronic conduction is used.

  10. Preparation Of Sources For Plasma Vapor Deposition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Waters, William J.; Sliney, Hal; Kowalski, D.

    1993-01-01

    Multicomponent metal targets serving as sources of vapor for plasma vapor deposition made in modified pressureless-sintering process. By use of targets made in modified process, one coats components with materials previously plasma-sprayed or sintered but not plasma-vapor-deposited.

  11. Mineral Phases and Release Behaviors of As in the Process of Sintering Residues Containing As at High Temperature

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Xingrun; Zhang, Fengsong; Nong, Zexi

    2014-01-01

    To investigate the effect of sintering temperature and sintering time on arsenic volatility and arsenic leaching in the sinter, we carried out experimental works and studied the structural changes of mineral phases and microstructure observation of the sinter at different sintering temperatures. Raw materials were shaped under the pressure of 10 MPa and sintered at 1000~1350°C for 45 min with air flow rate of 2000 mL/min. The results showed that different sintering temperatures and different sintering times had little impact on the volatilization of arsenic, and the arsenic fixed rate remained above 90%; however, both factors greatly influenced the leaching concentration of arsenic. Considering the product's environmental safety, the best sintering temperature was 1200°C and the best sintering time was 45 min. When sintering temperature was lower than 1000°C, FeAsS was oxidized into calcium, aluminum, and iron arsenide, mainly Ca3(AsO4)2 and AlAsO4, and the arsenic leaching was high. When it increased to 1200°C, arsenic was surrounded by a glass matrix and became chemically bonded inside the matrix, which lead to significantly lower arsenic leaching. PMID:24723798

  12. Study of the suitability of a commercial hydroxyapatite powder to obtain sintered compacts for medical applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palacio, C.; Jaramillo, D.; Correa, S.; Arroyave, M.

    2017-06-01

    Hydroxyapatite (HA) is a material widely used by the medical community due to its Ca/P ratio is comparable to the Ca/P ratio of bones and teeth, which promotes osteoinduction and osteoconduction processes when in contact with bone tissue, either as volume piece or coating. This work focuses on studying the quality of the commercial HA powder MKnano-#MKN-HXAP-S12 µm, after processing, to obtain sintered compact discs with suitable physical and chemical characteristics for implants applications. The HA powder was processed through calcination, grinding, pressing and sintering to evaluate the effect of such as procedures in the compacts dics quality. The raw powder was characterized by laser diffraction, SEM, XRF, XRD, TGA and DSC while the characteristics of the obtained compact discs were determined by dilatometry and XRD to identify the sintering temperature range, constituent phases, the amorphous content and the crystallinity degree, parameters that allow determining their suitability for implants applications. Although, it was not possible to obtain sintered compacts with the suitable chemical composition and without fractures, this work allowed to identify the parameters that determine the suitability of a HA powder to obtain sintered compacts for medical applications, as well as the characterization protocol that allows the evaluation of such parameters.

  13. Tailoring of processing parameters for sintering microsphere-based scaffolds with dense-phase carbon dioxide

    PubMed Central

    Jeon, Ju Hyeong; Bhamidipati, Manjari; Sridharan, BanuPriya; Scurto, Aaron M.; Berkland, Cory J.; Detamore, Michael S.

    2015-01-01

    Microsphere-based polymeric tissue-engineered scaffolds offer the advantage of shape-specific constructs with excellent spatiotemporal control and interconnected porous structures. The use of these highly versatile scaffolds requires a method to sinter the discrete microspheres together into a cohesive network, typically with the use of heat or organic solvents. We previously introduced subcritical CO2 as a sintering method for microsphere-based scaffolds; here we further explored the effect of processing parameters. Gaseous or subcritical CO2 was used for making the scaffolds, and various pressures, ratios of lactic acid to glycolic acid in poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid), and amounts of NaCl particles were explored. By changing these parameters, scaffolds with different mechanical properties and morphologies were prepared. The preferred range of applied subcritical CO2 was 15–25 bar. Scaffolds prepared at 25 bar with lower lactic acid ratios and without NaCl particles had a higher stiffness, while the constructs made at 15 bar, lower glycolic acid content, and with salt granules had lower elastic moduli. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (hUCMSCs) seeded on the scaffolds demonstrated that cells penetrate the scaffolds and remain viable. Overall, the study demonstrated the dependence of the optimal CO2 sintering parameters on the polymer and conditions, and identified desirable CO2 processing parameters to employ in the sintering of microsphere-based scaffolds as a more benign alternative to heat-sintering or solvent-based sintering methods. PMID:23115065

  14. A strategy to optimize the thermoelectric performance in a spark plasma sintering process

    PubMed Central

    Chiu, Wan-Ting; Chen, Cheng-Lung; Chen, Yang-Yuan

    2016-01-01

    Spark plasma sintering (SPS) is currently widely applied to existing alloys as a means of further enhancing the alloys’ figure of merit. However, the determination of the optimal sintering condition is challenging in the SPS process. This report demonstrates a systematic way to independently optimize the Seebeck coefficient S and the ratio of electrical to thermal conductivity (σ/κ) and thus achieve the maximum figure of merit zT = S2(σ/κ)T. Sb2−xInxTe3 (x = 0–0.2) were chosen as examples to validate the method. Although high sintering temperature and pressure are helpful in enhancing the compactness and electrical conductivity of pressed samples, the resultant deteriorated Seebeck coefficient and increasing thermal conductivity eventually offset the benefit. We found that the optimal sintering temperature coincides with temperatures at which the maximum Seebeck coefficient begins to degrade, whereas the optimal sintering pressure coincided with the pressure at which the σ/κ ratio reaches a maximum. Based on this principle, the optimized sintering conditions were determined, and the zT of Sb1.9In0.1Te3 is raised to 0.92 at 600 K, showing an approximately 84% enhancement. This work develops a facile strategy for selecting the optimal SPS sintering condition to further enhance the zT of bulk specimens. PMID:26975209

  15. Processing and properties of SiC whisker reinforced Si sub 3 N sub 4 ceramic matrix composites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nunn, S.D.

    1991-01-01

    Silicon carbide whiskers reinforced silicon nitride ceramic matrix composites were pressureless sintered to high density by liquid phase sintering. Important processing parameters included: whisker dispersion by ultrasonic shear homogenization, particle refinement by attrition milling, pressure slip casting to obtain high greed densities, and sintering in a protective powder bed to limit decomposition. Composites with a {beta}20-Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} solid solution matrix containing 20 vol.% SiC whiskers were sintered to 98-100% theoretical density; composites having a Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} matrix containing YAG sintering aid were sintered to 98% of the theoretical density with 20 vol.% SiC whiskers, and 94% density withmore » 30 vol.% SiC whiskers. Analysis of the pressureless sintered composites revealed orientation of the SiC whiskers and the Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} matrix grains. The mechanical properties of hot pressed Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} composites reinforced with 20 vol.% SiC whiskers were shown to depend on the characteristics of the intergranular phase. Variations in the properties of the composites were analyzed in terms of the amount and morphology of the secondary phase, and the development of internal residual stresses due to the thermal expansion mismatch between the sintering aid phase at the grain boundaries.« less

  16. The physical chemistry and materials science behind sinter-resistant catalysts.

    PubMed

    Dai, Yunqian; Lu, Ping; Cao, Zhenming; Campbell, Charles T; Xia, Younan

    2018-06-18

    Catalyst sintering, a main cause of the loss of catalytic activity and/or selectivity at high reaction temperatures, is a major concern and grand challenge in the general area of heterogeneous catalysis. Although all heterogeneous catalysts are inevitably subjected to sintering during their operation, the immediate and drastic consequences can be mitigated by carefully engineering the catalytic particles and their interactions with the supports. In this tutorial review, we highlight recent progress in understanding the physical chemistry and materials science involved in sintering, including the discussion of advanced techniques, such as in situ microscopy and spectroscopy, for investigating the sintering process and its rate. We also discuss strategies for the design and rational fabrication of sinter-resistant catalysts. Finally, we showcase recent success in improving the thermal stability and thus sinter resistance of supported catalytic systems.

  17. Effects of soldering methods on tensile strength of a gold-palladium metal ceramic alloy.

    PubMed

    Ghadhanfari, Husain A; Khajah, Hasan M; Monaco, Edward A; Kim, Hyeongil

    2014-10-01

    The tensile strength obtained by conventional postceramic application soldering and laser postceramic welding may require more energy than microwave postceramic soldering, which could provide similar tensile strength values. The purpose of the study was to compare the tensile strength obtained by microwave postceramic soldering, conventional postceramic soldering, and laser postceramic welding. A gold-palladium metal ceramic alloy and gold-based solder were used in this study. Twenty-seven wax specimens were cast in gold-palladium noble metal and divided into 4 groups: laser welding with a specific postfiller noble metal, microwave soldering with a postceramic solder, conventional soldering with the same postceramic solder used in the microwave soldering group, and a nonsectioned control group. All the specimens were heat treated to simulate a normal porcelain sintering sequence. An Instron Universal Testing Machine was used to measure the tensile strength for the 4 groups. The means were analyzed statistically with 1-way ANOVA. The surface and fracture sites of the specimens were subjectively evaluated for fracture type and porosities by using a scanning electron microscope. The mean (standard deviation) ultimate tensile strength values were as follows: nonsectioned control 818 ±30 MPa, microwave 516 ±34 MPa, conventional 454 ±37 MPa, and laser weld 191 ±39 MPa. A 1-way ANOVA showed a significant difference in ultimate tensile strength among the groups (F3,23=334.5; P<.001). Follow-up multiple comparisons showed a significant difference among all the groups. Microwave soldering resulted in a higher tensile strength for gold and palladium noble metals than either conventional soldering or laser welding. Conventional soldering resulted in a higher tensile strength than laser welding. Under the experimental conditions described, either microwave or conventional postceramic soldering would appear to satisfy clinical requirements related to tensile strength. Copyright © 2014 Editorial Council for the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Production Process for Strong, Light Ceramic Tiles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holmquist, G. R.; Cordia, E. R.; Tomer, R. S.

    1985-01-01

    Proportions of ingredients and sintering time/temperature schedule changed. Production process for lightweight, high-strength ceramic insulating tiles for Space Shuttle more than just scaled-up version of laboratory process for making small tiles. Boron in aluminum borosilicate fibers allows fusion at points where fibers contact each other during sintering, thereby greatly strengthening tiles structure.

  19. Consolidation Process in Near Net Shape Manufacturing of Armstrong CP-Ti/Ti-6Al-4V Powders

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yamamoto, Yukinori; Kiggans, Jim; Clark, Michael B

    2010-01-01

    This paper summarizes our recent efforts to develop the manufacturing technologies of consolidated net-shape components by using new low-cost commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti) and Ti-6Al-4V alloy powders made by the Armstrong process. Fabrication processes of net shape/ near net shape components, such as uniaxial die-pressing, cold isostatic pressing (CIP), sintering, roll compaction and stamping, have been evaluated. The press-and-sinter processing of the powders were systematically investigated in terms of theoretical density and microstructure as a function of time, pressure, and temperature. Up to 96.4% theoretical density has been achieved with the press-and-sinter technology. Tensile properties of the consolidated samples exhibitmore » good ductility as well as equivalent yield/ultimate tensile strengths to those of fully consolidate materials, even with the presence of a certain amount of porosity. A consolidation model is also under development to interpret the powder deformation during processing. Net shape components made of the Armstrong powder can successfully be fabricated with clearer surface details by using press-and-sinter processing.« less

  20. CALCIUM OXIDE SINTERING IN ATMOSPHERES CONTAINING WATER AND CARBON DIOXIDE

    EPA Science Inventory

    The paper gives results of measurements of the effects of water vapor and CO2 on the sintering rate of nascent CaO, as a function of partial pressure and temperature using CaO prepared by rapid decomposition of CaCO3 and CA(OH)2. Each gas strongly catalyzed the sintering process ...

  1. Enhanced Sintering of TiNi Shape Memory Foams under Mg Vapor Atmosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aydoğmuş, Tarik; Bor, Şakir

    2012-12-01

    TiNi alloy foams are promising candidates for biomaterials to be used as artificial orthopedic implant materials for bone replacement applications in biomedical sector. However, certain problems exist in their processing routes, such as formation of unwanted secondary intermetallic phases leading to brittleness and deterioration of shape memory and superelasticity characteristics; and the contamination during processing resulting in oxides and carbonitrides which affect mechanical properties negatively. Moreover, the eutectic reaction present in Ti-Ni binary system at 1391 K (1118 °C) prevents employment of higher sintering temperatures (and higher mechanical properties) even when equiatomic prealloyed powders are used because of Ni enrichment of TiNi matrix as a result of oxidation. It is essential to prevent oxidation of TiNi powders during processing for high-temperature (>1391 K i.e., 1118 °C) sintering practices. In the current study, magnesium powders were used as space holder material to produce TiNi foams with the porosities in the range of 40 to 65 pct. It has been found that magnesium prevents secondary phase formation and contamination. It also prevents liquid phase formation while enabling employment of higher sintering temperatures by two-step sintering processing: holding the sample at 1373 K (1100 °C) for 30 minutes, and subsequently sintering at temperatures higher than the eutectic temperature, 1391 K (1118 °C). By this procedure, magnesium may allow sintering up to temperatures close to the melting point of TiNi. TiNi foams produced with porosities in the range of 40 to 55 pct were found to be acceptable as implant materials in the light of their favorable mechanical properties.

  2. Ceramic electrolyte coating methods

    DOEpatents

    Seabaugh, Matthew M.; Swartz, Scott L.; Dawson, William J.; McCormick, Buddy E.

    2004-10-12

    Processes for preparing aqueous suspensions of a nanoscale ceramic electrolyte material such as yttrium-stabilized zirconia. The invention also includes a process for preparing an aqueous coating slurry of a nanoscale ceramic electrolyte material. The invention further includes a process for depositing an aqueous spray coating slurry including a ceramic electrolyte material on pre-sintered, partially sintered, and unsintered ceramic substrates and products made by this process.

  3. Structural comparison of sintering products made of "TiC + Ti" composite powders and "Ti + C" powder mixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krinitcyn, Maksim G.; Pribytkov, Gennadii A.; Korosteleva, Elena N.; Firsina, Irina A.; Baranovskii, Anton V.

    2017-12-01

    In this study, powder composite materials comprised of TiC and Ti with different ratios are processed by sintering of Ti and C powder mixtures and self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) in "Ti+C" system followed by sintering. The microstructure and porosity of obtained composites are investigated and discussed. The dependence of porosity on sintering time is explained theoretically. Optimal regimes that enable to obtain the most homogeneous structure with the least porosity are described.

  4. Fabrication of turbine components and properties of sintered silicon nitride

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Neil, J. T.; French, K. W.; Quackenbush, C. L.; Smith, J. T.

    1982-01-01

    This paper presents a status report on the injection molding of sinterable silicon nitride at GTE Laboratories. The effort involves fabrication of single axial turbine blades and monolithic radial turbine rotors. The injection molding process is reviewed and the fabrication of the turbine components discussed. Oxidation resistance and strength results of current injection molded sintered silicon nitride as well as dimensional checks on sintered turbine blades demonstrate that this material is a viable candidate for high temperature structural applications.

  5. The effect of various sintering temperature on used refractory towards its physical properties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sudibyo; Wulandari, Y. R.; Amin, M.; Azhar

    2018-01-01

    The used magnesia refractory from the kiln of cement industry was successfully recycled to new refractory using Kaolin as an adhesive. In this work, the temperatures of sintering were varied from 1000°C to 1500°C. The result shows that the increment temperature effects in sintering process will enhance refractory physical properties such as bulk density, cold crushing strength or pressure strength and thermal conductivity. Meanwhile, the porosity was decreased as the increase of the sintering temperature.

  6. Homogeneity of Gd-based garnet transparent ceramic scintillators for gamma spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seeley, Z. M.; Cherepy, N. J.; Payne, S. A.

    2013-09-01

    Transparent polycrystalline ceramic scintillators based on the composition Gd1.49Y1.49Ce0.02Ga2.2Al2.8O12 are being developed for gamma spectroscopy detectors. Scintillator light yield and energy resolution depend on the details of various processing steps, including powder calcination, green body formation, and sintering atmosphere. We have found that gallium sublimation during vacuum sintering creates compositional gradients in the ceramic and can degrade the energy resolution. While sintering in oxygen produces ceramics with uniform composition and little afterglow, light yields are reduced, compared to vacuum sintering. By controlling the atmosphere during the various process steps, we were able to minimize the gallium sublimation, resulting in a more homogeneous composition and improved gamma spectroscopy performance.

  7. Comparison of aged polyamide powders for selective laser sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martínez, A.; Ibáñez, A.; Sánchez, A.; León, M. A.

    2012-04-01

    Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is an additive manufacturing technology in which a three-dimensional object is manufactured layer by layer by melting powder materials with heat generated from a CO2 laser. However, a disadvantage of sintered materials is that the unsintered powder material during the process can be reused only a limited number of cycles, as during the heating phase in the sintering chamber the material remains at a temperature near the fusion point for a certain period of time and lose properties. This work shows the study of two polyamides (PA12)-based powders used in SLS with the aim of understanding the modification of their properties mainly with the temperature and the time at which they are exposed during the processing.

  8. Process for the recovery of alumina from fly ash

    DOEpatents

    Murtha, M.J.

    1983-08-09

    An improvement in the lime-sinter process for recovering alumina from pulverized coal fly ash is disclosed. The addition of from 2 to 10 weight percent carbon and sulfur to the fly ash-calcium carbonate mixture increase alumina recovery at lower sintering temperatures.

  9. Dry Sintering Meets Wet Silver-Ion "Soldering": Charge-Transfer Plasmon Engineering of Solution-Assembled Gold Nanodimers From Visible to Near-Infrared I and II Regions.

    PubMed

    Fang, Lingling; Wang, Yueliang; Liu, Miao; Gong, Ming; Xu, An; Deng, Zhaoxiang

    2016-11-07

    Achieving highly tunable and localized surface plasmon resonance up to near infrared (NIR) regions is a key target in nanoplasmonics. In particular, a self-assembly process capable of producing highly uniform and solution-processable nanomaterials with tailor-made plasmonic properties is lacking. We herein address this problem through a conjunctive use of wet Ag + soldering and dry thermal sintering to produce nanodimer-derived structures with precisely engineered charge-transfer plasmon (CTP). The sintered dimers are water soluble, featuring gradually shifted CTP spanning an 800 nm wavelength range (up to NIR II). Upon silica removal, the products are grafted by DNA to offer surface functionality. This process is also adaptable to DNA-linked AuNP dimers toward plasmonic meta-materials via DNA-guided soldering and sintering. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Experimental Study on Hot Metal Desulfurization Using Sintered Red Mud-Based Flux

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Fengshan; Zhang, Yanling; Guo, Zhancheng

    2017-09-01

    This research presents the results of laboratory and pilot-scale tests conducted on the use of sintered red mud (RM)-based flux in the hot metal desulfurization (HMD) process. Al2O3/Na2O in RM can decrease the melting point of lime-based slag and can work as a flux in the HMD process. Good slag fluidity was observed throughout the process, and high desulfurization rates ( 80%) with a low final S content (<0.02%) were experimentally obtained when the RM:CaO ratio was between 1.2:1 and 2.4:1. The pilot-scale test results indicated that a desulfurization rate as high as 91% and a S content <0.0099% could be acquired when RM:lime = 1:1, verifying the feasibility of using sintered RM-based flux in HMD. The data obtained provide important information for promoting the large-scale application of sintered RM in steelmaking.

  11. Chemical Sintering Generates Uniform Porous Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels

    PubMed Central

    Cam, Cynthia; Segura, Tatiana

    2014-01-01

    Implantation of scaffolds for tissue repair has been met with limited success primarily due to the inability to achieve vascularization within the construct. Many strategies have shifted to incorporate pores into these scaffolds to encourage rapid cellular infiltration and subsequent vascular ingrowth. We utilized an efficient chemical sintering technique to create a uniform network of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres for porous hyaluronic acid hydrogel formation. The porous hydrogels generated from chemical sintering possessed comparable pore uniformity and interconnectivity as the commonly used non- and heat sintering techniques. Moreover, similar cell response to the porous hydrogels generated from each sintering approach was observed in cell viability, spreading, proliferation in vitro, as well as, cellular invasion in vivo. We propose chemical sintering of PMMA microspheres using a dilute acetone solution as an alternative method to generating porous hyaluronic acid hydrogels since it requires equal or ten-fold less processing time as the currently used non-sintering or heat sintering technique, respectively. PMID:24120847

  12. Improved microstructure and thermoelectric properties of iodine doped indium selenide as a function of sintering temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dhama, Pallavi; Kumar, Aparabal; Banerji, P.

    2018-04-01

    In this paper, we explored the effect of sintering temperature on the microstructure, thermal and electrical properties of iodine doped indium selenide in the temperature range 300 - 700 K. Samples were prepared by a collaborative process of vacuum melting, ball milling and spark plasma sintering at 570 K, 630 K and 690 K. Single phase samples were obtained at higher sintering temperature as InSe is stable only at lower temperature. With increasing sintering temperature, densities of the samples were found to improve with larger grain size formation. Negative values of Seebeck coefficient were observed which indicates n-type carrier transport. Seebeck coefficient increases with sintering temperature and found to be the highest for the sample sintered at 690 K. Thermal conductivity found to be lower in the samples sintered at lower temperatures. The maximum thermoelectric figure of merit found to be ˜ 1 at 700 K due to the enhanced power factor as a result of improved microstructure.

  13. On the self-damping nature of densification in photonic sintering of nanoparticles

    PubMed Central

    MacNeill, William; Choi, Chang-Ho; Chang, Chih-Hung; Malhotra, Rajiv

    2015-01-01

    Sintering of nanoparticle inks over large area-substrates is a key enabler for scalable fabrication of patterned and continuous films, with multiple emerging applications. The high speed and ambient condition operation of photonic sintering has elicited significant interest for this purpose. In this work, we experimentally characterize the temperature evolution and densification in photonic sintering of silver nanoparticle inks, as a function of nanoparticle size. It is shown that smaller nanoparticles result in faster densification, with lower temperatures during sintering, as compared to larger nanoparticles. Further, high densification can be achieved even without nanoparticle melting. Electromagnetic Finite Element Analysis of photonic heating is coupled to an analytical sintering model, to examine the role of interparticle neck growth in photonic sintering. It is shown that photonic sintering is an inherently self-damping process, i.e., the progress of densification reduces the magnitude of subsequent photonic heating even before full density is reached. By accounting for this phenomenon, the developed coupled model better captures the experimentally observed sintering temperature and densification as compared to conventional photonic sintering models. Further, this model is used to uncover the reason behind the experimentally observed increase in densification with increasing weight ratio of smaller to larger nanoparticles. PMID:26443492

  14. Rapid laser sintering of metal nano-particles inks.

    PubMed

    Ermak, Oleg; Zenou, Michael; Toker, Gil Bernstein; Ankri, Jonathan; Shacham-Diamand, Yosi; Kotler, Zvi

    2016-09-23

    Fast sintering is of importance in additive metallization processes and especially on sensitive substrates. This work explores the mechanisms which set limits to the laser sintering rate of metal nano-particle inks. A comparison of sintering behavior of three different ink compositions with laser exposure times from micro-seconds to seconds reveals the dominant factor to be the organic content (OC) in the ink. With a low OC silver ink, of 2% only, sintering time falls below 100 μs with resistivity <×4 bulk silver. Still shorter exposure times result in line delamination and deformation with a similar outcome when the OC is increased.

  15. Effect of Al(OH)3 on the sintering of UO2-Gd2O3 fuel pellets with addition of U3O8 from recycle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    dos Santos, Lauro Roberto; Durazzo, Michelangelo; Urano de Carvalho, Elita Fontenele; Riella, Humberto Gracher

    2017-09-01

    The incorporation of gadolinium as burnable poison directly into nuclear fuel is important for reactivity compensation, which enables longer fuel cycles. The function of the burnable poison fuel is to control the neutron population in the reactor core during its startup and the beginning of the fuel burning cycle to extend the use of the fuel. The implementation of UO2-Gd2O3 poisoned fuel in Brazil has been proposed according to the future requirements established for the Angra-2 nuclear power plant. The UO2 powder used is produced from the Ammonium Uranyl Carbonate (AUC). The incorporation of Gd2O3 powder directly into the AUC-derived UO2 powder by dry mechanical blending is the most attractive process, because of its simplicity. Nevertheless, processing by this method leads to difficulties while obtaining sintered pellets with the minimum required density. The cause of the low densities is the bad sintering behavior of the UO2-Gd2O3 mixed fuel, which shows a blockage in the sintering process that hinders the densification. This effect has been overcome by microdoping of the fuel with small quantities of aluminum. The process for manufacturing the fuel inevitably generates uranium-rich scraps from various sources. This residue is reincorporated into the production process in the form of U3O8 powder additions. The addition of U3O8 also hinders densification in sintering. This study was carried out to investigate the influence of both aluminum and U3O8 additives on the density of fuel pellets after sintering. As the effects of these additives are counterposed, this work studied the combined effect thereof, seeking to find an applicable composition for the production process. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of aluminum, in the form of Al(OH)3, as an additive to promote increase in the densification of the (U,Gd)O2 pellets during sintering, even with high additions of U3O8 recycled from the manufacturing process.

  16. Fabrication of Bi2223 bulks with high critical current properties sintered in Ag tubes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takeda, Yasuaki; Shimoyama, Jun-ichi; Motoki, Takanori; Kishio, Kohji; Nakashima, Takayoshi; Kagiyama, Tomohiro; Kobayashi, Shin-ichi; Hayashi, Kazuhiko

    2017-03-01

    Randomly grain oriented Bi2223 sintered bulks are one of the representative superconducting materials having weak-link problem due to very short coherence length particularly along the c-axis, resulting in poor intergrain Jc properties. In our previous studies, sintering and/or post-annealing under moderately reducing atmospheres were found to be effective for improving grain coupling in Bi2223 sintered bulks. Further optimizations of the synthesis process for Bi2223 sintered bulks were attempted in the present study to enhance their intergrain Jc. Effects of applied pressure of uniaxial pressing and sintering conditions on microstructure and superconducting properties have been systematically investigated. The best sample showed intergrain Jc of 2.0 kA cm-2 at 77 K and 8.2 kA cm-2 at 20 K, while its relative density was low ∼65%. These values are quite high as for a randomly oriented sintered bulk of cuprate superconductors.

  17. Influence of sulfur dioxide-related interactions on PM2.5 formation in iron ore sintering.

    PubMed

    Ji, Zhiyun; Fan, Xiaohui; Gan, Min; Chen, Xuling; Lv, Wei; Li, Qiang; Zhou, Yang; Tian, Ye; Jiang, Tao

    2017-04-01

    The formation of PM 2.5 (aerosol particulate matter less than 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter) in association with SO 2 emission during sintering process has been studied by dividing the whole sintering process into six typical sampling stages. A low-pressure cascade impactor was used to collect PM 2.5 by automatically segregating particulates into six sizes. It was found that strong correlation existed between the emission properties of PM 2.5 and SO 2 . Wet mixture layer (overwetted layer and raw mixture layer) had the function to simultaneously capture SO 2 and PM 2.5 during the early sintering stages, and released them back into flue gas mainly in the flue gas temperature-rising period. CaSO 4 crystals constituted the main SO 2 -related PM 2.5 during the disappearing process of overwetted layer, which was able to form perfect individual crystals or to form particles with complex chemical compositions. Besides the existence of individual CaSO 4 crystals, mixed crystals of K 2 SO 4 -CaSO 4 in PM 2.5 were also found during the first half of the temperature-rising period of flue gas. The interaction between fine-grained Ca-based fluxes, potassium vapors, and SO 2 was the potential source of SO 2 -related PM 2.5 . The emission property of PM 2.5 and SO 2 throughout the sintering process exhibited well similarity. This phenomenon tightened the relationship between the formation of PM 2.5 and the emission of SO 2 . Through revealing the properties of SO 2 -related PM 2.5 during sintering process, the potential interaction between fine-grained Ca-based fluxes, potassium vapors, and SO 2 was found to be the source of SO 2 -related PM 2.5 . This information can serve as the guidance to develop efficient techniques to control the formation and emission of PM 2.5 in practical sintering plants.

  18. Direct metal laser sintering: a digitised metal casting technology.

    PubMed

    Venkatesh, K Vijay; Nandini, V Vidyashree

    2013-12-01

    Dental technology is undergoing advancements at a fast pace and technology is being imported from various other fields. One such imported technology is direct metal laser sintering technology for casting metal crowns. This article will discuss the process of laser sintering for making metal crowns and fixed partial dentures with a understanding of their pros and cons.

  19. Fast sintering of silver nanoparticle and flake layers by infrared module assistance in large area roll-to-roll gravure printing system

    PubMed Central

    Park, Janghoon; Kang, Hyi Jae; Shin, Kee-Hyun; Kang, Hyunkyoo

    2016-01-01

    We present fast sintering for silver (Ag) nanoparticle (NP) and flake layers printed using roll-to-roll (R2R) gravure printing. An infrared (IR) sintering module was applied to an R2R system to shorten the sintering duration of an R2R gravure-printed Ag layer. IR sintering of the conductive layer was improved by optimising the process condition. After printing of the Ag NP and Ag flake layers, additional IR sintering was performed in the R2R system. The lowest sheet resistance obtained in the Ag NP layer was 0.294 Ω/□, the distance between the substrate and lamp was 50-mm long, the IR lamp power was 500 W, and the sintering time was 5.4 s. The fastest sintering of 0.34 Ω/□ was achieved with 50-mm distance, 1,000-W IR lamp power, and 1.08-s sintering time. In the Ag flake layer, the lowest sheet resistance obtained was 0.288 Ω/□ with a 20-mm distance, 1,000-W IR lamp power, and 10.8-s sintering time. Meanwhile, the fastest sintering was obtained with a 3.83 Ω/□ sheet resistance, 20-mm distance, 1000-W IR lamp, and 1.08-s sintering time. Thus, the IR sintering module can easily be employed in an R2R system to obtain excellent layer sheet resistance. PMID:27713469

  20. Effect of Electromagnetic Interactions on the Undulatory Temperature Dependent Behaviour of Non-Resonant Microwave Absorption Signal Amplitude in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Padam, Gursharan K.; Ekbote, Shrikant N.; Sharma, Mukul; Tripathy, Malay R.; Srivastava, Ganesh P.; Das, Bijoy K.

    2006-01-01

    Variation of non-resonant microwave absorption (NRMA) signal amplitude in single-phase Bi-2212 (5 wt % Ag) sintered pellets (Tc\\circ ˜ 96 K) while increasing temperature from 15 to 105 K has been investigated and discussed. These studies show an undulatory behavior of an initial fall in the amplitude (15-71.8 K) with a subsequent narrow weak temperature independent region (71.8-75.6 K) and then a rise peaking at ˜82.5 K followed by a final exponential fall (82.5-105 K). A detailed discussion on earlier reported data has suggested that this undulatory behavior cannot be understood in terms of existing approaches involving effect of Josephson interactions (JI) alone among vortices. In our opinion, the entire undulatory behavior observed in the present samples can be explained with the inclusion of electromagnetic interaction (EMI) along with JI.

  1. The effect of the YBCO-PST composite composition on the superconducting carrier concentration determined by microwave studies under high pressure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krupski, M.; Stankowski, J.; Przybył, S.; Andrzejewski, B.; Kaczmarek, A.; Hilczer, B.; Marfaing, J.; Caranoni, C.

    1999-07-01

    The effect of hydrostatic pressure ( p<0.6 GPa) on the superconducting critical temperature Tc in YBa 2Cu 3O 7- δ-Pb(Sc 0.5Ta 0.5)O 3 (YBCO-PST) composite is measured by the method of magnetically modulated microwave absorption (MMMA). The Tc dependence on the PST fraction in weight x (0, 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75) is approximated by an inverted parabola function whereas the influence of pressure on Tc is represented by the equation: d Tc/d p=0.61(2)-1.72(6) x. The result may be explained assuming that PST phase in YBCO-PST composite influences the superconducting carrier concentration similar to the chemical substitution in YBa 2Cu 3O 7 [J.J. Neumeier, H.A. Zimmermann, Phys. Rev. B 47 (1993) 8385]. It is suggested that ions from PST diffuse to YBCO cell during the sintering of the composite.

  2. Microwave plasma synthesis of Si/Ge and Si/WSi2 nanoparticles for thermoelectric applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petermann, Nils; Schneider, Tom; Stötzel, Julia; Stein, Niklas; Weise, Claudia; Wlokas, Irenäus; Schierning, Gabi; Wiggers, Hartmut

    2015-08-01

    The utilization of microwave-based plasma systems enables a contamination-free synthesis of highly specific nanoparticles in the gas phase. A reactor setup allowing stable, long-term operation was developed with the support of computational fluid dynamics. This paper highlights the prospects of gas-phase plasma synthesis to produce specific materials for bulk thermoelectrics. Taking advantage of specific plasma reactor properties such as Coulomb repulsion in combination with gas temperatures considerably higher than 1000 K, spherical and non-aggregated nanoparticles of multiple compositions are accessible. Different strategies towards various nanostructured composites and alloys are discussed. It is shown that, based on doped silicon/germanium alloys and composites, thermoelectric materials with zT values up to almost unity can be synthesized in one step. First experimental results concerning silicon/tungsten silicide thermoelectrics applying the nanoparticle-in-alloy idea are presented indicating that this concept might work. However, it is found that tungsten silicides show a surprising sinter activity more than 1000 K below their melting temperature.

  3. Microwave Absorption Properties of La0.8Ca0.2-xAgxMnO3 (x=0.05; x=0.15) Synthesized by Sol-Gel Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kurniawan, B.; Laksmi, W.; Sahara, N. A.

    2018-04-01

    Microwave absorption properties of La0.8Ca0.2-xAgxMnO3 (x= 0.05; 0.15) is reported in this paper. Lanthanum manganite materials was reported as a potential absorber material [1][2][3]. In this paper, the material was synthesized by sol-gel method, calcined at 550°C, and sintered at 900°C. The material was characterized by X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD), and we found that the materials were single phased. Through SEM-EDS characterization it is found that the materials have compositional purity. The resistivity of the materials is obtained by four point probe method, and it is shown that Ag doped decreases the resistivity of the materials. Reflection loss of La0.8Ca0.15Ag0.05MnO3 reaches -4.470 dB and La0.8Ca0.05Ag0.15MnO3 reaches - 7.953 dB.

  4. CAD/CAM machining Vs pre-sintering in-lab fabrication techniques of Y-TZP ceramic specimens: Effects on their mechanical fatigue behavior.

    PubMed

    Zucuni, C P; Guilardi, L F; Fraga, S; May, L G; Pereira, G K R; Valandro, L F

    2017-07-01

    This study evaluated the effects of different pre-sintering fabrication processing techniques of Y-TZP ceramic (CAD/CAM Vs. in-lab), considering surface characteristics and mechanical performance outcomes. Pre-sintered discs of Y-TZP ceramic (IPS e.max ZirCAD, Ivoclar Vivadent) were produced using different pre-sintering fabrication processing techniques: Machined- milling with a CAD/CAM system; Polished- fabrication using a cutting device followed by polishing (600 and 1200 SiC papers); Xfine- fabrication using a cutting machine followed by grinding with extra-fine diamond bur (grit size 30 μm); Fine- fabrication using a cutting machine followed by grinding with fine diamond bur (grit size 46 μm); SiC- fabrication using a cutting machine followed by grinding with 220 SiC paper. Afterwards, the discs were sintered and submitted to roughness (n=35), surface topography (n=2), phase transformation (n=2), biaxial flexural strength (n=20), and biaxial flexural fatigue strength (fatigue limit) (n=15) analyses. No monoclinic-phase content was observed in all processing techniques. It can be observed that obtaining a surface with similar characteristics to CAD/CAM milling is essential for the observation of similar mechanical performance. On this sense, grinding with fine diamond bur before sintering (Fine group) was the best mimic protocol in comparison to the CAD/CAM milling. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Parallel Large-Scale Molecular Dynamics Simulation Opens New Perspective to Clarify the Effect of a Porous Structure on the Sintering Process of Ni/YSZ Multiparticles.

    PubMed

    Xu, Jingxiang; Higuchi, Yuji; Ozawa, Nobuki; Sato, Kazuhisa; Hashida, Toshiyuki; Kubo, Momoji

    2017-09-20

    Ni sintering in the Ni/YSZ porous anode of a solid oxide fuel cell changes the porous structure, leading to degradation. Preventing sintering and degradation during operation is a great challenge. Usually, a sintering molecular dynamics (MD) simulation model consisting of two particles on a substrate is used; however, the model cannot reflect the porous structure effect on sintering. In our previous study, a multi-nanoparticle sintering modeling method with tens of thousands of atoms revealed the effect of the particle framework and porosity on sintering. However, the method cannot reveal the effect of the particle size on sintering and the effect of sintering on the change in the porous structure. In the present study, we report a strategy to reveal them in the porous structure by using our multi-nanoparticle modeling method and a parallel large-scale multimillion-atom MD simulator. We used this method to investigate the effect of YSZ particle size and tortuosity on sintering and degradation in the Ni/YSZ anodes. Our parallel large-scale MD simulation showed that the sintering degree decreased as the YSZ particle size decreased. The gas fuel diffusion path, which reflects the overpotential, was blocked by pore coalescence during sintering. The degradation of gas diffusion performance increased as the YSZ particle size increased. Furthermore, the gas diffusion performance was quantified by a tortuosity parameter and an optimal YSZ particle size, which is equal to that of Ni, was found for good diffusion after sintering. These findings cannot be obtained by previous MD sintering studies with tens of thousands of atoms. The present parallel large-scale multimillion-atom MD simulation makes it possible to clarify the effects of the particle size and tortuosity on sintering and degradation.

  6. Sintered electrode for solid oxide fuel cells

    DOEpatents

    Ruka, Roswell J.; Warner, Kathryn A.

    1999-01-01

    A solid oxide fuel cell fuel electrode is produced by a sintering process. An underlayer is applied to the electrolyte of a solid oxide fuel cell in the form of a slurry, which is then dried. An overlayer is applied to the underlayer and then dried. The dried underlayer and overlayer are then sintered to form a fuel electrode. Both the underlayer and the overlayer comprise a combination of electrode metal such as nickel, and stabilized zirconia such as yttria-stabilized zirconia, with the overlayer comprising a greater percentage of electrode metal. The use of more stabilized zirconia in the underlayer provides good adhesion to the electrolyte of the fuel cell, while the use of more electrode metal in the overlayer provides good electrical conductivity. The sintered fuel electrode is less expensive to produce compared with conventional electrodes made by electrochemical vapor deposition processes. The sintered electrodes exhibit favorable performance characteristics, including good porosity, adhesion, electrical conductivity and freedom from degradation.

  7. Sintered electrode for solid oxide fuel cells

    DOEpatents

    Ruka, R.J.; Warner, K.A.

    1999-06-01

    A solid oxide fuel cell fuel electrode is produced by a sintering process. An underlayer is applied to the electrolyte of a solid oxide fuel cell in the form of a slurry, which is then dried. An overlayer is applied to the underlayer and then dried. The dried underlayer and overlayer are then sintered to form a fuel electrode. Both the underlayer and the overlayer comprise a combination of electrode metal such as nickel, and stabilized zirconia such as yttria-stabilized zirconia, with the overlayer comprising a greater percentage of electrode metal. The use of more stabilized zirconia in the underlayer provides good adhesion to the electrolyte of the fuel cell, while the use of more electrode metal in the overlayer provides good electrical conductivity. The sintered fuel electrode is less expensive to produce compared with conventional electrodes made by electrochemical vapor deposition processes. The sintered electrodes exhibit favorable performance characteristics, including good porosity, adhesion, electrical conductivity and freedom from degradation. 4 figs.

  8. Effects of sintering process on wear and mechanical behavior properties of titanium carbide/hexagonal boron nitrid/steel 316L base nanocomposites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sadooghi, Ali; Payganeh, Gholamhassan

    2018-02-01

    Powder metallurgy process is one of the approaches to manufacture nanocomposite samples, in which the product quality depends upon the pressure, temperature, and sintering time. In this manuscript, steel is selected as the base material together with 2% carbon-based reinforcing TiC particles, and 2% hBN particles as the self-lubricant material. The powders were mixed for 5 h in high ball milling, and compacted with two pressures of 350 and 450 MPa, sintered in the furnace for 2 and 4 h, and sintering temperatures of 1350 and 1450 °C were utilized. SEM, XRD, and EDX tests are performed to identify the nanocomposite structure, and DTA tests are carried out to specify the temperature graph of the material. Finally, hardness, wear, and bending tests are done to find the corresponding mechanical properties of the samples. As a result, the optimum process parameters, including pressure, temperature and sintering duration is achieved. Results show that adding the reinforcing particles into a steel matrix increase the hardness, as well as flexural strength of the nanocomposite product. Also, coefficient of friction shows a decreases.

  9. Toward Better Personal Ballistic Protection

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-03-04

    nanotube-reinforced zirconia-toughened alumina composites prepared by spark plasma sintering , Carbon, Vol 50, Iss 2 (2012), 706-717. [4] Bolduc M...attempt to optimize mechanical properties. The processing approaches investigated were pressureless sintering , hot pressing and hot isostatic...pressing (CIP) and pressureless sintering (PS). Test samples were made with high purity commercially available ceramic powder (over 99.5% for Al2O3). For

  10. Phenomenological model of sintering of oxide nuclear fuel with doping admixtures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baranov, V. G.; Devyatko, Yu. N.; Tenishev, A. V.; Khomyakov, O. V.

    2015-12-01

    It is shown that a change in the linear dimension of compacted UO2 in the sintering process is associated with its plastic yielding under the action of the forces of residual stress and capillary forces. From the curves of sintering of a fuel with doping admixtures in various gaseous media, its rate of creep is reduced.

  11. Sintering of catalytic nanoparticles: particle migration or Ostwald ripening?

    PubMed

    Hansen, Thomas W; Delariva, Andrew T; Challa, Sivakumar R; Datye, Abhaya K

    2013-08-20

    Metal nanoparticles contain the active sites in heterogeneous catalysts, which are important for many industrial applications including the production of clean fuels, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and the cleanup of exhaust from automobiles and stationary power plants. Sintering, or thermal deactivation, is an important mechanism for the loss of catalyst activity. This is especially true for high temperature catalytic processes, such as steam reforming, automotive exhaust treatment, or catalytic combustion. With dwindling supplies of precious metals and increasing demand, fundamental understanding of catalyst sintering is very important for achieving clean energy and a clean environment, and for efficient chemical conversion processes with atom selectivity. Scientists have proposed two mechanisms for sintering of nanoparticles: particle migration and coalescence (PMC) and Ostwald ripening (OR). PMC involves the mobility of particles in a Brownian-like motion on the support surface, with subsequent coalescence leading to nanoparticle growth. In contrast, OR involves the migration of adatoms or mobile molecular species, driven by differences in free energy and local adatom concentrations on the support surface. In this Account, we divide the process of sintering into three phases. Phase I involves rapid loss in catalyst activity (or surface area), phase II is where sintering slows down, and phase III is where the catalyst may reach a stable performance. Much of the previous work is based on inferences from catalysts that were observed before and after long term treatments. While the general phenomena can be captured correctly, the mechanisms cannot be determined. Advancements in the techniques of in situ TEM allow us to observe catalysts at elevated temperatures under working conditions. We review recent evidence obtained via in situ methods to determine the relative importance of PMC and OR in each of these phases of catalyst sintering. The evidence suggests that, in phase I, OR is responsible for the rapid loss of activity that occurs when particles are very small. Surprisingly, very little PMC is observed in this phase. Instead, the rapid loss of activity is caused by the disappearance of the smallest particles. These findings are in good agreement with representative atomistic simulations of sintering. In phase II, sintering slows down since the smallest particles have disappeared. We now see a combination of PMC and OR, but do not fully understand the relative contribution of each of these processes to the overall rates of sintering. In phase III, the particles have grown large and other parasitic phenomena, such as support restructuring, can become important, especially at high temperatures. Examining the evolution of particle size and surface area with time, we do not see a stable or equilibrium state, especially for catalysts operating at elevated temperatures. In conclusion, the recent literature, especially on in situ studies, shows that OR is the dominant process causing the growth of nanoparticle size. Consequently, this leads to the loss of surface area and activity. While particle migration could be controlled through suitable structuring of catalyst supports, it is more difficult to control the mobility of atomically dispersed species. These insights into the mechanisms of sintering could help to develop sinter-resistant catalysts, with the ultimate goal of designing catalysts that are self-healing.

  12. Processing conditions and microstructural features of porous 316L stainless steel components by DMLS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gu, Dongdong; Shen, Yifu

    2008-12-01

    Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), due to its flexibility in materials and shapes, would be especially interesting to produce complex shaped porous metallic components. In the present work, processing conditions and microstructural characteristics of direct laser sintered porous 316L stainless steel components were studied. It was found that a partial melting mechanism of powders gave a high feasibility in obtaining porous sintered structures possessing porosities of ˜21-˜55%. Linear energy density (LED), which was defined by the ratio of laser power to scan speed, was used to tailor the laser sintering mechanism. A moderate LED of ˜3400-˜6000 J/m and a lower scan speed less than 0.06 m/s proved to be feasible. With the favorable sintering mechanism prevailed, lowering laser power or increasing scan speed, scan line spacing, and powder layer thickness generally led to a higher porosity. Metallurgical mechanisms of pore formation during DMLS were addressed. It showed that the presence of pores was through: (i) the formation of liquid bridges between partially melted particles during laser irradiation; and (ii) the growth of sintering necks during solidification, leaving residual pores between solidified metallic agglomerates.

  13. Process for fabrication of large titanium diboride ceramic bodies

    DOEpatents

    Moorhead, Arthur J.; Bomar, E. S.; Becher, Paul F.

    1989-01-01

    A process for manufacturing large, fully dense, high purity TiB.sub.2 articles by pressing powders with a sintering aid at relatively low temperatures to reduce grain growth. The process requires stringent temperature and pressure applications in the hot-pressing step to ensure maximum removal of sintering aid and to avoid damage to the fabricated article or the die.

  14. Magnesia tuned multi-walled carbon nanotubes–reinforced alumina nanocomposites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ahmad, Iftikhar, E-mail: ifahmad@ksu.edu.sa; Islam, Mohammad; Dar, Mushtaq Ahmad

    2015-01-15

    Magnesia tuned alumina ceramic nanocomposites, reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes, were condensed using pressureless and hot-press sintering processes. Densification, microstructure and mechanical properties of the produced nanocomposites were meticulously investigated. Electron microscopy studies revealed the homogenous carbon nanotube dispersion within the alumina matrix and confirmed the retention of carbon nanotubes' distinctive tubular morphology and nanoscale features during the extreme mixing/sintering processes. Pressureless sintered nanocomposites showed meagre mechanical responses due to the poorly-integrated microstructures with a slight improvement upon magnesia addition. Conversely, both the magnesia addition and application of hot-press sintering technique resulted in the nanocomposite formation with near-theoretical densities (~more » 99%), well-integrated microstructures and superior mechanical properties. Hot-press sintered nanocomposites incorporating 300 and 600 ppm magnesia exhibited an increase in hardness (10 and 11%), flexural strength (5 and 10%) and fracture toughness (15 and 20%) with respect to similar magnesia-free samples. Compared to monolithic alumina, a decent rise in fracture toughness (37%), flexural strength (22%) and hardness (20%) was observed in the hot-press sintered nanocomposites tuned with merely 600 ppm magnesia. Mechanically superior hot-press sintered magnesia tailored nanocomposites are attractive for several load-bearing structural applications. - Highlights: • MgO tailored Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}–2 wt.% CNT nanocomposites are presented. • The role of MgO and sintering on nanocomposite structures and properties was studied. • Well-dispersed CNTs maintained their morphology/structure after harsh sintering. • Hot-pressing and MgO led nanocomposites to higher properties/unified structures. • MgO tuned composites showed higher toughness (37%) and strength (22%) than Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}.« less

  15. Optimization of sintering conditions for cerium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cranston, Robert Wesley McEachern

    YAG:Ce phosphors have become widely used as blue/yellow light converters in camera projectors, white light emitting diodes (WLEDs) and general lighting applications. Many studies have been published on the production, characterization, and analysis of this optical ceramic but few have been done on determining optimal synthesis conditions. In this work, YAG:Ce phosphors were synthesized through solid state mixing and sintering. The synthesized powders and the highest quality commercially available powders were pressed and sintered to high densities and their photoluminescence (PL) intensity measured. The optimization process involved the sintering temperature, sintering time, annealing temperature and the level of Ce concentration. In addition to the PL intensity, samples were also characterized using particle size analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The PL data was compared with data produced from a YAG:Ce phosphor sample provided by Christie Digital. The peak intensities of the samples were converted to a relative percentage of this industry product. The highest value for the intensity of the commercial powder was measured for a Ce concentration of 0.3 mole% with a sintering temperature of 1540°C and a sintering dwell time of 7 hours. The optimal processing parameters for the in-house synthesized powder were slightly different from those of commercial powders. The optimal Ce concentration was 0.4 mole% Ce, sintering temperature was 1560°C and sintering dwell time was 10 hours. These optimal conditions produced a relative intensity of 94.20% and 95.28% for the in-house and commercial powders respectively. Polishing of these samples resulted in an increase of 5% in the PL intensity.

  16. Efficient sintering of nanocrystalline titanium dioxide films for dye solar cells via raster scanning laser

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mincuzzi, Girolamo; Vesce, Luigi; Reale, Andrea; Di Carlo, Aldo; Brown, Thomas M.

    2009-09-01

    By identifying the right combination of laser parameters, in particular the integrated laser fluence Φ, we fabricated dye solar cells (DSCs) with UV laser-sintered TiO2 films exhibiting a power conversion efficiency η =5.2%, the highest reported for laser-sintered devices. η is dramatically affected by Φ and a clear trend is reported. Significantly, DSCs fabricated by raster scanning the laser beam to sinter the TiO2 films are made as efficient as those with oven-sintered ones. These results, confirmed on three batches of cells, demonstrate the remarkable potential (noncontact, local, low cost, rapid, selective, and scalable) of scanning laser processing applied to DSC technology.

  17. Sintering Uranium Dioxide of Domestic Production. Report No. 78; SINTERIZACION DE DIOXIDO DE URANIO DE PRODUCCION NACIONAL. Informe No. 78

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Carrea, A.J.

    1963-01-01

    After a brief indication of the uranium- oxygen equilibrium and the methods for the preparation of UO/sub 2/, the sintering of UO/sub 2/ is considered. The effects of various sintering atmospheres on the properties of the product are discussed and tabulated. The method used for the processing of domestic ores for the preparation of UO/sub 2/ and the fabricition of the sintered UO/sub 2/are described. The properties of the product obtained are illustrated graphically. (J.S.R.)

  18. Volatile organic compound constituents from an integrated iron and steel facility.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Jiun-Horng; Lin, Kuo-Hsiung; Chen, Chih-Yu; Lai, Nina; Ma, Sen-Yi; Chiang, Hung-Lung

    2008-09-15

    This study measured the volatile organic compound (VOC) constituents of four processes in an integrated iron and steel industry; cokemaking, sintering, hot forming, and cold forming. Toluene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, isopentane, m,p-xylene, 1-butene, ethylbenzene, and benzene were the predominant VOC species in these processes. However, some of the chlorinated compounds were high (hundreds ppbv), i.e., trichloroethylene in all four processes, carbon tetrachloride in the hot forming process, chlorobenzene in the cold forming process, and bromomethane in the sintering process. In the sintering process, the emission factors of toluene, benzene, xylene, isopentane, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, and ethylbenzene were over 9 g/tonne-product. In the vicinity of the manufacturing plant, toluene, isopentane, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, xylene and ethylbenzene were high. Toluene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, xylene, 1-butene and isopentane were the major ozone formation species. Aromatic compounds were the predominant VOC groups, constituting 45-70% of the VOC concentration and contributing >70% to the high ozone formation potential in the stack exhaust and workplace air. The sequence of VOC concentration and ozone formation potential was as follows: cold forming>sintering>hot forming>cokemaking. For the workplace air, cokemaking was the highest producer, which was attributed to the fugitive emissions of the coke oven and working process release.

  19. Nano-crystalline Magnesium Substituted Cadmium Ferrites as X-band Microwave Absorbers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhongale, S. R.; Ingawale, H. R.; Shinde, T. J.; Pubby, Kunal; Bindra Narang, Sukhleen; Vasambekar, P. N.

    2017-11-01

    The magnetic and electromagnetic properties of nanocrystalline spinel ferrites with chemical formula MgxCd1-xFe2O4 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0) prepared by oxalate co-precipitation method under microwave sintering technique were studied. The magnetic and dielectric parameters of ferrites were determined by using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and vector network analyzer (VNA) respectively. Magnetic parameters such as saturation magnetizations (Ms), coercive force (Hc), remnant magnetization (Mr), Yafet-Kittel (Y-K) angle of ferrites were determined from hysteresis loops. The variation of real permittivity (ε‧), dielectric loss tangent (tanδe), real permeability (μ‧) and magnetic loss tangent (tanδm) with frequency and Mg2+content were studied in X-band frequency range. The values of ε‧, tanδe, μ‧ and tanδm of ferrites were observed to be in range of 4.2 - 6.12, 2.9 × 10-1 - 6 × 10-2, 0.6 - 1.12 and 4.5 × 10-1 - 2 × 10-3 respectively for the prepared compositions. The study of variation of reflection loss with frequency of all ferrites shows that ferrite with magnesium content x = 0.4 can be potential candidate for microwave applications in X-band.

  20. Fabrication of a porous material with a porosity gradient by a pulsed electric current sintering process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suk, Myung-Jin; Choi, Sung-II; Kim, Ji-Soon; Kim, Young Do; Kwon, Young-Soon

    2003-12-01

    A porous structure with a porosity gradient can be applied to the preparation of continuous FGM, where liquid or chemical vapor of the second phase is infiltrated into the graded pores. It also has applications in skeletal implant materials and ultrafiltration media. An attempt was made to fabricate a porous material with a porosity gradient by means of a pulsed electric current sintering (PECS) process. The present work describes not only the measured value of the temperature difference between the upper and lower part of the specimen, which brings about a gradual change in pore distribution, but also the sintering characteristics of the porous structure obtained by the pressureless PECS process.

  1. Effects of sintering atmosphere on the physical and mechanical properties of modified BOF slag glass

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dai, Wen-bin; Li, Yu; Cang, Da-qiang; Zhou, Yuan-yuan; Fan, Yong

    2014-05-01

    This study proposes an efficient way to utilize all the chemical components of the basic oxygen furnace (BOF) slag to prepare high value-added glass-ceramics. A molten modified BOF slag was converted from the melting BOF slag by reducing it and separating out iron component in it, and the modified BOF slag was then quenched in water to form glasses with different basicities. The glasses were subsequently sintered in the temperature range of 600-1000°C in air or nitrogen atmosphere for 1 h. The effects of different atmospheres on the physical and mechanical properties of sintered samples were studied by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and by conducting experiment on evaluating the sintering shrinkage, water absorption and bulk density. It is found that the kinetics of the sintering process is significantly affected by sintering atmosphere. In particular, compared with sintering in air atmosphere, sintering in N2 atmosphere promotes the synergistic growth of pyroxene and melilite crystalline phases, which can contribute to better mechanical properties and denser microstructure.

  2. Low-Temperature Sintering Behavior (≤ 400°C) of Micro-sized Silver Particles Decorated by Silver Nanoparticles Through Surface Iodination

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Jian; Tang, Hongbo

    2018-05-01

    This paper introduces a facile and effective route to decorate micro-sized silver particle surfaces with Ag/AgI nanoclusters through a wet chemical reaction at room temperature using iodine and ethanol as reactant and solvent, respectively. Photosensitivity of AgI is utilized in the route, and AgI decomposes into Ag upon contact with sunshine, forming Ag/AgI nanoclusters. The modified micro-sized Ag particles showed sinterability even at 200°C and formed rigid electrical conductive networks at 350°C. Moreover, sintered film containing the modified Ag particles reached the best conductivity, 9.35 mΩ/sq, after sintering at 350°C for 20 min, while the film with untreated control Ag particles obtained its best conductivity at 400°C. The excellent sinterability should be attributed to the nanoclusters which served as a sintering aid during the heating process. However, increase of sintering temperature and time destroyed densification and conductivity of the sintered film containing the modified particles.

  3. Processing of uranium dioxide nuclear fuel pellets using spark plasma sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ge, Lihao

    Uranium dioxide (UO2), one of the most common nuclear fuels, has been applied in most of the nuclear plant these days for electricity generation. The main objective of this research is to introduce a novel method for UO 2 processing using spark plasma sintering technique (SPS). Firstly, an investigation into the influence of processing parameters on densification of UO2 powder during SPS is presented. A broad range of sintering temperatures, hold time and heating rates have been systematically varied to investigate their influence on the sintered pellet densification process. The results revealed that up to 96% theoretical density (TD) pellets can be obtained at a sintering temperature of 1050 °C for 30s hold time and a total run time of only 10 minutes. A systematic study is performed by varying the sintering temperature between 750°C to 1450°C and hold time between 0.5 min to 20 min to obtain UO2 pellets with a range of densities and grain sizes. The microstructure development in terms of grain size, density and porosity distribution is investigated. The Oxygen/Uranium (O/U) ratio of the resulting pellets is found to decrease after SPS. The mechanical and thermal properties of UO2 are evaluated. For comparable density and grain size, Vickers hardness and Young's modulus are in agreement with the literature value. The thermal conductivity of UO2 increases with the density but the grain size in the investigated range has no significant influence. Overall, the mechanical and thermal properties of UO2 are comparable with the one made using conventional sintering methods. Lastly, the influence of chromium dioxide (Cr2O3) and zirconium diboride (ZrB2) on the grain size of doped UO 2 fuel pellet is performed to investigate the feasibility of producing large-grain-size nuclear fuel using SPS. The benefits of using SPS over the conventional sintering of UO2 are summarized. The future work of designing macro-porous UO2 pellet and thorium dioxide (ThO 2) cored UO2 pellet is also proposed.

  4. Sintering in Ceramics and Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hunt, Clay Dale

    Nature's propensity to minimize energy, and the change in energy with respect to position, drives diffusion. Diffusion is a means by which mass transport resulting in the bonding of the particles of a powder compact can be achieved without melting. This phenomenon occurs in powdered materials near their melting temperature, and is referred to as "sintering". Because of the extreme melting temperature of some materials, sintering might be the only practical means of processing. The complexity and subtlety of sintering ceramics motivated the evaluation of empirical data and existing sintering models. This project examined polycrystalline cubic-zirconia sintering with and without transition-metal oxide additions that change sintering behavior. This study was undertaken to determine how sintering aids affect the driving force, and activation energy, the energy barrier that must be overcome in order for an atom or ion to diffuse, of the densification occurring during sintering. Examination of commercially-available cubic-zirconia powder sintering behavior was undertaken with dilatometry, which allows monitoring of the length change a material undergoes as it sinters, and with scanning electron microscopy, which facilitates the study of sintered-sample microstructure. MATLAB algorithms quantifying sintering results were developed. Results from this work include proposed definitions of a 26-year-old undefined function of density factor in a well-accepted mathematical model of sintering. These findings suggest activation energy is not changing with density, as is suggested by recent published results. The first numerical integration of the studied sintering model has been performed. With these tools, a measure of the activation energy of densification of cubic-zirconia with and without the addition of cobalt-oxide as a sintering aid has been performed. The resulting MATLAB algorithms can be used in future sintering studies. It is concluded that sintering enhancement achieved with cobalt-oxide addition comes from reduction in activation energy of densification of cubic-zirconia. Further, it is suggested that the activation energy of densification does not change with material density. This conclusion is supported by the sensitivity of the numerical integration of the aforementioned sintering model to changes in activation energy.

  5. Development of Bulk Nanocrystalline Tungsten Alloys for Fusion Reactor Structures

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fang, Zhigang Zak

    This project developed a technology for manufacturing bulk ultrafine tungsten materials that are at or near full density for fusion reactor structural applications, aiming to improve ductility and toughness of tungsten before and after irradiation. The project involved the development of fabrication processes for making bulk ultrafine grained W, the development of new alloys of ultrafine grained W and evaluations of properties of these specific materials. The goal of this fabrication process is to produce fully dense bulk W with ultrafine grain sizes, with uniform distributions of grain size and additives. To date there is no known process that couldmore » be used to make ultrafine grained tungsten in a fully dense state and in a cost-acceptable fashion. The specific technology described in this proposal for making ultrafine grained tungsten involves a suite of nano-particle processing and sintering techniques. The program also developed new alloys of ultrafine grained W, e.g. W-(Ta,V,Ti)-TiC alloys to improve ductility and toughness before and after irradiation. By completing this project, we achieved the following objectives: • Demonstrated experimentally the feasibility of producing bulk ultrafine grained tungsten alloys (at or near 100% dense, <1000 nm grain size) using the proposed process • Demonstrated the proposed ultrafine grained W alloys, namely, W-(Ta, V, Ti)-TiC, can indeed be made using the proposed process • Demonstrated that the properties of nano tungsten alloys meet the requirements for fusion reactor applications. The overall goal was to harness the potential of ultrafine grained W produced using the proposed processes as the core structural materials for future fusion reactors. The project was very successful overall, meeting all milestones and surpassing project goals in terms of process development and material’s blistering resistance properties. A novel process similar to the conventional press-and-sinter powder metallurgy method was developed for producing ultrafine grain tungsten from nanosize tungsten powders. Grain growth was significantly controlled during sintering by certain alloy compositions, particularly Ti, and most compositions sintered to maximum densification. To optimize this process, the effect of processing parameters on the densification and grain growth of nano-W powders was investigated. Near-fully densified tungsten was obtained at sintering temperatures between 1100 and 1300 °C, and both Ar and H2 sintering atmospheres were investigated. The Ar sintering atmosphere was determined to more favorably promote densification and minimize grain growth. The nanosized tungsten powder compacts were subjected to reduction in H2 as a part of the sintering cycle. The reduction temperature was found to have significant effects on the sintering of nano-W powder, primarily as a result of grain coarsening, which was seen at temperatures as low as 700 °C. In an effort to inhibit grain growth, the effect of Ti-based additives on the densification and grain growth of nano-W powders was investigated in this project. The addition of 1 wt.% Ti into tungsten led to more than a 63% decrease in average grain size of sintered samples at comparable density levels. Compared to conventional high temperature sintering, a lower temperature sintering cycle for a longer hold time resulted in both near-full density and fine grain size. The roles of the Ti additives include not only the inhibition of grain growth, but also the potential absorption of oxygen from W particles. The project has resulted in the publication; thus far, of six peer reviewed journal articles and seven conference presentations, as well as a master’s thesis. Two additional journal articles are currently in preparation. Presentations and articles were a particular focus of the second half of the project, once significant experimentation had been performed and analyzed. As part of our efforts to disseminate information of our results, the W research teams with Prof. Fang had a strong presence at multiple international conferences during 2015 and 2016. Several research groups in the US are now performing experiments using the ultrafine grained W materials.« less

  6. Consolidation of materials by pulse-discharge processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strizhakov, E. L.; Nescoromniy, S. V.

    2017-07-01

    The article presents the research and the analysis of the pulse-discharge processes of capacitor discharge sintering: CD Stud Welding, capacitor discharge percussion welding (CDPW), high-voltage capacitor welding with an inductive-dynamic drive (HVCW with IDD), pulse electric current sintering (PECS) of powders. The comparative analysis of the impact parameter is presented.

  7. Improved silicon carbide for advanced heat engines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whalen, Thomas J.; Mangels, J. A.

    1986-01-01

    The development of silicon carbide materials of high strength was initiated and components of complex shape and high reliability were formed. The approach was to adapt a beta-SiC powder and binder system to the injection molding process and to develop procedures and process parameters capable of providing a sintered silicon carbide material with improved properties. The initial effort was to characterize the baseline precursor materials, develop mixing and injection molding procedures for fabricating test bars, and characterize the properties of the sintered materials. Parallel studies of various mixing, dewaxing, and sintering procedures were performed in order to distinguish process routes for improving material properties. A total of 276 modulus-of-rupture (MOR) bars of the baseline material was molded, and 122 bars were fully processed to a sinter density of approximately 95 percent. Fluid mixing techniques were developed which significantly reduced flaw size and improved the strength of the material. Initial MOR tests indicated that strength of the fluid-mixed material exceeds the baseline property by more than 33 percent. the baseline property by more than 33 percent.

  8. Sintered Intermetallic Reinforced 434L Ferritic Stainless Steel Composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Upadhyaya, A.; Balaji, S.

    2009-03-01

    The present study examines the effect of aluminide (Ni3Al, Fe3Al) additions on the sintering behavior of ferritic 434L stainless steels during solid-state sintering (SSS) and supersolidus liquid-phase sintering (SLPS). 434L stainless steel matrix composites containing 5 and 10 wt pct of each aluminide were consolidated at 1200 °C (SSS) and 1400 °C (SLPS). The effects of sintering and aluminide additions on the densification, microstructural evolution, mechanical, tribological, and corrosion behavior of sintered ferritic (434L) stainless steels were investigated. The performances of the 434L-aluminide composites were compared with the straight 434L stainless steels processed at similar conditions. Supersolidus sintering resulted in significant improvement in densification, mechanical, wear, and corrosion resistance in both straight 434L and 434L-aluminide composites. Fe3Al additions to 434L stainless steels result in improved wear resistance without significant degradation of corrosion resistance in 3.56 wt pct NaCl solution.

  9. Reactive sintering process of ferromagnetic MnBi under high magnetic fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitsui, Yoshifuru; Umetsu, Rie Y.; Takahashi, Kohki; Koyama, Keiichi

    2018-05-01

    The magnetic field effect on the reactive sintering process of MnBi was investigated. Magnetic-field-induced enhancement of the reaction was found to be exhibited at the initial stages. The coercivity field decreased with an increase in the in-field annealing time. The kinetics of the reaction were in good agreement with the diffusion-controlled reaction model. It is suggested that the decrease in activation energy at the initial stages of reaction increased the amount of formed MnBi phases, resulting in enhancement of the reaction Mn + Bi to MnBi phase by in-field reactive sintering.

  10. Taguchi Analysis on the Effect of Process Parameters on Densification During Spark Plasma Sintering of HfB2-20SiC (Preprint)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-11-01

    30 kN pressure and heating rate of 100 K/min. Introduction Boride , carbides and nitrides of the group IVB and VB transition metals are considered...10. Sciti D., Silvestroni L., Nygren M. Spark plasma sintering of Zr- and Hf- borides with decreasing amounts of MoSi2 as sintering aid Journal of

  11. Electric-Loading Enhanced Kinetics in Oxide Ceramics: Pore Migration, Sintering and Grain Growth: Final Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chen, I-Wei

    Solid oxide fuel cells and solid oxide electrolysis cells rely on solid electrolytes in which a large ionic current dominates. This project was initiated to investigate microstructural changes in such devices under electrochemical forces, because nominally insignificant processes may couple to the large ionic current to yield non-equilibrium phenomena that alter the microstructure. Our studies had focused on yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (YSZ) widely used in these devices. The experiments have revealed enhanced grain growth at higher temperatures, pore and gas bubble migration at all temperatures, and the latter also lead to enhanced sintering of highly porous ceramics into fully densemore » ceramics at unprecedentedly low temperatures. These results have shed light on kinetic processes that fall completely outside the realm of classical ceramic processing. Other fast-oxygen oxide ceramics closely related to, and often used in conjunction with zirconia ceramics, have also be investigated, as are closely related scientific problems in zirconia ceramics. These include crystal structures, defects, diffusion kinetics, oxygen potentials, low temperature sintering, flash sintering, and coarsening theory, and all have resulted in greater clarity in scientific understanding. The knowledge is leveraged to provide new insight to electrode kinetics and near-electrode mixed conductivity and to new materials. In the following areas, our research has resulted in completely new knowledge that defines the state-of-the-art of the field. (a) Electrical current driven non-equilibrium phenomena, (b) Enhanced grain growth under electrochemically reducing conditions, (c) Development of oxygen potential polarization in electrically loaded electrolyte, (d) Low temperature sintering and grain growth, and (e) Structure, defects and cation kinetics of fluorite-structured oxides. Our research has also contributed to synthesis of new energy-relevant electrochemical materials and new understanding of flash sintering, which is a rapid sintering process initiated by a large electrical loading.« less

  12. High-performance and flexible thermoelectric films by screen printing solution-processed nanoplate crystals.

    PubMed

    Varghese, Tony; Hollar, Courtney; Richardson, Joseph; Kempf, Nicholas; Han, Chao; Gamarachchi, Pasindu; Estrada, David; Mehta, Rutvik J; Zhang, Yanliang

    2016-09-12

    Screen printing allows for direct conversion of thermoelectric nanocrystals into flexible energy harvesters and coolers. However, obtaining flexible thermoelectric materials with high figure of merit ZT through printing is an exacting challenge due to the difficulties to synthesize high-performance thermoelectric inks and the poor density and electrical conductivity of the printed films. Here, we demonstrate high-performance flexible films and devices by screen printing bismuth telluride based nanocrystal inks synthesized using a microwave-stimulated wet-chemical method. Thermoelectric films of several tens of microns thickness were screen printed onto a flexible polyimide substrate followed by cold compaction and sintering. The n-type films demonstrate a peak ZT of 0.43 along with superior flexibility, which is among the highest reported ZT values in flexible thermoelectric materials. A flexible thermoelectric device fabricated using the printed films produces a high power density of 4.1 mW/cm(2) with 60 °C temperature difference between the hot side and cold side. The highly scalable and low cost process to fabricate flexible thermoelectric materials and devices demonstrated here opens up many opportunities to transform thermoelectric energy harvesting and cooling applications.

  13. High-performance and flexible thermoelectric films by screen printing solution-processed nanoplate crystals

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Varghese, Tony; Hollar, Courtney; Richardson, Joseph

    Screen printing allows for direct conversion of thermoelectric nanocrystals into flexible energy harvesters and coolers. However, obtaining flexible thermoelectric materials with high figure of merit ZT through printing is an exacting challenge due to the difficulties to synthesize high-performance thermoelectric inks and the poor density and electrical conductivity of the printed films. Here, we demonstrate high-performance flexible films and devices by screen printing bismuth telluride based nanocrystal inks synthesized using a microwave-stimulated wet-chemical method. Thermoelectric films of several tens of microns thickness were screen printed onto a flexible polyimide substrate followed by cold compaction and sintering. The n-type films demonstratemore » a peak ZT of 0.43 along with superior flexibility, which is among the highest reported ZT values in flexible thermoelectric materials. A flexible thermoelectric device fabricated using the printed films produces a high power density of 4.1 mW/cm 2 with 60°C temperature difference between the hot side and cold side. In conclusion, the highly scalable and low cost process to fabricate flexible thermoelectric materials and devices demonstrated here opens up many opportunities to transform thermoelectric energy harvesting and cooling applications.« less

  14. Effect of Weld Tool Geometry on Friction Stir Welded Ti-6Al-4V

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Querin, Joseph A.; Schneider, Judy A.

    2008-01-01

    In this study, flat 0.250" thick Ti-6Al-4V panels were friction stir welded (FSWed) using weld tools with tapered pins. The five different pin geometries of the weld tools included: 0 degree (straight cylinder), 15 degree, 30 degree, 45 degree, and 60 degree angles on the frustum. All weld tools had a smooth 7 degree concave shoulder and were made from microwave sintered tungsten carbide. For each weld tool geometry, the FSW process parameters were optimized to eliminate internal defects. All the welds were produced in position control with a 2.5 degree lead angle using a butt joint configuration for the panels. The process parameters of spindle rpm and travel speed were varied, altering the hot working conditions imparted to the workpiece. Load cells on the FSWing machine allowed for the torque, the plunge force, and the plow force to be recorded during welding. Resulting mechanical properties were evaluated from tensile tests results of the FSWjoints. Variations in the material flow were investigated by use of microstructural analysis including optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and orientation image mapping (aIM).

  15. High-performance and flexible thermoelectric films by screen printing solution-processed nanoplate crystals

    DOE PAGES

    Varghese, Tony; Hollar, Courtney; Richardson, Joseph; ...

    2016-09-12

    Screen printing allows for direct conversion of thermoelectric nanocrystals into flexible energy harvesters and coolers. However, obtaining flexible thermoelectric materials with high figure of merit ZT through printing is an exacting challenge due to the difficulties to synthesize high-performance thermoelectric inks and the poor density and electrical conductivity of the printed films. Here, we demonstrate high-performance flexible films and devices by screen printing bismuth telluride based nanocrystal inks synthesized using a microwave-stimulated wet-chemical method. Thermoelectric films of several tens of microns thickness were screen printed onto a flexible polyimide substrate followed by cold compaction and sintering. The n-type films demonstratemore » a peak ZT of 0.43 along with superior flexibility, which is among the highest reported ZT values in flexible thermoelectric materials. A flexible thermoelectric device fabricated using the printed films produces a high power density of 4.1 mW/cm 2 with 60°C temperature difference between the hot side and cold side. In conclusion, the highly scalable and low cost process to fabricate flexible thermoelectric materials and devices demonstrated here opens up many opportunities to transform thermoelectric energy harvesting and cooling applications.« less

  16. High-performance and flexible thermoelectric films by screen printing solution-processed nanoplate crystals

    PubMed Central

    Varghese, Tony; Hollar, Courtney; Richardson, Joseph; Kempf, Nicholas; Han, Chao; Gamarachchi, Pasindu; Estrada, David; Mehta, Rutvik J.; Zhang, Yanliang

    2016-01-01

    Screen printing allows for direct conversion of thermoelectric nanocrystals into flexible energy harvesters and coolers. However, obtaining flexible thermoelectric materials with high figure of merit ZT through printing is an exacting challenge due to the difficulties to synthesize high-performance thermoelectric inks and the poor density and electrical conductivity of the printed films. Here, we demonstrate high-performance flexible films and devices by screen printing bismuth telluride based nanocrystal inks synthesized using a microwave-stimulated wet-chemical method. Thermoelectric films of several tens of microns thickness were screen printed onto a flexible polyimide substrate followed by cold compaction and sintering. The n-type films demonstrate a peak ZT of 0.43 along with superior flexibility, which is among the highest reported ZT values in flexible thermoelectric materials. A flexible thermoelectric device fabricated using the printed films produces a high power density of 4.1 mW/cm2 with 60 °C temperature difference between the hot side and cold side. The highly scalable and low cost process to fabricate flexible thermoelectric materials and devices demonstrated here opens up many opportunities to transform thermoelectric energy harvesting and cooling applications. PMID:27615036

  17. Grain refinement in heavy rare earth element-free sintered Nd–Fe–B magnets by addition of a small amount of molybdenum

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kim, Jin Woo; Lee, Won Suk; Byun, Jong Min

    2015-05-07

    We employed a modified refractory-metal-addition method to achieve higher coercivity and remanence in heavy rare earth element (HREE)-free Nd–Fe–B sintered magnets. This process involved inducing the formation of a homogeneous secondary phase at the grain boundaries during sintering, making it possible to control the intergrain diffusion by adding small amounts of Mo, a refractory metal. To control the microstructure of the secondary phase effectively, a metal organic compound of the refractory metal was coated on the surfaces of the particles of an HREE-free Nd–Fe–B powder. The average grain size after this process was 5.60 μm, which was approximately 1.8 μm smaller thanmore » that of the HREE-free sintered Nd–Fe–B magnets (7.4 μm). The coercivity of the magnets prepared through this process could be increased from 11.88 kOe to 13.91 kOe without decreasing their remanence.« less

  18. Copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) photovoltaic devices made using multistep selenization of nanocrystal films.

    PubMed

    Harvey, Taylor B; Mori, Isao; Stolle, C Jackson; Bogart, Timothy D; Ostrowski, David P; Glaz, Micah S; Du, Jiang; Pernik, Douglas R; Akhavan, Vahid A; Kesrouani, Hady; Vanden Bout, David A; Korgel, Brian A

    2013-09-25

    The power conversion efficiency of photovoltaic devices made with ink-deposited Cu(InxGa1-x)Se2 (CIGS) nanocrystal layers can be enhanced by sintering the nanocrystals with a high temperature selenization process. This process, however, can be challenging to control. Here, we report that ink deposition followed by annealing under inert gas and then selenization can provide better control over CIGS nanocrystal sintering and yield generally improved device efficiency. Annealing under argon at 525 °C removes organic ligands and diffuses sodium from the underlying soda lime glass into the Mo back contact to improve the rate and quality of nanocrystal sintering during selenization at 500 °C. Shorter selenization time alleviates excessive MoSe2 formation at the Mo back contact that leads to film delamination, which in turn enables multiple cycles of nanocrystal deposition and selenization to create thicker, more uniform absorber films. Devices with power conversion efficiency greater than 7% are fabricated using the multiple step nanocrystal deposition and sintering process.

  19. Co-melting technology in resource recycling of sludge derived from stone processing.

    PubMed

    Hu, Shao-Hua; Hu, Shen-Chih; Fu, Yen-Pei

    2012-12-01

    Stone processing sludge (SPS) is a by-product of stone-processing wastewater treatment; it is suitable for use as a raw material for making artificial lightweight aggregates (ALWAs). In this study, boric acid was utilized as a flux to lower sintering temperature. The formation of the viscous glassy phase was observed by DTA curve and changes in XRD patterns. Experiments were conducted to find the optimal combination of sintering temperature, sintering time, and boric acid dosage to produce an ALWA of favorable characteristics in terms of water absorption, bulk density, apparent porosity, compressive strength and weight loss to satisfy Taiwan's regulatory requirements for construction and insulation materials. Optimal results gave a sintering temperature of 850 degrees C for 15 min at a boric acid dosage of 15% by weight of SPS. Results for ALWA favorable characteristics were: 0.21% (water absorption), 0.35% (apparent porosity), 1.67 g/cm3 (bulk density), 66.94 MPa (compressive strength), and less than 0.1% (weight loss).

  20. Co-melting technology in resource recycling of sludge derived from stone processing.

    PubMed

    Hu, Shao-Hua; Hu, Shen-Chih; Fu, Yen-Pei

    2012-12-01

    Stone processing sludge (SPS) is a by-product of stone-processing wastewater treatment; it is suitable for use as a raw material for making artificial lightweight aggregates (ALWAs). In this study, boric acid was utilized as a flux to lower sintering temperature. The formation of the viscous glassy phase was observed by DTA curve and changes in XRD patterns. Experiments were conducted to find the optimal combination of sintering temperature, sintering time, and boric acid dosage to produce an ALWA of favorable characteristics in terms of water absorption, bulk density, apparent porosity, compressive strength and weight loss to satisfy Taiwan's regulatory requirements for construction and insulation materials. Optimal results gave a sintering temperature of 850 °C for 15 min at a boric acid dosage of 15 % by weight of SPS. Results for ALWA favorable characteristics were: 0.21 % (water absorption), 0.35 %(apparent porosity), 1.67 g/cm3 (bulk density), 66.94 MPa (compressive strength), and less than 0.1% (weight loss). [Box: see text].

  1. Processing of solid solution, mixed uranium/refractory metal carbides for advanced space nuclear power and propulsion systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knight, Travis Warren

    Nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) and space nuclear power are two enabling technologies for the manned exploration of space and the development of research outposts in space and on other planets such as Mars. Advanced carbide nuclear fuels have been proposed for application in space nuclear power and propulsion systems. This study examined the processing technologies and optimal parameters necessary to fabricate samples of single phase, solid solution, mixed uranium/refractory metal carbides. In particular, the pseudo-ternary carbide, UC-ZrC-NbC, system was examined with uranium metal mole fractions of 5% and 10% and corresponding uranium densities of 0.8 to 1.8 gU/cc. Efforts were directed to those methods that could produce simple geometry fuel elements or wafers such as those used to fabricate a Square Lattice Honeycomb (SLHC) fuel element and reactor core. Methods of cold uniaxial pressing, sintering by induction heating, and hot pressing by self-resistance heating were investigated. Solid solution, high density (low porosity) samples greater than 95% TD were processed by cold pressing at 150 MPa and sintering above 2600 K for times longer than 90 min. Some impurity oxide phases were noted in some samples attributed to residual gases in the furnace during processing. Also, some samples noted secondary phases of carbon and UC2 due to some hyperstoichiometric powder mixtures having carbon-to-metal ratios greater than one. In all, 33 mixed carbide samples were processed and analyzed with half bearing uranium as ternary carbides of UC-ZrC-NbC. Scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and density measurements were used to characterize samples. Samples were processed from powders of the refractory mono-carbides and UC/UC 2 or from powders of uranium hydride (UH3), graphite, and refractory metal carbides to produce hypostoichiometric mixed carbides. Samples processed from the constituent carbide powders and sintered at temperatures above the melting point of UC showed signs of liquid phase sintering and were shown to be largely solid solutions. Pre-compaction of mixed carbide powders prior to sintering was shown to be necessary to achieve high densities. Hypostoichiometric, samples processed at 2500 K exhibited only the initial stage of sintering and solid solution formation. Based on these findings, a suggested processing methodology is proposed for producing high density, solid solution, mixed carbide fuels. Pseudo-binary, refractory carbide samples hot pressed at 3100 K and 6 MPa showed comparable densities (approximately 85% of the theoretical value) to samples processed by cold pressing and sintering at temperatures of 2800 K.

  2. Processing of U-2.5Zr-7.5Nb and U-3Zr-9Nb alloys by sintering process

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dos Santos, A. M. M.; Ferraz, W. B.; Lameiras, F. S.

    2012-07-01

    To minimize the risk of nuclear proliferation, there is worldwide interest in reducing fuel enrichment of research and test reactors. To achieve this objective while still guaranteeing criticality and cycle length requirements, there is need of developing high density uranium metallic fuels. Alloying elements such as Zr, Nb and Mo are added to uranium to improve fuel performance in reactors. In this context, the Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN) is developing the U-2.5Zr-7.5Nb and U-3Zr-9Nb (weight %) alloys by the innovative process of sintering that utilizes raw materials in the form of powders. The powders were pressed atmore » 400 MPa and then sintered under a vacuum of about 1x10{sup -4} Torr at temperatures ranging from 1050 deg. to 1500 deg.C. The densities of the alloys were measured geometrically and by hydrostatic method and the phases identified by X ray diffraction (XRD). The microstructures of the pellets were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the alloying elements were analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results obtained showed the fuel density to slightly increase with the sintering temperature. The highest density achieved was approximately 80% of theoretical density. It was observed in the pellets a superficial oxide layer formed during the sintering process. (authors)« less

  3. Direct laser sintered WC-10Co/Cu nanocomposites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gu, Dongdong; Shen, Yifu

    2008-04-01

    In the present work, the direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) process was used to prepare the WC-Co/Cu nanocomposites in bulk form. The WC reinforcing nanoparticles were added in the form of WC-10 wt.% Co composite powder. The microstructural features and mechanical properties of the laser-sintered sample were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscope (AFM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDX), and nanoindentation tester. It showed that the original nanometric nature of the WC reinforcing particulates was well retained without appreciable grain growth after laser processing. A homogeneous distribution of the WC reinforcing nanoparticles with a coherent particulate/matrix interfacial bonding was obtained in the laser-sintered structure. The 94.3% dense nanocomposites have a dynamic nanohardness of 3.47 GPa and a reduced elastic modulus of 613.42 GPa.

  4. Powder metallurgy preparation of Mg-Ca alloy for biodegradable implant application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Annur, D.; Suhardi, A.; Amal, M. I.; Anwar, M. S.; Kartika, I.

    2017-04-01

    Magnesium and its alloys is a promising candidate for implant application especially due to its biodegradability. In this study, Mg-7Ca alloys (in weight %) were processed by powder metallurgy from pure magnesium powder and calcium granule. Milling process was done in a shaker mill using stainless steel balls in various milling time (3, 5, and 8 hours) followed by compaction and sintering process. Different sintering temperatures were used (450°C and 550°C) to examine the effect of sintering temperature on mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Microstructure evaluation was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Mechanical properties and corrosion behavior were examined through hardness testing and electrochemical testing in Hank’s solution (simulation body fluid). In this report, a prolonged milling time reduced particle size and later affected mechanical properties of Mg alloy. Meanwhile, the phase analysis showed that α Mg, Mg2Ca, MgO phases were formed after the sintering process. Further, this study showed that Mg-Ca alloy with different powder metallurgy process would have different corrosion rate although there were no difference of Ca content in the alloy.

  5. Continuum simulation of heat transfer and solidification behavior of AlSi10Mg in Direct Metal Laser Sintering Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ojha, Akash; Samantaray, Mihir; Nath Thatoi, Dhirendra; Sahoo, Seshadev

    2018-03-01

    Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) process is a laser based additive manufacturing process, which built complex structures from powder materials. Using high intensity laser beam, the process melts and fuse the powder particles makes dense structures. In this process, the laser beam in terms of heat flux strikes the powder bed and instantaneously melts and joins the powder particles. The partial solidification and temperature distribution on the powder bed endows a high cooling rate and rapid solidification which affects the microstructure of the build part. During the interaction of the laser beam with the powder bed, multiple modes of heat transfer takes place in this process, that make the process very complex. In the present research, a comprehensive heat transfer and solidification model of AlSi10Mg in direct metal laser sintering process has been developed on ANSYS 17.1.0 platform. The model helps to understand the flow phenomena, temperature distribution and densification mechanism on the powder bed. The numerical model takes into account the flow, heat transfer and solidification phenomena. Simulations were carried out for sintering of AlSi10Mg powders in the powder bed having dimension 3 mm × 1 mm × 0.08 mm. The solidification phenomena are incorporated by using enthalpy-porosity approach. The simulation results give the fundamental understanding of the densification of powder particles in DMLS process.

  6. Study on selective laser sintering of glass fiber reinforced polystyrene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Laixia; Wang, Bo; Zhou, Wenming

    2017-12-01

    In order to improve the bending strength of Polystyrene (PS) sintered parts by selective laser sintering, Polystyrene/glass fiber (PS/GF) composite powders were prepared by mechanical mixing method. The size distribution of PS/GF composite powders was characterized by laser particle size analyzer. The optimum ratio of GF was determined by proportioning sintering experiments. The influence of process parameters on the bending strength of PS and PS/GF sintered parts was studied by orthogonal test. The result indicates that the particle size of PS/GF composite powder is mainly distributed in 24.88 μm~139.8 μm. When the content of GF is 10%, it has better strengthen effect. Finally, the article used the optimum parameter of the two materials to sinter prototype, it is found that the PS/GF prototype has the advantages of good accuracy and high strength.

  7. Reduction behavior and kinetics of vanadium-titanium sinters under high potential oxygen enriched pulverized coal injection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Jin-fang; Wang, Guang-wei; Zhang, Jian-liang; Li, Xin-yu; Liu, Zheng-jian; Jiao, Ke-xin; Guo, Jian

    2017-05-01

    In this work, the reduction behavior of vanadium-titanium sinters was studied under five different sets of conditions of pulverized coal injection with oxygen enrichment. The modified random pore model was established to analyze the reduction kinetics. The results show that the reduction rate of sinters was accelerated by an increase of CO and H2 contents. Meanwhile, with the increase in CO and H2 contents, the increasing range of the medium reduction index (MRE) of sinters decreased. The increasing oxygen enrichment ratio played a diminishing role in improving the reduction behavior of the sinters. The reducing process kinetic parameters were solved using the modified random role model. The results indicated that, with increasing oxygen enrichment, the contents of CO and H2 in the reducing gas increased. The reduction activation energy of the sinters decreased to between 20.4 and 23.2 kJ/mol.

  8. In vitro biodegradation testing of Mg-alloy EZK400 and manufacturing of implant prototypes using PM (powder metallurgy) methods.

    PubMed

    Wolff, M; Luczak, M; Schaper, J G; Wiese, B; Dahms, M; Ebel, T; Willumeit-Römer, R; Klassen, T

    2018-09-01

    The study is focussing towards Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) of Mg-alloys for biomedical implant applications. Especially the influence of the sintering processing necessary for the consolidation of the finished part is in focus of this study. In doing so, the chosen high strength EZK400 Mg-alloy powder material was sintered using different sintering support bottom plate materials to evaluate the possibility of iron impurity pick up during sintering. It can be shown that iron pick up took place from the steel bottom plate into the specimen. Despite the fact that a separating boron nitrite (BN) barrier layer was used and the Mg-Fe phase diagram is not predicting any significant solubility to each other. As a result of this study a new bottom plate material not harming the sintering and the biodegradation performance of the as sintered material, namely a carbon plate material, was found.

  9. Monolithic translucent BaMgAl 10O 17:Eu 2+ phosphors for laser-driven solid state lighting

    DOE PAGES

    Cozzan, Clayton; Brady, Michael J.; O’Dea, Nicholas; ...

    2016-10-11

    With high power light emitting diodes and laser diodes being explored for white light generation and visible light communication, thermally robust encapsulation schemes for color-converting inorganic phosphors are essential. In the current work, the canonical blue-emitting phosphor, high purity Eu-doped BaMgAl 10O 17, has been prepared using microwave-assisted heating (25 min) and densified into translucent ceramic phosphor monoliths using spark plasma sintering (30 min). Lastly, the resulting translucent ceramic monoliths convert UV laser light to blue light with the same efficiency as the starting powder and provide superior thermal management in comparison with silicone encapsulation.

  10. Improved silicon carbide for advanced heat engines. II - Pressureless sintering and mechanical properties of injection molded silicon carbide

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whalen, Thomas J.; Baer, J. R.

    1989-01-01

    The influence on density and strength of pressureless sintering in vacuum and argon environments has been evaluated with injection molded SiC materials. Main effects and two factor interactions of sintering (cycle variables temperature, time, heating rate, and atmosphere) were assessed. An improved understanding of the influence of the processing flaws and sintering conditions has been obtained. Strength and density have improved from a baseline level of 299 MPa (43.3 Ksi) and 94 pct of theoretical density to values greater than 483 MPa (70 Ksi) and 97 pct.

  11. Novel Routes for Sintering of Ultra-high Temperature Ceramics and their Properties

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-10-31

    UHTCs charge (zirconium and hafnium borides , SiC) with additives (chromium carbide, nickel, chromium, etc.), which activate sintering process, is...temperature phases in a form of carboborides of zirconium and bi borides of zirconium or chromium. Elevation of densification rate of sintered borides is...superplasticity under the slip mechanism of zirconium boride and silica carbide grains on grain boundary interlayers with nanocrystalline grains of carbon

  12. Microstructural evolution during sintering of copper particles studied by laboratory diffraction contrast tomography (LabDCT).

    PubMed

    McDonald, S A; Holzner, C; Lauridsen, E M; Reischig, P; Merkle, A P; Withers, P J

    2017-07-12

    Pressureless sintering of loose or compacted granular bodies at elevated temperature occurs by a combination of particle rearrangement, rotation, local deformation and diffusion, and grain growth. Understanding of how each of these processes contributes to the densification of a powder body is still immature. Here we report a fundamental study coupling the crystallographic imaging capability of laboratory diffraction contrast tomography (LabDCT) with conventional computed tomography (CT) in a time-lapse study. We are able to follow and differentiate these processes non-destructively and in three-dimensions during the sintering of a simple copper powder sample at 1050 °C. LabDCT quantifies particle rotation (to <0.05° accuracy) and grain growth while absorption CT simultaneously records the diffusion and deformation-related morphological changes of the sintering particles. We find that the rate of particle rotation is lowest for the more highly coordinated particles and decreases during sintering. Consequently, rotations are greater for surface breaking particles than for more highly coordinated interior ones. Both rolling (cooperative) and sliding particle rotations are observed. By tracking individual grains the grain growth/shrinkage kinetics during sintering are quantified grain by grain for the first time. Rapid, abnormal grain growth is observed for one grain while others either grow or are consumed more gradually.

  13. Formability and mechanical properties of porous titanium produced by a moldless process.

    PubMed

    Naito, Yoshihito; Bae, Jiyoung; Tomotake, Yoritoki; Hamada, Kenichi; Asaoka, Kenzo; Ichikawa, Tetsuo

    2013-08-01

    Tailor-made porous titanium implants show great promise in both orthopedic and dental applications. However, traditional powder metallurgical processes require a high-cost mold, making them economically unviable for producing unique devices. In this study, a mixture of titanium powder and an inlay wax binder was developed for moldless forming and sintering. The formability of the mixture, the dimensional changes after sintering, and the physical and mechanical properties of the sintered porous titanium were evaluated. A 90:10 wt % mixture of Ti powder and wax binder was created manually at 70°C. After debindering, the specimen was sintered in Ar at 1100°C without any mold for 1, 5, and 10 h. The shrinkage, porosity, absorption ratio, bending and compressive strength, and elastic modulus were measured. The bending strength (135-356 MPa), compression strength (178-1226 MPa), and elastic modulus (24-54 GPa) increased with sintering time; the shrinkage also increased, whereas the porosity (from 37.1 to 29.7%) and absorption ratio decreased. The high formability of the binder/metal powder mixture presents a clear advantage for fabricating tailor-made bone and hard tissue substitution units. Moreover, the sintered compacts showed high strength and an elastic modulus comparable to that of cortical bone. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Preparation of micro-porous bioceramic containing silicon-substituted hydroxyapatite and beta-tricalcium phosphate.

    PubMed

    Fuh, Lih-Jyh; Huang, Ya-Jing; Chen, Wen-Cheng; Lin, Dan-Jae

    2017-06-01

    Dimensional instability caused by sintering shrinkage is an inevitable drawback for conventional processing of hydroxyapatite (HA). A new preparation method for biphasic calcium phosphates was developed to increase micro pores and biodegradation without significant dimensional change. Powder pressed HA discs, under 100MPa, were immersed in a colloidal mixture of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and ammonium hydroxide for 10min, followed by drying, and then were sintered at 900°C, 1050°C, and 1200°C, respectively. Comparing with pure HA discs, the newly prepared product sintered up to 1200°C contained silicon substituted HA, beta-tricalcium phosphate, and calcium silicate with better micro-porosity, high specific surface area, less sintering shrinkage and the strength maintained. The cytocompatibility test demonstrated a better viability for D1 mice stem cells cultured on TEOS treated HA for 14days compared to the pure HA. This simple TEOS sol-gel pretreatment has the potential to be applied to any existing manufacturing process of HA scaffold for better control of sintering shrinkage, create micropores, and increase biodegradation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Development of NASA's Sample Cartridge Assembly: Summary of GEDS Design, Development Testing, and Thermal Analyses

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    O'Connor, Brian; Hernandez, Deborah; Hornsby, Linda; Brown, Maria; Horton-Mullins, Kathryn

    2017-01-01

    Outline: Background of ISS (International Space Station) Material Science Research Rack; NASA SCA (Sample Cartridge Assembly) Design; GEDS (Gravitational Effects in Distortion in Sintering) Experiment Ampoule Design; Development Testing Summary; Thermal Modeling and Analysis. Summary: GEDS design development challenging (GEDS Ampoule design developed through MUGS (Microgravity) testing; Short duration transient sample processing; Unable to measure sample temperatures); MUGS Development testing used to gather data (Actual LGF (Low Gradient Furnace)-like furnace response; Provided sample for sintering evaluation); Transient thermal model integral to successful GEDS experiment (Development testing provided furnace response; PI (Performance Indicator) evaluation of sintering anchored model evaluation of processing durations; Thermal transient model used to determine flight SCA sample processing profiles).

  16. Pressure-assisted low-temperature sintering for paper-based writing electronics.

    PubMed

    Xu, L Y; Yang, G Y; Jing, H Y; Wei, J; Han, Y D

    2013-09-06

    With the aim of preparing paper-based writing electronics, a kind of conductive pen was made with nano-silver ink as the conductive component and a rollerball pen as the writing implement. This was used to direct-write conductive patterns on Epson photo paper. In order to decrease the sintering temperature, pressure was introduced to enhance the driving forces for sintering. Compared with hot sintering without pressure, hot-pressure can effectively improve the conductivity of silver coatings, reduce the sintering time and thus improve productivity. Importantly, pressure can achieve a more uniform and denser microstructure, which increases the connection strength of the silver coating. At the optimum hot-pressure condition (sintering temperature 120 ° C/sintering pressure 25 MPa/sintering time 15 min), a typical measured resistivity value was 1.43 × 10⁻⁷ Ω m, nine greater than that of bulk silver. This heat treatment process is compatible with paper and does not cause any damage to the paper substrates. Even after several thousand bending cycles, the resistivity values of writing tracks by hot-pressure sintering stay almost the same (from 1.43 × 10⁻⁷ to 1.57 × 10⁻⁷ Ω m). The stability and flexibility of the writing circuits are good, which demonstrates the promising future of writing electronics.

  17. Cryomilled and spark plasma sintered titanium: the evolution of microstructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kozlík, Jiří; Becker, Hanka; Harcuba, Petr; Stráský, Josef; Janeček, Milos

    2017-05-01

    Bulk ultra-fine grained (UFG) commercially pure Ti was prepared by cryogenic milling in liquid argon and subsequent spark plasma sintering (SPS). During cryogenic milling, individual powder particles are repetitively severely deformed by attrition forces. Powder particles were not significantly refined, but due to severe repetitive plastic deformation, ultra-fine grained microstructure emerges within each powder particle. Cryogenic milling can be therefore considered as a specific severe plastic deformation (SPD) method. Compactization of cryomilled powder by SPS technique (also referred to as field assisted sintering technique - FAST) requires significantly lower sintering temperatures and shorter sintering times for successful compaction when compared to any other sintering technique. This is crucial for maintaining the UFG microstructure due to its limited thermal stability. Several specimens were prepared by varying processing parameters, in particular the sintering temperature. The microstructure of powders and compacted samples was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Increased sintering temperature results in recrystallization and grain growth. A trade-off relationship between the density of compacted material and grain size was identified. Microhardness of the material was found to depend on residual porosity rather than grain size. This contribution presents cryogenic milling and spark plasma sintering as a viable alternative for achieving UFG microstructure in commercially pure Ti.

  18. Development of a Cr-Based Hard Composite Processed by Spark Plasma Sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    García-Junceda, A.; Sáez, I.; Deng, X. X.; Torralba, J. M.

    2018-04-01

    This investigation analyzes the feasibility of processing a composite material comprising WC particles randomly dispersed in a matrix in which Cr is the main metallic binder. Thus, a new composite material is processed using a commercial, economic, and easily available Cr-based alloy, assuming that there is a certain Cr solubility in the WC particles acting as reinforcement. The processing route followed includes mechanical milling of the powders and consolidation by spark plasma sintering.

  19. The development and characterization of a novel aluminum-copper-magnesium P/M alloy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boland, Christopher Daniel

    Powder metallurgy (P/M) is a metal fabrication process that is characterized by high yield and ability to be automated, as well as the resultant part complexity and reproducibility. This press and sinter process is favoured by the automotive industry. Aluminum alloy P/M parts are particularly attractive because they have a high strength to weight ratio and they can be made to have high corrosion and wear resistance. There are few commercial Al P/M alloys currently in use and they occupy a small portion of the market. To expand the use of aluminum in the industry a new alloy was created, modeled after the wrought AC2024 family of alloys. P/M 2324, with a nominal composition of Al-4.4Cu-1.5Mg, was assessed using physical, chemical and mechanical methods to help maximize alloy properties through processing. The objective of this work was to develop a viable industrial alloy. The investigation of 2324 included the evaluation of starting powders, starting composition, processing methods, secondary treatments, and industrial response. All blending and compacting was completed at Dalhousie University, while sintering was undertaken at Dalhousie and GKN Sinter Metals. The green alloy was assessed for best compaction pressure using green density and strength. The sintered alloy was assessed to determine the best press and sinter variables, using dimensional change, sintered density, apparent hardness, tensile properties and microscopy. These same sintered properties were tested to determine if sintering done on a laboratory scale could be replicated industrially. The viability of heat treatment was tested using differential scanning calorimetry, hardness and tensile properties. The alloy was also subject to modifications of Cu and Mg amounts, as well as to the addition of tin to the base composition. It was determined that compaction at 400MPa and sintering at 600°C for 20min produced the best properties for the sintered bodies. The resultant mechanical properties were attributed to a high sintered density (2.68g/cm 3 or 97% of theoretical) and strengthening mechanisms present in the Al-Cu-Mg system. These mechanisms included possible secondary phases formed in the alloy seen using microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry analyses. A T6 heat treatment of solutionizing at 495°C for 1.5h, water quench and aging for 10h was found to improve the properties of 2324. Modifications to Cu and Mg alloying additions produced few gains. However, the presence of 0.2Sn (w/o) was found to enhance the alloy. Resultant properties of the optimal alloy included an apparent hardness of 76.6HRE and an ultimate tensile strength of 367MPa. Also studied was the discrepancy observed in sintering at GKN and Dalhousie and the mechanisms at work with the addition of Sn. 2324 was adapted successfully to P/M applications. It was capable of performing against an established Al P/M industry standard, and with further testing its uses can undoubtedly be expanded.

  20. Particle morphology influence on mechanical and biocompatibility properties of injection molded Ti alloy powder.

    PubMed

    Gülsoy, H Özkan; Gülsoy, Nagihan; Calışıcı, Rahmi

    2014-01-01

    Titanium and Titanium alloys exhibits properties that are excellent for various bio-applications. Metal injection molding is a processing route that offers reduction in costs, with the added advantage of near net-shape components. Different physical properties of Titanium alloy powders, shaped and processed via injection molding can achieve high complexity of part geometry with mechanical and bioactivity properties, similar or superior to wrought material. This study describes that the effect of particle morphology on the microstructural, mechanical and biocompatibility properties of injection molded Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) alloy powder for biomaterials applications. Ti64 powders irregular and spherical in shape were injection molded with wax based binder. Binder debinding was performed in solvent and thermal method. After debinding the samples were sintered under high vacuum. Metallographic studies were determined to densification and the corresponding microstructural changes. Sintered samples were immersed in a simulated body fluid (SBF) with elemental concentrations that were comparable to those of human blood plasma for a total period of 15 days. Both materials were implanted in fibroblast culture for biocompatibility evaluations were carried out. The results show that spherical and irregular powder could be sintered to a maximum theoretical density. Maximum tensile strength was obtained for spherical shape powder sintered. The tensile strength of the irregular shape powder sintered at the same temperature was lower due to higher porosity. Finally, mechanical tests show that the irregular shape powder has lower mechanical properties than spherical shape powder. The sintered irregular Ti64 powder exhibited better biocompatibility than sintered spherical Ti64 powder. Results of study showed that sintered spherical and irregular Ti64 powders exhibited high mechanical properties and good biocompatibility properties.

  1. A Review of Microwave-Assisted Reactions for Biodiesel Production

    PubMed Central

    Nomanbhay, Saifuddin; Ong, Mei Yin

    2017-01-01

    The conversion of biomass into chemicals and biofuels is an active research area as trends move to replace fossil fuels with renewable resources due to society’s increased concern towards sustainability. In this context, microwave processing has emerged as a tool in organic synthesis and plays an important role in developing a more sustainable world. Integration of processing methods with microwave irradiation has resulted in a great reduction in the time required for many processes, while the reaction efficiencies have been increased markedly. Microwave processing produces a higher yield with a cleaner profile in comparison to other methods. The microwave processing is reported to be a better heating method than the conventional methods due to its unique thermal and non-thermal effects. This paper provides an insight into the theoretical aspects of microwave irradiation practices and highlights the importance of microwave processing. The potential of the microwave technology to accomplish superior outcomes over the conventional methods in biodiesel production is presented. A green process for biodiesel production using a non-catalytic method is still new and very costly because of the supercritical condition requirement. Hence, non-catalytic biodiesel conversion under ambient pressure using microwave technology must be developed, as the energy utilization for microwave-based biodiesel synthesis is reported to be lower and cost-effective. PMID:28952536

  2. A Review of Microwave-Assisted Reactions for Biodiesel Production.

    PubMed

    Nomanbhay, Saifuddin; Ong, Mei Yin

    2017-06-15

    The conversion of biomass into chemicals and biofuels is an active research area as trends move to replace fossil fuels with renewable resources due to society's increased concern towards sustainability. In this context, microwave processing has emerged as a tool in organic synthesis and plays an important role in developing a more sustainable world. Integration of processing methods with microwave irradiation has resulted in a great reduction in the time required for many processes, while the reaction efficiencies have been increased markedly. Microwave processing produces a higher yield with a cleaner profile in comparison to other methods. The microwave processing is reported to be a better heating method than the conventional methods due to its unique thermal and non-thermal effects. This paper provides an insight into the theoretical aspects of microwave irradiation practices and highlights the importance of microwave processing. The potential of the microwave technology to accomplish superior outcomes over the conventional methods in biodiesel production is presented. A green process for biodiesel production using a non-catalytic method is still new and very costly because of the supercritical condition requirement. Hence, non-catalytic biodiesel conversion under ambient pressure using microwave technology must be developed, as the energy utilization for microwave-based biodiesel synthesis is reported to be lower and cost-effective.

  3. Thermoelectric properties of a doped LaNiO3 perovskite system prepared using a spark-plasma sintering process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tak, Jang-Yeul; Choi, Soon-Mok; Seo, Won-Seon; Cho, Hyung Koun

    2013-07-01

    Both perovskites LaNiO3 and LaCuO3 have a limitation associated with phase transitions for high-temperature thermoelectric applications. The optimized conditions were investigated to obtain the LaNi1- x Cu x O3- δ perovskite single phase showing a Cu-doping effect into Ni sites against unintended deoxidized phases. Three advantages of synergetic effects due to the simultaneous presence of nickel and copper were investigated: a low melting temperature of CuO as compared to that of NiO, the absence of intermediated deoxidized phases in the LaCuO3 system, and the Cu doping effect, which suppresses the formation of intermediate secondary phases. A solid solution was also fabricated using a spark-plasma sintering (SPS) process for the purpose of sintering LaNi1- x Cu x O3- δ compositions at a low sintering temperature.

  4. Computer simulation of low-temperature composites sintering processes for additive technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tovpinets, A. O.; Leytsin, V. N.; Dmitrieva, M. A.

    2017-12-01

    This is impact research of mixture raw components characteristics on the low-temperature composites structure formation during the sintering process. The obtained results showed that the structure determination of initial compacts obtained after thermal destruction of the polymer binder lets quantify the concentrations of main components and the refractory crystalline product of thermal destruction. Accounting for the distribution of thermal destruction refractory product allows us to refine the forecast of thermal stresses in the matrix of sintered composite. The presented results can be considered as a basis for optimization of initial compositions of multilayer low-temperature composites obtained by additive technologies.

  5. Sinterless Fabrication Of Contact Pads On InP Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weizer, Victor G.; Fatemi, Navid S.; Korenyi-Both, Andras L.

    1995-01-01

    Research has shown that with proper choice of material, low-resistance contact pads deposited on solar cells and other devices by improved technique that does not involve sintering. Research directed at understanding mechanisms involved in contact-sintering process has resulted in identification of special group of materials that includes phosphides of gold, silver, and nickel; specifically, Au(2)P(3), AgP(2), and Ni(3)P. Incorporation of phosphide interlayer substantially reduces resistivity between gold current-carrying layer and indium phosphide substrate. Further research indicated only very thin interlayer of any of these compounds needed to obtain low contact resistance, without subjecting contact to destructive sintering process.

  6. Improved efficiency of hybrid organic photovoltaics by pulsed laser sintering of silver nanowire network transparent electrode.

    PubMed

    Spechler, Joshua A; Nagamatsu, Ken A; Sturm, James C; Arnold, Craig B

    2015-05-20

    In this Research Article, we demonstrate pulsed laser processing of a silver nanowire network transparent conductor on top of an otherwise complete solar cell. The macroscopic pulsed laser irradiation serves to sinter nanowire-nanowire junctions on the nanoscale, leading to a much more conductive electrode. We fabricate hybrid silicon/organic heterojunction photovoltaic devices, which have ITO-free, solution processed, and laser processed transparent electrodes. Furthermore, devices which have high resistive losses show up to a 35% increase in power conversion efficiency after laser processing. We perform this study over a range of laser fluences, and a range of nanowire area coverage to investigate the sintering mechanism of nanowires inside of a device stack. The increase in device performance is modeled using a simple photovoltaic diode approach and compares favorably to the experimental data.

  7. Sintering, properties and fabrication of Si3N4 + Y2O3 based ceramics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Quackenbush, C. L.; Smith, J. T.; Neil, J. T.; French, K. W.

    1983-01-01

    Pure silicon nitride shows a remarkable resistance to sintering without the use of densification additives. The present investigation is concerned with results which show the effect of chemical content on sinterability, taking into account the composition, raw material impurities, and processing contaminants. Aspects of sintering are discussed along with strength characteristics, and oxidation relations. Attention is given to phase field I and II materials, phase field III and IV materials, tungsten carbide and oxidation at 600 C, and studies involving shape fabrication by injection molding. It was found that in sintering Si3N4 + Y2O3 an increase in the amount of Y2O3 and, in particular, the addition of Al2O3 enhances the fluidity of the liquid phase.

  8. Morphology and phase identification of micron to nanosized manganese oxide (MnO) with variations in sintering time

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sasongko, Muhammad Ilman Nur; Puspitasari, Poppy; Yazirin, Cepi; Tsamroh, Dewi Izzatus; Risdanareni, Puput

    2017-09-01

    Manganese oxide (MnO) occurs in many rock types and may take the form of minerals. MnO has its drawbacks, namely highly reactive oxidizing species classified as dangerous and explosive at temperatures above 55 °C. Despite this,MnO has excellent magnetic, electrochemical, and conductivity properties, which should be reduced to nano-size to maximize their use and improve the properties of MnO. Phase and morphology characterization of powder this research aims to reduce the grain size of the MnO from micro to nano using the sol-gel method with various sintering times. Sol-gel is a simple synthesis method that has been proven capable of synthesizing a wide variety of micro-sized oxide materials into nano. Sintering time is a technique performed in the synthesis process to dry the material to a temperature above the normal temperature. The temperature used for sintering starting from 600 °C to 1000 °C. Characterizations were done using XRD, SEM, EDX, and FTIR machines. The sintering processes in this study used a temperature of 600 °C with different sintering periods of 30, 60 and 90 minutes. The XRD characterization with a 30-minute sintering time resulted in the smallest MnO in the form crystalline powder of 47.3 nm. The highest intensity (degree of crystallinity) found in MnO sintered for 90 minutes. The results of the morphological characterization of SEM showed a morphological change in MnO from micro-sized triangular to nano-sized spherical shape. The EDX characterization results indicated that the 30-minute sintering caused the lowest change in Mn and the highest change in O. The results of FTIR characterization showed a shift in C-H and Mn-O followed by an increase in the group of N-H, C=O and Mn-O.

  9. Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Microwave Post-processed Ni Coating

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zafar, Sunny; Sharma, Apurbba Kumar

    2017-03-01

    Flame-sprayed coatings are widely used in the industries attributed to their low cost and simple processing. However, the presence of porosity and poor adhesion with the substrate requires suitable post-processing of the as-sprayed deposits. In the present work, post-processing of the flame-sprayed Ni-based coating has been successfully attempted using microwave hybrid heating. Microwave post-processing of the flame-sprayed coatings was carried out at 2.45 GHz in a 1 kW multimode industrial microwave applicator. The microwave-processed and as-sprayed deposits were characterized for their microstructure, porosity, fracture toughness and surface roughness. The properties of the coatings were correlated with their abrasive wear behavior using a sliding abrasion test on a pin-on-disk tribometer. Microwave post-processing led to healed micropores and microcracks, thus causing homogenization of the microstructure in the coating layer. Therefore, microwave post-processed coating layer exhibits improved mechanical and tribological properties compared to the as-sprayed coating layer.

  10. Ultrafast synthesis and characterization of carbonated hydroxyapatite nanopowders via sonochemistry-assisted microwave process.

    PubMed

    Zou, Zhaoyong; Lin, Kaili; Chen, Lei; Chang, Jiang

    2012-11-01

    Herein, carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHAp) nanopowders were synthesized via sonochemistry-assisted microwave process. The influences of microwave and ultrasonic irradiation on the crystallinity, morphology, yield, Ca/P molar ratio, specific surface area and dispersibility were investigated and compared with the conventional precipitation method. The results showed that sonochemistry-assisted microwave process significantly increased the synthetic efficiency. The well-crystallized nanopowders could be obtained at high yield of 98.8% in ultra-short-period of 5min. In addition, the crystallization process was promoted with the increase of ultrasonic and microwave power and the reaction time during the sonochemistry-assisted microwave process. The sonochemistry assistance also remarkably increased the specific surface area and dispersibility of the as-obtained products. These results suggest that the sonochemistry-assisted microwave process is an effective approach to synthesize CHAp with high efficiency. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Effect of the application of surface treatments before and after sintering on the flexural strength, phase transformation and surface topography of zirconia.

    PubMed

    Kurtulmus-Yilmaz, Sevcan; Aktore, Huseyin

    2018-05-01

    To evaluate the effects of airborne-particle abrasion (APA) and Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiation on 4-point-flexural strength, phase transformation and morphologic changes of zirconia ceramics treated at pre-sintered or post-sintered stage. Three hundred and forty-two bar shaped zirconia specimens were milled with different sizes according to the flexural strength test (n = 10), X-ray diffraction (XRD) (n = 4) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) (n = 4) analyses. For each test protocol, specimens were divided into 4 main groups whether the surface treatments applied before or after sintering and whether the specimens received heat treatment or not as pre-sintered, post-sintered no-heat and post-sintered heat-treated groups, and a group was served as control. Main groups were further divided into 6 equal subgroups according to surface treatment method applied (2 W-, 3 W-, 4 W-, 5 W-, 6 W-laser irradiations and APA). Surface treatments were applied to pre-sintered groups before sintering and to post-sintered groups after sintering. Post-sintered heat-treated groups were subjected to veneer ceramic firing simulation after surface treatments. Flexural strength and flexural modulus values were statistically analysed and monoclinic phase content was calculated. Weibull analysis was used to evaluate strength reliability and fractographic analysis was conducted. Highest flexural strength values were detected at post-sintered no-heat APA and 4W-laser groups (P < 0.05). Pre-sintered groups showed statistically lower flexural strength values. Heat treatment decreased the strength of the specimens. Monoclinic phase content was only detected at post-sintered no-heat groups and the highest amount was detected at APA group. Rougher surfaces and deeper irregularities were detected at FE-SEM images pre-sintered groups. Application of surface treatments at pre-sintered stage may be detrimental for zirconia ceramics in terms of flexural strength. Treating the surface of zirconia ceramic before sintering process is not recommended due to significant decrease in flexural strength values. 2 W-4 W Er,Cr:YSGG laser irradiations can be regarded as alternative surface treatment methods when zirconia restoration would be subjected to veneer ceramic firing procedures. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. High density, uniformly distributed W/UO2 for use in Nuclear Thermal Propulsion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tucker, Dennis S.; Barnes, Marvin W.; Hone, Lance; Cook, Steven

    2017-04-01

    An inexpensive, quick method has been developed to obtain uniform distributions of UO2 particles in a tungsten matrix utilizing 0.5 wt percent low density polyethylene. Powders were sintered in a Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) furnace at 1600 °C, 1700 °C, 1750 °C, 1800 °C and 1850 °C using a modified sintering profile. This resulted in a uniform distribution of UO2 particles in a tungsten matrix with high densities, reaching 99.46% of theoretical for the sample sintered at 1850 °C. The powder process is described and the results of this study are given below.

  13. Fabrication of thin layer beta alumina

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tennenhouse, G. J.

    1977-01-01

    Beta alumina tubes having walls 700 microns, 300 microns, and 140 microns were processed by extrusion and sintering utilizing Ford proprietary binder and fabrication systems. Tubes prepared by this method have properties similar to tubes prepared by isostatic pressing and sintering, i.e. density greater than 98% of theoretical and a helium leak rate less than 3 x 10 to the -9th power cc/sq cm/sec. Ford ultrasonic bonding techniques were used for bonding beta alumina end caps to open ended beta -alumina tubes prior to sintering. After sintering, the bond was hermetic, and the integrity of the bonded area was comparable to the body of the tube.

  14. Liquid phase sintering of silicon carbide

    DOEpatents

    Cutler, R.A.; Virkar, A.V.; Hurford, A.C.

    1989-05-09

    Liquid phase sintering is used to densify silicon carbide based ceramics using a compound comprising a rare earth oxide and aluminum oxide to form liquids at temperatures in excess of 1,600 C. The resulting sintered ceramic body has a density greater than 95% of its theoretical density and hardness in excess of 23 GPa. Boron and carbon are not needed to promote densification and silicon carbide powder with an average particle size of greater than one micron can be densified via the liquid phase process. The sintered ceramic bodies made by the present invention are fine grained and have secondary phases resulting from the liquid phase. 4 figs.

  15. Liquid phase sintering of silicon carbide

    DOEpatents

    Cutler, Raymond A.; Virkar, Anil V.; Hurford, Andrew C.

    1989-01-01

    Liquid phase sintering is used to densify silicon carbide based ceramics using a compound comprising a rare earth oxide and aluminum oxide to form liquids at temperatures in excess of 1600.degree. C. The resulting sintered ceramic body has a density greater than 95% of its theoretical density and hardness in excess of 23 GPa. Boron and carbon are not needed to promote densification and silicon carbide powder with an average particle size of greater than one micron can be densified via the liquid phase process. The sintered ceramic bodies made by the present invention are fine grained and have secondary phases resulting from the liquid phase.

  16. Spinel formation for stabilizing simulated nickel-laden sludge with aluminum-rich ceramic precursors.

    PubMed

    Shih, Kaimin; White, Tim; Leckie, James O

    2006-08-15

    The feasibility of stabilizing nickel-laden sludge from commonly available Al-rich ceramic precursors was investigated and accomplished with high nickel incorporation efficiency. To simulate the process, nickel oxide was mixed alternatively with gamma-alumina, corundum, kaolinite, and mullite and was sintered from 800 to 1480 degrees C. The nickel aluminate spinel (NiAl2O4) was confirmed as the stabilization phase for nickel and crystallized with efficiencies greater than 90% for all precursors above 1250 degrees C and 3-h sintering. The nickel-incorporation reaction pathways with these precursors were identified, and the microstructure and spinel yield were investigated as a function of sintering temperature with fixed sintering time. This study has demonstrated a promising process for forming nickel spinel to stabilize nickel-laden sludge from a wide range of inexpensive ceramic precursors, which may provide an avenue for economically blending waste metal sludges via the building industry processes to reduce the environmental hazards of toxic metals. The correlation of product textures and nickel incorporation efficiencies through selection of different precursors also provides the option of tailoring property-specific products.

  17. Effect of electrode material on characteristics of non-volatile resistive memory consisting of Ag{sub 2}S nanoparticles

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jang, Jaewon, E-mail: j1jang@knu.ac.kr

    2016-07-15

    In this study, Ag{sub 2}S nanoparticles are synthesized and used as the active material for two-terminal resistance switching memory devices. Sintered Ag{sub 2}S films are successfully crystallized on plastic substrates with synthesized Ag{sub 2}S nanoparticles, after a relatively low-temperature sintering process (200 °C). After the sintering process, the crystallite size is increased from 6.8 nm to 80.3 nm. The high ratio of surface atoms to inner atoms of nanoparticles reduces the melting point temperature, deciding the sintering process temperature. In order to investigate the resistance switching characteristics, metal/Ag{sub 2}S/metal structures are fabricated and tested. The effect of the electrode materialmore » on the non-volatile resistive memory characteristics is studied. The bottom electrochemically inert materials, such as Au and Pt, were critical for maintaining stable memory characteristics. By using Au and Pt inert bottom electrodes, we are able to significantly improve the memory endurance and retention to more than 10{sup 3} cycles and 10{sup 4} sec, respectively.« less

  18. Pore Formation Process of Porous Ti3SiC2 Fabricated by Reactive Sintering

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Huibin; Liu, Xinli; Jiang, Yao

    2017-01-01

    Porous Ti3SiC2 was fabricated with high purity, 99.4 vol %, through reactive sintering of titanium hydride (TiH2), silicon (Si) and graphite (C) elemental powders. The reaction procedures and the pore structure evolution during the sintering process were systematically studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Our results show that the formation of Ti3SiC2 from TiH2/Si/C powders experienced the following steps: firstly, TiH2 decomposed into Ti; secondly, TiC and Ti5Si3 intermediate phases were generated; finally, Ti3SiC2 was produced through the reaction of TiC, Ti5Si3 and Si. The pores formed in the synthesis procedure of porous Ti3SiC2 ceramics are derived from the following aspects: interstitial pores left during the pressing procedure; pores formed because of the TiH2 decomposition; pores formed through the reactions between Ti and Si and Ti and C powders; and the pores produced accompanying the final phase synthesized during the high temperature sintering process. PMID:28772515

  19. Investigation of consolidation kinetics and microstructure evolution of Al alloys in direct metal laser sintering using phase field simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bimal Satpathy, Bubloom; Nandy, Jyotirmoy; Sahoo, Seshadev

    2018-03-01

    Direct metal laser sintering is one of the very efficient processes which comes under the field of additive manufacturing and is capable of producing products of good mechanical and physical properties. The process parameters affect the physical and mechanical properties of the final products. Rapid solidification plays an important role in the consolidation kinetics as the powdered material sinters and forms a polycrystalline structure. In the recent times, the enormous use of computational modeling has helped in examining the utility of final products in a wide range of applications. In this study, a phase field model has been implemented to foresee the consolidation kinetics during the liquid state sintering. Temperature profiles have been used to study the densification behavior and neck growth which is caused by the surface diffusion of particles at initial stage. Later, importance of grain boundary and the volume diffusion during densification process is analyzed. It is also found that with rise in temperature, neck growth also increases rapidly due to the interaction of adjacent grains through grain boundary diffusion and stabilization of grain growth.

  20. Phase stability, porosity distribution and microstructural evolution of amorphous Al{sub 50}Ti{sub 50} powders consolidated by electrical resistance sintering

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Urban, P., E-mail: purban@us.es; Montes, J. M.; Cintas, J.

    2015-03-30

    The effect of intensity and duration of the electrical resistance sintering process on the phase stability, porosity distribution and microstructural evolution of Al{sub 50}Ti{sub 50} amorphous powders is studied. The phase transformations during the consolidation process were determined by X-ray diffraction. The porosity distribution was observed by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The amorphous phase is partially transformed to the crystalline phase during the sintering process, and formation of AlTi and AlTi{sub 3} intermetallic compounds occurs for temperatures higher than 300 °C. Finally, it is observed that the compacts core have lower porosity and a higher tendency to the amorphous-crystallinemore » phase transformation than the periphery.« less

  1. Effect of Partial Substitution of Neodymium with Praseodymium on the Magnetic and Process Properties of Sintered Magnets of Type NdFeB

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dormidontov, N. A.; Dormidontov, A. G.; Lileev, A. S.; Kamynin, A. V.; Lukin, A. A.

    2017-01-01

    The effect of substitution of neodymium with praseodymium in sintered magnets of type NdFeB on their magnetic and process properties in the concentration range of [Pr] = 0 - 13 wt.% is studied. The special features of milling of the alloys, sintering processes and heat treatments in the production of magnets containing praseodymium are discussed. Hysteresis characteristics of B r ≥ 1.2 T, H cJ ≥ 1200 kA/m, H cb ≥ 880 kA/m, H k ≥ 960 kA/m, and BH max ≥ 280 kJ/m3 are obtained for magnets with composition (in wt.%) 33 Nd, 10 Pr, 1.5 (Ti + Al + Cu), 1.3 B, the remainder Fe.

  2. Process Developed for Generating Ceramic Interconnects With Low Sintering Temperatures for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zhong, Zhi-Min; Goldsby, Jon C.

    2005-01-01

    Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have been considered as premium future power generation devices because they have demonstrated high energy-conversion efficiency, high power density, and extremely low pollution, and have the flexibility of using hydrocarbon fuel. The Solid-State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) initiative, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and private industries, is leading the development and commercialization of SOFCs for low-cost stationary and automotive markets. The targeted power density for the initiative is rather low, so that the SECA SOFC can be operated at a relatively low temperature (approx. 700 C) and inexpensive metallic interconnects can be utilized in the SOFC stack. As only NASA can, the agency is investigating SOFCs for aerospace applications. Considerable high power density is required for the applications. As a result, the NASA SOFC will be operated at a high temperature (approx. 900 C) and ceramic interconnects will be employed. Lanthanum chromite-based materials have emerged as a leading candidate for the ceramic interconnects. The interconnects are expected to co-sinter with zirconia electrolyte to mitigate the interface electric resistance and to simplify the processing procedure. Lanthanum chromites made by the traditional method are sintered at 1500 C or above. They react with zirconia electrolytes (which typically sinter between 1300 and 1400 C) at the sintering temperature of lanthanum chromites. It has been envisioned that lanthanum chromites with lower sintering temperatures can be co-fired with zirconia electrolyte. Nonstoichiometric lanthanum chromites can be sintered at lower temperatures, but they are unstable and react with zirconia electrolyte during co-sintering. NASA Glenn Research Center s Ceramics Branch investigated a glycine nitrate process to generate fine powder of the lanthanum-chromite-based materials. By simultaneously doping calcium on the lanthanum site, and cobalt and aluminum on the chromium site, we could sinter the materials below 1400 C. The doping concentrations were adjusted so that the thermal expansion coefficient matched that of the zirconia electrolyte. Also, the investigation was focused on stoichiometric compositions so that the materials would have better stability. Co-sintering and chemical compatibility with zirconia electrolyte were examined by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy (line scanning and dot map). The results showed that the materials bond well, but do not react, with zirconia electrolyte. The electric conductivity of the materials measured at 900 C in air was about 20 S/cm.

  3. Microstructure and mechanical properties of nickel coated multi walled carbon nanotube reinforced stainless steel 316L matrix composites by laser sintering process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahanthesha, P.; Mohankumar, G. C.

    2018-04-01

    Electroless Ni coated Multi-walled Carbon nanotubes reinforced with Stainless Steel 316L matrix composite was developed by Direct Metal Laser Sintering process (DMLS). Homogeneous mixture of Stainless Steel 316L powder and carbon nanotubes in different vol. % was obtained by using double cone blender machine. Characterization of electroless Ni coated carbon nanotubes was done by using X-ray diffraction, FESEM and EDS. Test samples were fabricated at different laser scan speeds. Effect of process parameters and CNT vol. % content on solidification microstructure and mechanical properties of test samples was investigated by using Optical microscopy, FESEM, and Hounsfield tensometer. Experimental results reveal DMLS process parameters affect the density and microstructure of sintered parts. Dense parts with minimum porosity when processed at low laser scan speeds and low CNT vol. %. Tensile fractured surface of test specimens evidences the survival of carbon nanotubes under high temperature processing condition.

  4. Influence of the sintering temperature on the electrical properties of Ce-doped WO3 ceramics prepared from nano-powders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, Liang; Chen, Han-Jun; Wang, Yu; Li, De-Zhu; Li, Tong-Ye; Zhao, Yong

    2007-04-01

    Using a nm-level powder fabricated by a wet chemical method as precursor, the CeO2-doped WO3 ceramics were prepared by the conventional solid state reaction at sintering temperatures from 600 to 1100 °C. The x-ray diffraction analysis reveals the coexistence of different WO3 phases in the samples sintered at temperatures below 900 °C, whereas a single phase appears in the samples sintered above 1000 °C. No new Ce-W compound appears. As the sintering temperature increases, the electrical properties of the samples display an interesting transformation from linear to nonlinear behaviour. The measurements of scanning electron microscope, complex impedance and electrical stability indicate that a lot of grain boundary regions in the samples sintered at low temperatures strongly influences the electrical transportation. Therefore, the electrical nonlinearity is due to a basic process controlled by the back-to-back Schottky barriers at grain boundaries with suitable thickness as well as the coexistence of phases.

  5. Fabrication of low thermal expansion SiC/ZrW2O8 porous ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poowancum, A.; Matsumaru, K.; Juárez-Ramírez, I.; Torres-Martínez, L. M.; Fu, Z. Y.; Lee, S. W.; Ishizaki, K.

    2011-03-01

    Low or zero thermal expansion porous ceramics are required for several applications. In this work near zero thermal expansion porous ceramics were fabricated by using SiC and ZrW2O8 as positive and negative thermal expansion materials, respectively, bonded by soda lime glass. The mixture of SiC, ZrW2O8 and soda lime glass was sintered by Pulsed Electric Current Sintering (PECS, or sometimes called Spark Plasma Sintering, SPS) at 700 °C. Sintered samples with ZrW2O8 particle size smaller than 25 μm have high thermal expansion coefficient, because ZrW2O8 has the reaction with soda lime glass to form Na2ZrW3O12 during sintering process. The reaction between soda lime glass and ZrW2O8 is reduced by increasing particle size of ZrW2O8. Sintered sample with ZrW2O8 particle size 45-90 μm shows near zero thermal expansion.

  6. Strength and fatigue properties of three-step sintered dense nanocrystal hydroxyapatite bioceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Wen-Guang; Qiu, Zhi-Ye; Cui, Han; Wang, Chang-Ming; Zhang, Xiao-Jun; Lee, In-Seop; Dong, Yu-Qi; Cui, Fu-Zhai

    2013-06-01

    Dense hydroxyapatite (HA) ceramic is a promising material for hard tissue repair due to its unique physical properties and biologic properties. However, the brittleness and low compressive strength of traditional HA ceramics limited their applications, because previous sintering methods produced HA ceramics with crystal sizes greater than nanometer range. In this study, nano-sized HA powder was employed to fabricate dense nanocrystal HA ceramic by high pressure molding, and followed by a three-step sintering process. The phase composition, microstructure, crystal dimension and crystal shape of the sintered ceramic were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mechanical properties of the HA ceramic were tested, and cytocompatibility was evaluated. The phase of the sintered ceramic was pure HA, and the crystal size was about 200 nm. The compressive strength and elastic modulus of the HA ceramic were comparable to human cortical bone, especially the good fatigue strength overcame brittleness of traditional sintered HA ceramics. Cell attachment experiment also demonstrated that the ceramics had a good cytocompatibility.

  7. The Development of a Ti-6Al-4V Alloy via Oxygen Solid Solution Strengthening for Aerospace and Defense Applications

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-03-01

    latter strategy. Mixtures of titanium powders and TiO2 particles were employed as starting materials and consolidated by spark - plasma sintering and...were consolidated in a carbon container installed in the spark - plasma sintering (SPS) equipment under vacuum condition (ɞ Pa) at a temperature of...evaluation of tensile properties of the wrought pure titanium materials consolidated by sintering and hot extrusion process, a theoretical approach using

  8. Utilizing Interfaces for Nano- and Micro-scale Control of Thermal Conductivity

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-08-17

    performance of these promising materials by 50%. Ballmilling and spark plasma sintering (SPS) processes were investigated to try to lower the thermal...samples fabricated through the spark plasma sintering ”, Mater Renew Sustain Energy, 3, 31-1 31-6 (2014). DOI: 10.1007/s40243-014-0031-8 9. O. Sologub...for doping of foreign elements (therefore no migration problems) is very striking. In further development, addition of Al as a sintering element was

  9. Synthesis of Nano-Scale Fast Ion Conducting Cubic Li7La3Zr2O12

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-09-25

    offer the flexibility to make nano-dimensional particles with high sinterability nor the ability to coat/protect electrode powders. By developing a...sintering temperature are needed. One possible approach is to use small particles , such as nano-scale particles , that can be sintered at lower temperatures...matrix to suppress Li dendrite penetration. By developing a sol–gel process, the LLZO particle size can be precisely tuned, from the nanometer to the

  10. Fracture behavior of metal-ceramic fixed dental prostheses with frameworks from cast or a newly developed sintered cobalt-chromium alloy.

    PubMed

    Krug, Klaus-Peter; Knauber, Andreas W; Nothdurft, Frank P

    2015-03-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the fracture behavior of metal-ceramic bridges with frameworks from cobalt-chromium-molybdenum (CoCrMo), which are manufactured using conventional casting or a new computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) milling and sintering technique. A total of 32 metal-ceramic fixed dental prostheses (FDPs), which are based on a nonprecious metal framework, was produced using a conventional casting process (n = 16) or a new CAD/CAM milling and sintering process (n = 16). Eight unveneered frameworks were manufactured using each of the techniques. After thermal and mechanical aging of half of the restorations, all samples were subjected to a static loading test in a universal testing machine, in which acoustic emission monitoring was performed. Three different critical forces were revealed: the fracture force (F max), the force at the first reduction in force (F decr1), and the force at the critical acoustic event (F acoust1). With the exception of the veneered restorations with cast or sintered metal frameworks without artificial aging, which presented a statistically significant but slightly different F max, no statistically significant differences between cast and CAD/CAM sintered and milled FDPs were detected. Thermal and mechanical loading did not significantly affect the resulting forces. Cast and CAD/CAM milled and sintered metal-ceramic bridges were determined to be comparable with respect to the fracture behavior. FDPs based on CAD/CAM milled and sintered frameworks may be an applicable and less technique-sensitive alternative to frameworks that are based on conventionally cast frameworks.

  11. Temperature variation in metal ceramic technology analyzed using time domain optical coherence tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sinescu, Cosmin; Topala, Florin I.; Negrutiu, Meda Lavinia; Duma, Virgil-Florin; Podoleanu, Adrian G.

    2014-01-01

    The quality of dental prostheses is essential in providing good quality medical services. The metal ceramic technology applied in dentistry implies ceramic sintering inside the dental oven. Every ceramic material requires a special sintering chart which is recommended by the producer. For a regular dental technician it is very difficult to evaluate if the temperature inside the oven remains the same as it is programmed on the sintering chart. Also, maintaining the calibration in time is an issue for the practitioners. Metal ceramic crowns develop a very accurate pattern for the ceramic layers depending on the temperature variation inside the oven where they are processed. Different patterns were identified in the present study for the samples processed with a variation in temperature of +30 °C to +50 °C, respectively - 30 0°C to -50 °C. The OCT imagistic evaluations performed for the normal samples present a uniform spread of the ceramic granulation inside the ceramic materials. For the samples sintered at a higher temperature an alternation between white and darker areas between the enamel and opaque layers appear. For the samples sintered at a lower temperature a decrease in the ceramic granulation from the enamel towards the opaque layer is concluded. The TD-OCT methods can therefore be used efficiently for the detection of the temperature variation due to the ceramic sintering inside the ceramic oven.

  12. A sintering study on the β-spodumene-based glass ceramics prepared from gel-derived precursor powders with LiF additive

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Moo-Chin; Wu, Nan-Chung; Yang, Sheng; Wen, Shaw-Bing

    2002-01-01

    Beta-spodumene (Li2O·Al2O3·4SiO2, LAS) powders were prepared by a sol-gel process using Si(OC2H5)4, Al(OC4H9)3, and LiNO3 as precursors and LiF as a sintering aid agent. Dilatometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and electron diffraction (ED) were utilized to study the sintering, phase transformation, microstructure, and properties of the β-spodumene glass-ceramics prepared from the gel-derived precursor powders with and without LiF additives. For the LAS precursor powders containing no LiF, the only crystalline phase obtained was β-spodumene. For the pellets containing less than 4 wt pct LiF and sintered at 1050 °C for 5 hours the crystalline phases were β-spodumene and β-eucryptite (Li2O·Al2O3·2SiO2). When the LiF content was 5 wt pct and the sintering process was carried out at 1050 °C for 5 hours, the crystalline phases were β-spodumene, β-eucryptite (triclinic), and eucryptite (rhombohedral (hex.)) phases. With the LiF additive increased from 0.5 to 4 wt pct and sintering at 1050 °C for 5 hours, the open porosity of the sintered bodies decrease from 30 to 2.1 pct. The grains size is about to 4 to 5 µm when pellect LAS compact contains LiF 3 wt pct as sintered at 1050 °C for 5 hours. The grains size grew to 8 to 25 µm with a remarkable discontinuous grain growth for pellet LAS compact contain LiF 5 wt pct sintered at 1050 °C for 5 hours. Relative densities greater than 90 pct could be obtained for the LAS precursor powders with LiF > 2 wt pct when sintered at 1050 °C for 5 hours. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the sintered bodies decreased from 8.3 × 10-7 to 5.2 × 10-7/°C (25 °C to 900 °C) as the LiF addition increased from 0 to 5 wt pct.

  13. Mechanisms and mechanics of shape loss during supersolidus liquid-phase sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lal, Anand

    Rapid sinter densification of relatively coarse prealloyed powders is possible by exceeding the solidus temperature in an approach termed supersolidus liquid phase sintering (SLPS). However, narrow processing windows for densification without distortion often limit this process. The liquid films at the grain boundaries that are responsible for densification also reduce the structural rigidity of components. Hence, components tend to slump under their own weight. Thus, the present study investigates shape loss during SLPS and rationalizes the processing and material factors with regard to separating densification from distortion. Experiments are performed on various prealloyed powders, including bronze, 316L stainless steel, and T15 tool steel. Differential thermal analysis, dilatometry, and in situ video imaging of sintering compacts are used to follow melting, densification, and distortion, respectively. Further, density and dimensional measurements are performed on sintered compacts. Results indicate a dependence of distortion on the sintering temperature and time, compact size, and melting behavior of the alloy. It is shown that the sintering temperature window, where high-density, precise components are obtained, can be widened for 316L stainless steel by boron addition. For the first time, a beam bending technique is used to measure the macroscopic apparent viscosity of semisolid bronze. The viscosity drops with temperature above the solidus and lies in the range of 108 to 106 Pa-s. Additionally, the in situ transverse rupture strength of bronze is measured to demonstrate the softening above the solidus temperature. Further, microstructural measurements are performed to enable correlation with the slumping behavior and viscosity. A model combining the deformation mechanisms, driving forces, and microstructural characteristics is developed to predict the conditions for densification and distortion onset. The microstructure is also correlated with the magnitude of shape loss and viscosity of a semisolid aggregate. A mechanistic model, based on the semisolid rheological characteristics, is developed to predict the magnitude and nature of shape loss. The model shows good correlation with experimental data for bronze. This study offers critical insight into SLPS and provides processing strategies for fabrication of high-density components without shape loss.

  14. Synthesis and microwave dielectric behavior of (Bi1-xPbx)NbO4 ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Butee, S. P.; Kambale, K. R.; Upadhyay, Shaishav; Bashaiah, S.; Raju, K. C. James; Panda, Himanshu

    2016-03-01

    Ceramic samples of (Bi1-xPbx)NbO4 (x=0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20) with 0.75wt.% V2O5 addition sintered at 920∘C, 940∘C and 960∘C are investigated. Pb is selected as a substitute for Bi3+ in BiNbO4 ceramics as it exists in two stable valence states of +2 and +4 and the average valency matches to that of Bi3+. The average Shannon radius (for octahedral coordination) of Pb2+ (1.19Å) and Pb4+(0.775Å) cations is 0.9825Å, which is similar to that of Bi3+ ion (1.03Å). The dense (>94%) polycrystalline (Bi1-xPbx)NbO4 samples fabricated mostly reveal orthorhombic (Pnna) phase (α-BiNbO4, Sp. Gp. 52) by powder XRD. Presence of satellite Pb2Nb2O7 phase, the amount of which is increasing with increase in Pb content, is also noticed. The microwave dielectric constant (ɛr‧) values of the niobates are found to increase from 42 to 71, whereas the quality factor (Qu.f) values are found to decrease from 5400 to 550 GHz with increasing substitution of Pb. The compositions so synthesized are important as hardly there are any microwave dielectric ceramics available with 45<ɛr‧<75.

  15. High efficiency solution processed sintered CdTe nanocrystal solar cells: the role of interfaces.

    PubMed

    Panthani, Matthew G; Kurley, J Matthew; Crisp, Ryan W; Dietz, Travis C; Ezzyat, Taha; Luther, Joseph M; Talapin, Dmitri V

    2014-02-12

    Solution processing of photovoltaic semiconducting layers offers the potential for drastic cost reduction through improved materials utilization and high device throughput. One compelling solution-based processing strategy utilizes semiconductor layers produced by sintering nanocrystals into large-grain semiconductors at relatively low temperatures. Using n-ZnO/p-CdTe as a model system, we fabricate sintered CdTe nanocrystal solar cells processed at 350 °C with power conversion efficiencies (PCE) as high as 12.3%. JSC of over 25 mA cm(-2) are achieved, which are comparable or higher than those achieved using traditional, close-space sublimated CdTe. We find that the VOC can be substantially increased by applying forward bias for short periods of time. Capacitance measurements as well as intensity- and temperature-dependent analysis indicate that the increased VOC is likely due to relaxation of an energetic barrier at the ITO/CdTe interface.

  16. Self Sealing Magmas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    von Aulock, Felix W.; Wadsworth, Fabian B.; Kennedy, Ben M.; Lavallee, Yan

    2015-04-01

    During ascent of magma, pressure decreases and bubbles form. If the volume increases more rapidly than the relaxation timescale, the magma fragments catastrophically. If a permeable network forms, the magma degasses non-violently. This process is generally assumed to be unidirectional, however, recent studies have shown how shear and compaction can drive self sealing. Here, we additionally constrain skin formation during degassing and sintering. We heated natural samples of obsidian in a dry atmosphere and monitored foaming and impermeable skin formation. We suggest a model for skin formation that is controlled by diffusional loss of water and bubble collapse at free surfaces. We heated synthetic glass beads in a hydrous atmosphere to measure the timescale of viscous sintering. The beads sinter at drastically shorter timescales as water vapour rehydrates an otherwise degassed melt, reducing viscosity and glass transition temperatures. Both processes can produce dense inhomogeneities within the timescales of magma ascent and effectively disturb permeabilities and form barriers, particularly at the margins of the conduit, where strain localisation takes place. Localised ash in failure zones (i.e. Tuffisite) then becomes associated with water vapour fluxes and alow rapid rehydration and sintering. When measuring permeabilities in laboratory and field, and when discussing shallow degassing in volcanoes, local barriers for degassing should be taken into account. Highlighting the processes that lead to the formation of such dense skins and sintered infills of cavities can help understanding the bulk permeabilities of volcanic systems.

  17. Effect of Sintering Temperature to Physical, Magnetic Properties and Crystal Structure on Permanent Magnet BaFe12O19 Prepared From Mill Scale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramlan; Muljadi; Sardjono, Priyo; Gulo, Fakhili; Setiabudidaya, Dedi

    2017-07-01

    Permanent magnet of Barium hexa Ferrite with formula BaFe12O19 has been made by metallurgy powder method from raw materials : Barium carbonate (BaCO3 E-merck) and Iron Oxide (Fe2O3 from mill scale). Both of raw materials have been mixed with stoichiometry composition by using a ball mill for 24 hours. The fine powder obtained from milling process was formed by using a hydraulic press at pressure 50 MPa and continued with sintering process. The sintering temperature was varied : 1150°C, 1200°C, 1250°C and 1300°C with holding time for 1 hour. The sintered samples were characterized such as : physical properties (bulk density, porosity and shrinkage), magnetic properties (flux density, remanence, coercivity and magnetic saturation) by using VSM and crystal structure by using XRD. According characterization results show that the crystal structure of BaFe12O19 does not change after sintering process, but the grain size tends to increase. The optimum condition is achieved at temperature 1250°C, and at this condition, the sample has characterization such as : bulk density = 4.35 g/cm3, porosity = 1.03% and firing shrinkage = 11.63%, flux density = 681.1 Gauss, remanence (σr) = 20.78 emu/g, coercivity (Hc) = 2058 Oe and magnetic saturation (σs) 45.16 emu/g.

  18. Crystal structure, magnetic properties and advances in hexaferrites: A brief review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jotania, Rajshree

    2014-10-01

    Hexaferrites are hard magnetic materials and specifically ferri-magnetic oxides with hexagonal magnetoplumbite type crystallographic structure. Hexagonal ferrites are used as permanent magnets, high-density perpendicular and magneto-optical recording media, and microwave devices like resonance isolators, filters, circulators, phase shifters because of their high magnetic permeability, high electrical resistivity and moderable permittivity. In addition to these; hexagonal ferrites have excellent chemical stability, mechanical hardness and low eddy current loss at high frequencies. The preparation of hexaferrites is a complicated process. Various experimental techniques like standard ceramic techniques, solvent free synthesis route, co precipitation, salt-melt, ion exchange, sol-gel, citrate synthesis, hydrothermal synthesis, spray drying, water-in-oil microemulsion, reverse micelle etc are used to prepare hexaferrite materials. Structural, dielectric and magnetic properties, crystallite size of hexaferrites depend upon nature of substituted ions, method of preparation, sintering temperature and time. The recent interest is nanotechnology, the development of hexaferrite fibres and composites with carbon nano tubes (CNT). Magnetic properties of some doped and un-doped hexaferrites are discussed here. Recent advances in hexaferrites also highlighted in present paper.

  19. Effect of Starch on Sintering Behavior for Fabricating Porous Cordierite Ceramic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Ye; Cao, Wei; Gong, Lunlun; Zhang, Ruifang; Cheng, Xudong

    2016-10-01

    Porous cordierite ceramics were prepared with starch as pore-forming agent by solid-state method. The green bodies were sintered at 1,100-1,400 °C for 2 h. The characterization was focused on thermal analysis, phase evolution, sintering behavior, porosity and micro-structural changes. The results show that cordierite becomes the main crystallization phase at 1,200 °C. The shrinkage behavior shows the most obvious dependence on the sintering temperature and starch content, and it can be divided into three stages. Moreover, the open porosity increases with the increase of starch content, but the pore-forming effectivity decreases. Nevertheless, compared with the open porosity curves, the bulk density curves are more in line with the linear rule. The microphotographs show the densification process with the sintering temperature and the variation of pore connectivity with the starch content.

  20. PRODUCCION DE PLACAS DELGADAS DE UO$sub 2$ INFORME NO. 71. (Production of Thin Plates of UO$sub 2$. Report No. 71)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Koll, H.; Carrea, A.J.

    1962-01-01

    The effect of some parameters on the fabrication of thin plates of UO/ sub 2/ by the sintering process is studied. Compacting pressures of 0.25 to 2 ton/cm/sub 2/, temperatures from 1100 to 1400 deg C, and sintering times from 1 to 3 hrs were used to determine the optimum values of these parameters. An analysis of the effect of the lubricant during the compression showed that the results were improved by the substitution of polyethylene glycol types for steric types, as the former were more easily removed from the compact and did not attack the UO/sub 2/ during sintering.more » Fracture during compression and extraction was studied. The compression law for the powder was determined, and the valid ity of the Bal'shin law was proved. The furnace atmospher is of importance to the sintered product. Two types of atmosphere were analyzed ---neutral atmosphere during sintering with final reduction in hydrogen and slightly reducing atmosphere during the entire process. An analysis of the effects on the final density and porosity showed that adding 3% H/sub 2/ to Ar produced good density and a stoichiometric oxide in the final product. It was shown that density is not a sufficient measurement to evaluate the degree of sintering. Only the combined use of density and porosity give a good evaluation. The compression pressure has a great effect on the pore size and distribution in the sintered product. Best results are obtained with high pressures, which gives small uniformly distributed pores. A metallographic study was made to determine the relation between pore size and distribution and the process parameters. Compact zones'' were observed with mean diameter from 1 to 2 mm with very reduced porosity. These zones had better hardness and resistance to corrosion and chemical attack than the rest of the material. (tr-auth)« less

  1. Reproducibility of Aluminum Foam by Combining Sintering and Dissolution Process with Precursor Foaming Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hangai, Yoshihiko; Matsushita, Hayato; Koyama, Shinji; Suzuki, Ryosuke; Matsubara, Masaaki

    2017-07-01

    A preliminary study of the reproducibility of aluminum foam was performed. Aluminum foam was fabricated by a sintering and dissolution process. It was found that aluminum foam containing a blowing agent can be fabricated without the decomposition of the blowing agent, namely, the densified aluminum foam can be used as a foamable precursor for refoaming. By heat treatment of the densified aluminum foam containing the blowing agent, pores were reproduced in the aluminum.

  2. A New Automated Microwave Heating Process for Cooking and Pasteurization of Microwaveable Foods Containing Raw Meats

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A new microwave heating process was developed for cooking microwaveable foods containing raw meats. A commercially available inverter-based microwave oven was modified for pasteurization of mechanically tenderized beef, inoculated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 (~ 5 log cfu/g) and packaged in a 12 o...

  3. WSi2 in Si(1-x)Ge(x) Composites: Processing and Thermoelectric Properties

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mackey, Jonathan A.; Sehirlioglu, Alp; Dynys, Fred

    2015-01-01

    Traditional SiGe thermoelectrics have potential for enhanced figure of merit (ZT) via nano-structuring with a silicide phase, such as WSi2. A second phase of nano-sized silicides can theoretically reduce the lattice component of thermal conductivity without significantly reducing the electrical conductivity. However, experimentally achieving such improvements in line with the theory is complicated by factors such as control of silicide size during sintering, dopant segregation, matrix homogeneity, and sintering kinetics. Samples were prepared using powder metallurgy techniques; including mechano-chemical alloying, via ball milling, and spark plasma sintering for densification. Processing, micro-structural development, and thermoelectric properties will be discussed. Additionally, couple and device level characterization will be introduced.

  4. Processing of non-oxide ceramics from sol-gel methods

    DOEpatents

    Landingham, Richard; Reibold, Robert A.; Satcher, Joe

    2014-12-12

    A general procedure applied to a variety of sol-gel precursors and solvent systems for preparing and controlling homogeneous dispersions of very small particles within each other. Fine homogenous dispersions processed at elevated temperatures and controlled atmospheres make a ceramic powder to be consolidated into a component by standard commercial means: sinter, hot press, hot isostatic pressing (HIP), hot/cold extrusion, spark plasma sinter (SPS), etc.

  5. Examination of the Mass Transfer of Additive Elements in Barium Titanate Ceramics during Sintering Process by Laser Ablation ICP-MS.

    PubMed

    Sakate, Daisuke; Iwazaki, Yoshiki; Kon, Yoshiaki; Yokoyama, Takaomi; Ohata, Masaki

    2018-01-01

    The mass transfer of additive elements during the sintering of barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ) ceramic was examined by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) in the present study. An analytical sample consisting of two pellets of BaTiO 3 with different concentrations of additive elements of manganese (Mn) and holmium (Ho) as well as silicon (Si) as a sintering reagent was prepared and measured by LA-ICP-MS with small laser irradiated diameter of 10 μm to evaluate the distributions and concentrations of additive elements in order to examine their mass transfers. As results, enrichments of Mn and Si as an additive element and a sintering reagent, respectively, were observed on the adhesive surface between two BaTiO 3 pellets, even though Ho did not show a similar phenomenon. The mass transfers of additive elements of Mn and Ho were also examined, and Mn seemed to show a larger mass transfer than that of Ho during the sintering process for BaTiO 3 ceramics. The results obtained in this study shows the effectives of LA-ICP-MS for the future improvement of MLCCs.

  6. Study of sintering on Mg-Zn-Ca alloy system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Annur, Dhyah; Lestari, Franciska P.; Erryani, Aprilia; Kartika, Ika

    2018-05-01

    Magnesium and its alloy have gained a lot of interest to be used in biomedical application due to its biodegradable and biocompatible properties. In this study, sintering process in powder metallurgy was chosen to fabricatenonporous Mg-6Zn-1Ca (in wt%) alloy and porous Mg-6Zn-1Ca-10 Carbamide alloy. For creating porous alloy, carbamide (CO(NH2)2 was added to alloy system as the space holder to create porous structure material. Effect of the space holder addition and sintering temperature on porosity, phase formation, mechanical properties, and corrosion properties was observed. Sintering process was done in a tube furnace under Argon atmosphere in for 5 hours. The heat treatment was done in two steps; heated up at 250 °C for 4 hours to decompose spacer particle, followed by heated up at 580 °C or 630 °C for 5 hours. The porous structure of the resulted alloys was examined using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), while the phase formation was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Mechanical properties were examined using compression testing. From this study, increasing sintering temperature up to 630 °C reduced the mechanical properties of Mg-Zn-Ca alloy.

  7. Thermoelectric properties of Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 synthesized by solution combustion process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Kyeongsoon; Lee, Ga Won

    2011-10-01

    High-quality Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 nano-powders were synthesized by the solution combustion process. The size of the synthesized Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 powders was approximately 23 nm. The green pellets were sintered at 1150-1300°C at a step size of 50°C. Sintered Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 bodies crystallized in the perovskite structure with an orthorhombic symmetry. The sintering temperature did not affect the Seebeck coefficient, but significantly affected the electrical conductivity. The electrical conductivity of Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 increased with increasing temperature, indicating a semiconducting behavior. The absolute value of the Seebeck coefficient gradually increased with an increase in temperature. The highest power factor (3.7 × 10-5 Wm-1 K-2 at 800°C) was obtained for Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 sintered at 1,250°C. In this study, we investigated the microstructure and thermoelectric properties of Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3, depending on sintering temperature.

  8. Thermoelectric properties of Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 synthesized by solution combustion process

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    High-quality Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 nano-powders were synthesized by the solution combustion process. The size of the synthesized Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 powders was approximately 23 nm. The green pellets were sintered at 1150-1300°C at a step size of 50°C. Sintered Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 bodies crystallized in the perovskite structure with an orthorhombic symmetry. The sintering temperature did not affect the Seebeck coefficient, but significantly affected the electrical conductivity. The electrical conductivity of Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 increased with increasing temperature, indicating a semiconducting behavior. The absolute value of the Seebeck coefficient gradually increased with an increase in temperature. The highest power factor (3.7 × 10-5 Wm-1 K-2 at 800°C) was obtained for Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 sintered at 1,250°C. In this study, we investigated the microstructure and thermoelectric properties of Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3, depending on sintering temperature. PMID:21974984

  9. Thermoelectric properties of Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 synthesized by solution combustion process.

    PubMed

    Park, Kyeongsoon; Lee, Ga Won

    2011-10-05

    High-quality Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 nano-powders were synthesized by the solution combustion process. The size of the synthesized Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 powders was approximately 23 nm. The green pellets were sintered at 1150-1300°C at a step size of 50°C. Sintered Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 bodies crystallized in the perovskite structure with an orthorhombic symmetry. The sintering temperature did not affect the Seebeck coefficient, but significantly affected the electrical conductivity. The electrical conductivity of Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 increased with increasing temperature, indicating a semiconducting behavior. The absolute value of the Seebeck coefficient gradually increased with an increase in temperature. The highest power factor (3.7 × 10-5 Wm-1 K-2 at 800°C) was obtained for Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3 sintered at 1,250°C. In this study, we investigated the microstructure and thermoelectric properties of Ca0.8Dy0.2MnO3, depending on sintering temperature.

  10. Development of SiC/SiC composites by PIP in combination with RS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kotani, Masaki; Kohyama, Akira; Katoh, Yutai

    2001-02-01

    In order to improve the mechanical performances of SiC/SiC composite, process improvement and modification of polymer impregnation and pyrolysis (PIP) and reaction sintering (RS) process were investigated. The fibrous prepregs were prepared by a polymeric intra-bundle densification technique using Tyranno-SA™ fiber. For inter-bundle matrix, four kinds of process options utilizing polymer pyrolysis and reaction sintering were studied. The process conditions were systematically optimized through fabricating monoliths. Then, SiC/SiC composites were fabricated using optimized inter-bundle matrix slurries in each process for the first inspection of process requirements.

  11. Porous calcium polyphosphate bone substitutes: additive manufacturing versus conventional gravity sinter processing-effect on structure and mechanical properties.

    PubMed

    Hu, Youxin; Shanjani, Yaser; Toyserkani, Ehsan; Grynpas, Marc; Wang, Rizhi; Pilliar, Robert

    2014-02-01

    Porous calcium polyphosphate (CPP) structures proposed as bone-substitute implants and made by sintering CPP powders to form bending test samples of approximately 35 vol % porosity were machined from preformed blocks made either by additive manufacturing (AM) or conventional gravity sintering (CS) methods and the structure and mechanical characteristics of samples so made were compared. AM-made samples displayed higher bending strengths (≈1.2-1.4 times greater than CS-made samples), whereas elastic constant (i.e., effective elastic modulus of the porous structures) that is determined by material elastic modulus and structural geometry of the samples was ≈1.9-2.3 times greater for AM-made samples. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that samples made by either method displayed the same crystal structure forming β-CPP after sinter annealing. The material elastic modulus, E, determined using nanoindentation tests also showed the same value for both sample types (i.e., E ≈ 64 GPa). Examination of the porous structures indicated that significantly larger sinter necks resulted in the AM-made samples which presumably resulted in the higher mechanical properties. The development of mechanical properties was attributed to the different sinter anneal procedures required to make 35 vol % porous samples by the two methods. A primary objective of the present study, in addition to reporting on bending strength and sample stiffness (elastic constant) characteristics, was to determine why the two processes resulted in the observed mechanical property differences for samples of equivalent volume percentage of porosity. An understanding of the fundamental reason(s) for the observed effect is considered important for developing improved processes for preparation of porous CPP implants as bone substitutes for use in high load-bearing skeletal sites. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Development of high Tc (greater than 110K) Bi, Tl and Y-based materials as superconducting circuit elements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haertling, Gene H.; Lee, Burtrand; Grabert, Gregory; Gilmour, Phillip

    1991-01-01

    This report is presented in two parts. Part 1 deals primarily with Bi-based materials and a small amount of work on a Y-based composition while Part 2 covers work on Tl-based materials. In Part 1, a reliable and reproducible process for producing bulk bismuth-based superconductors has been developed. It is noted however, that a percentage of the tapecast material experiences curling and fracturing after a 30 hour sintering period and is thus in need of further examination. The Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O (BSCCO) material has been characterized by critical temperature data, X-ray diffraction data, and surface morphology. In the case of T sub c, it is not critical to anneal the material. It appears that the BSCCO material has the possibility of producing a better grounding strap than that of the 123 material. Attempts to reproduce near room temperature superconductors in the Y-Ba-Cu-O system were unsuccessful. In Part 2, several methods of processing the high temperature superconductor Tl2Ba2Ca2Cu3O10 were investigated; i.e., different precursor compositions were sintered at various sintering times and temperatures. The highest superconductig temperature was found to be 117.8K when fired at 900 C for three hours. Higher sintering temperatures produced a melted sample which was nonsuperconducting at liquid nitrogen temperature. Also, a preliminary study found Li2O substitutions for copper appeared to increase the transition temperature and create fluxing action upon sintering. It was suggested that lower sintering temperatures might be obtained with lithium additions to produce reliable Tl2Ba2Ca2Cu3O10 processing methods.

  13. Reduction mechanism of surface oxide films and characterization of formations on pulse electric-current sintered Al Mg alloy powders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Guoqiang; Ohashi, Osamu; Song, Minghui; Mitsuishi, Kazutaka; Furuya, Kazuo

    2005-02-01

    The microstructure of interfaces between powder particles in Al-Mg alloy specimens sintered by pulse electric-current sintering (PECS) process was characterized using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The crystalline precipitates with nano-size in the interface were observed in all of Al-Mg alloy specimens. The composition was determined to be MgAl 2O 4 or MgO, or both of them, which depended on Mg content in alloy powder and sintering temperature. The precipitates were suggested to contribute to reduction reaction of Mg with oxide films originally covered at powder particles surface.

  14. High resolution laser micro sintering / melting using q-switched and high brilliant laser radiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Exner, H.; Streek, A.

    2015-03-01

    Since the discovery of selective laser sintering/melting, numerous modifications have been made to upgrade or customize this technology for industrial purposes. Laser micro sintering (LMS) is one of those modifications: Powders with particles in the range of a few micrometers are used to obtain products with highly resolved structures. Pulses of a q-switched laser had been considered necessary in order to generate sinter layers from the micrometer scaled metal powders. LMS has been applied with powders from metals as well as from ceramic and cermet feedstock's to generate micro parts. Recent technological progress and the application of high brilliant continuous laser radiation have now allowed an efficient laser sintering/melting of micrometer scaled metal powders. Thereby it is remarkable that thin sinter layers are generated using high continuous laser power. The principles of the process, the state of the art in LMS concerning its advantages and limitations and furthermore the latest results of the recent development of this technology will be presented. Laser Micro Sintering / Laser Micro Melting (LMM) offer a vision for a new dimension of additive fabrication of miniature and precise parts also with application potential in all engineering fields.

  15. Characterizing Sintered Nano-Hydroxyapatite Sol-Gel Coating Deposited on a Biomedical Ti-Zr-Nb Alloy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jafari, Hassan; Hessam, Hamid; Shahri, Seyed Morteza Ghaffari; Assadian, Mahtab; Shairazifard, Shahin Hamtaie Pour; Idris, Mohd Hasbullah

    2016-03-01

    In this study, sol-gel dip-coating method was used to coat nano-hydroxyapatite on specimens of Ti-14Zr-13Nb alloy for orthopedic applications. The coated specimens were sintered at three different temperatures and time spans to evaluate the impact of sintering process on microstructure, mechanical, bio-corrosion, and bioactivity properties of the coating. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction were used to analyze the coating microstructure. Coating adhesion and mechanical performance were also investigated by scratch testing. Besides, electrochemical corrosion and immersion tests were performed in simulated body fluid to examine the sintering effect on corrosion performance and bioactivity of the coatings, respectively. The evaluations of coated specimens displayed that sintering at elevated temperatures leads to higher surface integrity and improves crystallinity of the nano-hydroxyapatite to approximately 89% which brings about distinctively enhanced mechanical properties. Similarly, it improved the corrosion rate for about 17 times through sintering at 700 °C. Immersion test proved that the coating increased the bioactivity resulted from the dissolution of calcium phosphates into the corresponding environment. It is noticeable that sintering the dip-coated specimens in the nano-hydroxyapatite improves corrosion performance and maintains bioactive behaviors as well.

  16. Utilization of lignite power generation residues for the production of lightweight aggregates.

    PubMed

    Anagnostopoulos, Iason M; Stivanakis, Victor E

    2009-04-15

    A novel process is proposed for the utilization of lignite combustion solid residues in the production of inflammable lightweight aggregates (LWA). The process consists of two stages, pelletization and sintering, and carbon contained in BA was used as the process fuel. The main residues bottom ash (BA) and fly ash (FA) from Megalopolis power plant were characterized, mixed in different proportions and treated through pelletization and sintering process. Sintering benefits from combustion of BA carbon content and the product is a hardened porous cake. The energy required for achievement of high temperatures, in the range of 1250 degrees C, was offered by carbon combustion and CO(2) evolution is responsible for porous structure formation. Selected physical properties of sintered material relevant to use as lightweight aggregates were determined, including bulk density, porosity and water absorption. Bulk density varies from 0.83 to 0.91 g/cm(3), porosity varies from 60% to 64% and water absorption varies from 66% to 80%. LWA formed is used for the production of lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC). Thermal conductivity coefficient varies from 0.25 to 0.37 W/mK (lower than maximum limit 0.43 W/mK) and compressive strength varies from 19 to 23 MPa (higher than minimum limit 17 MPa). The results indicate that sintering of lignite combustion residues is an efficient method of utilization of carbon containing BA and production of LWA for structural and insulating purposes. Carbon content of BA is a key factor in LWA production. Finally, this research work comprises the first proposed application for utilization of BA in Greece.

  17. Additive Manufacturing Consolidation of Low-Cost Water Atomized Steel Powder Using Micro-Induction Sintering

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Carter, William G.; Rios, Orlando; U

    ORNL worked with Grid Logic Inc to demonstrate micro induction sintering (MIS) and binder decomposition of steel powders. It was shown that MIS effectively emits spatially confined electromagnetic energy that is directly coupled to metallic powders resulting in resistive heating of individual particles. The non-uniformity of particle morphology and distribution of the water atomized steel powders resulted in inefficient transfer of energy. It was shown that adhering the particles together using polymer binders resulted in more efficient coupling. Using the MIS processes, debinding and sintering could be done in a single step. When combined with another system, such as binder-jet,more » this could reduce the amount of required post-processing. An invention disclosure was filed on hybrid systems that use MIS to reduce the amount of required post-processing.« less

  18. A novel in situ synthesis of SiBCN-Zr composites prepared by a sol-gel process and spark plasma sintering.

    PubMed

    Miao, Yang; Yang, Zhihua; Liang, Bin; Li, Quan; Chen, Qingqing; Jia, Dechang; Cheng, Yi-Bing; Zhou, Yu

    2016-08-09

    In the work reported here, SiBCN amorphous powders were first prepared by a mechanical alloying technique, employing cubic silicon, graphite and hexagonal boron nitride powders as raw materials. Zirconia was then introduced via sol-gel methods. The resulting powder composite was then consolidated via SPS sintering. The SPS sintering sample was evaluated using XRD, SEM and TEM. XRD reveals a chemical transformation wherein amorphous BN(C) and ZrO2 form the primary ZrC and ZrB2 phases after SPS processing along with SiC and BN(C). Thereafter ZrC reacts with BN(C) completely to form ZrB2. The reaction starts at the temperature of 1500 °C and is complete at the temperature of 1900 °C. The fracture toughness of the sintered composites reaches 4.9 ± 0.2 MPa m(1/2) due to the presence of the laminated structure of the BN(C) phase.

  19. Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ti-6Al-4V Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting of Powder Produced by Granulation-Sintering-Deoxygenation Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Pei; Fang, Z. Zak; Zhang, Ying; Xia, Yang

    2017-12-01

    Commercial spherical Ti powders for additive manufacturing applications are produced today by melt-atomization methods at relatively high costs. A meltless production method, called granulation-sintering-deoxygenation (GSD), was developed recently to produce spherical Ti alloy powder at a significantly reduced cost. In this new process, fine hydrogenated Ti particles are agglomerated to form spherical granules, which are then sintered to dense spherical particles. After sintering, the solid fully dense spherical Ti alloy particles are deoxygenated using novel low-temperature deoxygenation processes with either Mg or Ca. This technical communication presents results of 3D printing using GSD powder and the selective laser melting (SLM) technique. The results showed that tensile properties of parts fabricated from spherical GSD Ti-6Al-4V powder by SLM are comparable with typical mill-annealed Ti-6Al-4V. The characteristics of 3D printed Ti-6Al-4V from GSD powder are also compared with that of commercial materials.

  20. Intrinsic and extrinsic relaxation of CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12} ceramics: Effect of sintering

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Li, J. Y.; Zhao, X. T.; Li, S. T.

    2010-11-15

    The effect of sintering process on the electrical properties of CaCu{sub 3}Ti{sub 4}O{sub 12} (CCTO) ceramic dielectrics were investigated in this paper. It was found that grain size is affected by sintering and the nonlinear current-voltage (I-V) property will decrease with the increased sintering time. Also, the frequency and temperature dependences of dielectric permittivity and loss in the ranges of 10{sup -1}-10{sup 7} Hz and 130-270 K were studied. Two relaxation processes with activation energy of 0.51 eV and 0.10 eV, respectively, were found in the frequency dependence of tan {delta} and Cole-Cole planes, which can be interpreted in termsmore » of insulating grain boundaries and semiconducting grains. It was suggested that grain boundary Maxwell-Wagner relaxation and ionization of oxygen vacancy V{sub O}{sup ++}, proposed as extrinsic and intrinsic relaxations, are responsible for the dielectric behaviors of CCTO ceramics.« less

  1. Copper-polydopamine composite derived from bioinspired polymer coating

    DOE PAGES

    Zhao, Yao; Wang, Hsin; Qian, Bosen; ...

    2018-04-01

    Metal matrix composites with nanocarbon phases, such carbon nanotube (CNT) and graphene, have shown potentials to achieve improved mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. However, incorporation of these nanocarbons into the metal matrix usually involves complicated processes. Here, this study explored a new processing method to fabricate copper (Cu) matrix composite by coating Cu powder particles with nanometer-thick polydopamine (PDA) thin films and sintering of the powder compacts. For sintering temperatures between 300°C and 750°C, the Cu-PDA composite samples showed higher electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity than the uncoated Cu samples, which is likely related to the higher mass densities ofmore » the composite samples. After being sintered at 950°C, the thermal conductivity of the Cu-PDA sample was approximately 12% higher than the Cu sample, while the electrical conductivity did not show significant difference. On the other hand, Knoop micro-hardness values were comparable between the Cu-PDA and Cu samples sintered at the same temperatures.« less

  2. Improved silicon nitride for advanced heat engines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yeh, H. C.; Wimmer, J. M.; Huang, H. H.; Rorabaugh, M. E.; Schienle, J.; Styhr, K. H.

    1985-01-01

    The AiResearch Casting Company baseline silicon nitride (92 percent GTE SN-502 Si sub 3 N sub 4 plus 6 percent Y sub 2 O sub 3 plus 2 percent Al sub 2 O sub 3) was characterized with methods that included chemical analysis, oxygen content determination, electrophoresis, particle size distribution analysis, surface area determination, and analysis of the degree of agglomeration and maximum particle size of elutriated powder. Test bars were injection molded and processed through sintering at 0.68 MPa (100 psi) of nitrogen. The as-sintered test bars were evaluated by X-ray phase analysis, room and elevated temperature modulus of rupture strength, Weibull modulus, stress rupture, strength after oxidation, fracture origins, microstructure, and density from quantities of samples sufficiently large to generate statistically valid results. A series of small test matrices were conducted to study the effects and interactions of processing parameters which included raw materials, binder systems, binder removal cycles, injection molding temperatures, particle size distribution, sintering additives, and sintering cycle parameters.

  3. Low-Cost Manufacturing of Bioresorbable Conductors by Evaporation-Condensation-Mediated Laser Printing and Sintering of Zn Nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Shou, Wan; Mahajan, Bikram K; Ludwig, Brandon; Yu, Xiaowei; Staggs, Joshua; Huang, Xian; Pan, Heng

    2017-07-01

    Currently, bioresorbable electronic devices are predominantly fabricated by complex and expensive vacuum-based integrated circuit (IC) processes. Here, a low-cost manufacturing approach for bioresorbable conductors on bioresorbable polymer substrates by evaporation-condensation-mediated laser printing and sintering of Zn nanoparticle is reported. Laser sintering of Zn nanoparticles has been technically difficult due to the surface oxide on nanoparticles. To circumvent the surface oxide, a novel approach is discovered to print and sinter Zn nanoparticle facilitated by evaporation-condensation in confined domains. The printing process can be performed on low-temperature substrates in ambient environment allowing easy integration on a roll-to-roll platform for economical manufacturing of bioresorbable electronics. The fabricated Zn conductors show excellent electrical conductivity (≈1.124 × 10 6 S m -1 ), mechanical durability, and water dissolvability. Successful demonstration of strain gauges confirms the potential application in various environmentally friendly sensors and circuits. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Adjustment of Part Properties for an Elastomeric Laser Sintering Material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wegner, A.; Ünlü, T.

    2018-03-01

    Laser sintering of polymers is gaining more and more importance within the field of small series productions. Polyamide 12 is predominantly used, although a variety of other materials are also available for the laser sintering process. For example, elastomeric, rubberlike materials offer very different part property profiles. Those make the production of flexible parts like, e.g., sealings, flexible tubes or shoe soles possible because they offer high part ductility and low hardness. At the chair for manufacturing technology, a new elastomeric laser sintering material has been developed and then commercialized by a spin-off from university. The aim of the presented study was the analysis of the new material's properties. Proof was found that Shore hardness can be modified by varying the parameter settings. Therefore, the correlation between process parameters, energy input, Shore hardness and other part properties like mechanical properties were analyzed. Based on these results, suitable parameter settings were established which lead to the possibility of producing parts with different Shore hardnesses.

  5. Copper-polydopamine composite derived from bioinspired polymer coating

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhao, Yao; Wang, Hsin; Qian, Bosen

    Metal matrix composites with nanocarbon phases, such carbon nanotube (CNT) and graphene, have shown potentials to achieve improved mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. However, incorporation of these nanocarbons into the metal matrix usually involves complicated processes. Here, this study explored a new processing method to fabricate copper (Cu) matrix composite by coating Cu powder particles with nanometer-thick polydopamine (PDA) thin films and sintering of the powder compacts. For sintering temperatures between 300°C and 750°C, the Cu-PDA composite samples showed higher electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity than the uncoated Cu samples, which is likely related to the higher mass densities ofmore » the composite samples. After being sintered at 950°C, the thermal conductivity of the Cu-PDA sample was approximately 12% higher than the Cu sample, while the electrical conductivity did not show significant difference. On the other hand, Knoop micro-hardness values were comparable between the Cu-PDA and Cu samples sintered at the same temperatures.« less

  6. A new integrated evaluation method of heavy metals pollution control during melting and sintering of MSWI fly ash.

    PubMed

    Li, Rundong; Li, Yanlong; Yang, Tianhua; Wang, Lei; Wang, Weiyun

    2015-05-30

    Evaluations of technologies for heavy metal control mainly examine the residual and leaching rates of a single heavy metal, such that developed evaluation method have no coordination or uniqueness and are therefore unsuitable for hazard control effect evaluation. An overall pollution toxicity index (OPTI) was established in this paper, based on the developed index, an integrated evaluation method of heavy metal pollution control was established. Application of this method in the melting and sintering of fly ash revealed the following results: The integrated control efficiency of the melting process was higher in all instances than that of the sintering process. The lowest integrated control efficiency of melting was 56.2%, and the highest integrated control efficiency of sintering was 46.6%. Using the same technology, higher integrated control efficiency conditions were all achieved with lower temperatures and shorter times. This study demonstrated the unification and consistency of this method. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Microwave processing heats up

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Microwaves are a common appliance in many households. In the United States microwave heating is the third most popular domestic heating method food foods. Microwave heating is also a commercial food processing technology that has been applied for cooking, drying, and tempering foods. It's use in ...

  8. Magnetic properties of ball-milled SrFe12O19 particles consolidated by Spark-Plasma Sintering

    PubMed Central

    Stingaciu, Marian; Topole, Martin; McGuiness, Paul; Christensen, Mogens

    2015-01-01

    The room-temperature magnetic properties of ball-milled strontium hexaferrite particles consolidated by spark-plasma sintering are strongly influenced by the milling time. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the ball-milled SrFe12O19 particles to have sizes varying over several hundred nanometers. X-Ray powder-diffraction studies performed on the ball-milled particles before sintering clearly demonstrate the occurrence of a pronounced amorphization process. During sintering at 950 oC, re-crystallization takes place, even for short sintering times of only 2 minutes and transformation of the amorphous phase into a secondary phase is unavoidable. The concentration of this secondary phase increases with increasing ball-milling time. The remanence and maximum magnetization values at 1T are weakly influenced, while the coercivity drops dramatically from 2340 Oe to 1100 Oe for the consolidated sample containing the largest amount of secondary phase. PMID:26369360

  9. Fabrication and thermoelectric properties of n-type (Sr0.9Gd0.1)TiO3 oxides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Liangliang; Qin, Xiaoying; Liu, Yongfei; Xin, Hongxing; Zhang, Jian; Li, Di; Song, Chunjun; Guo, Guanglei; Dou, Yunchen; Zou, Tianhua

    2014-02-01

    The n-type oxides (Sr0.9Gd0.1)TiO3 (SGTO) have been successfully prepared via a sol-gel process followed by solid-state sintering. The effects of sintering temperature on the thermoelectric (TE) properties of the SGTO samples have been investigated. The Seebeck coefficient showed no obvious difference, while the electrical conductivity increased with increasing sintering temperature, benefiting from an enhancement of densification. The maximum power factor (PF) value, 20.5μW/K2cm at 370 K in the metallic region, was observed for the sample sintered at 1748 K. As a result, the peak figure of merit (ZT) values for the samples sintered at higher than 1673 K were in the range of 0.28-0.30. All the results indicate that such synthetic method provides a simple and effective way to prepare TE oxides.

  10. Microwave heat treating of manufactured components

    DOEpatents

    Ripley, Edward B.

    2007-01-09

    An apparatus for heat treating manufactured components using microwave energy and microwave susceptor material. Heat treating medium such as eutectic salts may be employed. A fluidized bed introduces process gases which may include carburizing or nitriding gases. The process may be operated in a batch mode or continuous process mode. A microwave heating probe may be used to restart a frozen eutectic salt bath.

  11. Multilayer ceramic oxide solid electrolyte for fuel cells and electrolysis cells and method for fabrication thereof

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schroeder, James E. (Inventor); Anderson, Harlan U. (Inventor)

    1990-01-01

    An unitary layered ceramic structure is disclosed which comprises co-sintered layers. The co-sintered structure comprises a sintered central layer of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) which is about 8 mole percent yttria and having a density of at least about 95% of theoretical, and sintered outer layers of strontium lanthanum manganite (LSM) having the approximate molecular composition La.sub.0.8 Sr.sub.0.2 MnO.sub.3, having a density from about 50 to about 60% of theoretical, and having interconnected porosity from about 40 to 50% with an interconnected pore diameter from about one micron to about five microns. The sintered central layer is sandwiched by and bonded and sintered to the outer layers and is essentially free of significant amounts of manganese. A process for making the unitary composition-of-matter is also disclosed which involves tape casting a LSM tape and then on top thereof casting a YSZ tape. The process comprises presintering LSM powder at 1250.degree. F., crushing the presintered commercially available LSM powder, forming a slurry with the crushed LSM, a binder and solvent, tape casting the slurry and allowing the slurry to air dry. A mixture of commercially available submicron size particle YSZ powder is milled with a dispersant and solvent to disperse the YSZ particles thereby forming a dispersed YSZ slurry. The YSZ slurry is then tape cast on the dried LSM tape. If desired, a third layer of LSM can be cast on top of the dried YSZ layer. After drying the composite LSM/YSZ and LSM/YSZ/LSM tapes are fired at 1300.degree. C. No migration of manganese into the YSZ layer was observed with scanning electron microscope/edax in the sintered multilayer tape.

  12. Multilayer ceramic oxide solid electrolyte for fuel cells and electrolysis cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schroeder, James E. (Inventor); Anderson, Harlan U. (Inventor)

    1991-01-01

    A unitary layered ceramic structure is disclosed which comprises co-sintered layers. The co-sintered structure comprises a sintered central layer of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) which is about 8 mole percent yttria and having a density of at least about 95% of theoretical, and sintered outer layers of strontium lanthanum manganite (LSM) having the approximate molecular composition La.sub.0.8 Sr.sub.0.2 MnO.sub.3, having a density from about 50 to about 60% of theoretical, and having interconnected porosity from about 40 to 50% with an interconnected pore diameter from about one micron to about five microns. The sintered central layer is sandwiched by and bonded and sintered to the outer layers and is essentially free of significant amounts of manganese. A process for making the unitary composition-of-matter is also disclosed which involves tape casting a LSM tape and then on top thereof casting a YSZ tape. The process comprises presintering LSM powder at 1250.degree. F., crushing the presintered commercially available LSM powder, forming a slurry with the crushed LSM, a binder and solvent, tape casting the slurry and allowing the slurry to air dry. A mixture of commercially available submicron size particle YSZ powder is milled with a dispersant and solvent to disperse the YSZ particles thereby forming a dispersed YSZ slurry. The YSZ slurry is then tape cast on the dried LSM tape. If desired, a third layer of LSM can be cast on top of the dried YSZ layer. After drying the composite LSM/YSZ and LSM/YSZ/LSM tapes are fired at 1300.degree. C. No migration of manganese into the YSZ layer was observed with scanning electron microscope/edax in the sintered multilayer tape.

  13. Role of Cu During Sintering of Fe0.96Cu0.04 Nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sivaprahasam, D.; Sriramamurthy, A. M.; Bysakh, S.; Sundararajan, G.; Chattopadhyay, K.

    2018-04-01

    Nanoparticle agglomerates of passivated Fe ( n-Fe) and Fe0.96Cu0.04 ( n-Fe0.96Cu0.04), synthesized through the levitational gas condensation (LGC) process, were compacted and sintered using the conventional powder metallurgy method. The n-Fe0.96Cu0.04 agglomerates produced lower green density than n-Fe, and when compacted under pressure beyond 200 MPa, they underwent lateral cracking during ejection attributed to the presence of a passive oxide layer. Sintering under dynamic hydrogen atmosphere can produce a higher density of compact in n-Fe0.96Cu0.04 in comparison to n-Fe. Both the results of dilatometry and thermogravimetric (TG) measurements of the samples under flowing hydrogen revealed enhancement of the sintering process as soon as the reduction of oxide layers could be accomplished. The shrinkage rate of n-Fe0.96Cu0.04 reached a value three times higher than n-Fe at a low temperature of 723 K (450 °C) during heating. This enhanced shrinkage rate was the manifestation of accumulation of Cu at the surface of the particles. The formation of a thin-surface melted layer enriched with copper during heating to isothermal holding facilitated as a medium of transport for diffusion of the elements. The compacts produced by sintering at 773 K (500 °C), with relative density 82 pct, were found to be unstable and oxidized instantly when exposed to ambient atmosphere. The stable compacts of density more than 92 pct with 300- to 450-nm grain size could only be produced when sintering was carried out at 973 K (700 °C) and beyond. The 0.22 wt pct residual oxygen obtained in the sintered compact is similar to what is used for conventional ferrous powder metallurgy products.

  14. Process Simulation of Cold Pressing and Sintering of Armstrong CP-Ti Powders

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gorti, Sarma B; Sabau, Adrian S; Peter, William H

    A computational methodology is presented for the process simulation of cold pressing and sintering of Armstrong CP-Ti powders. Since the powder consolidation is governed by specific pressure-dependent constitutive equations, solution algorithms were developed for the ABAQUS user material subroutine, UMAT, for computing the plastic strain increments based on an implicit integration of the nonlinear yield function, flow rule, and hardening equations. Sintering was simulated using a model based on diffusional creep using the user subroutine CREEP. The initial mesh, stress, and density for the simulation of sintering were obtained from the results of the cold pressing simulation, minimizing the errorsmore » from decoupling the cold pressing and sintering simulations. Numerical simulation results are presented for the cold compaction followed by a sintering step of the Ti powders. The numerical simulation results for the relative density were compared to those measured from experiments before and after sintering, showing that the relative density can be accurately predicted. Notice: This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research was sponsored by the U.S. DOE, and carried out at ORNL, under Contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle, LLC. This research was sponsored by the U.S. DOE, EERE Industrial Technology Program Office under CPS Agreement # 17881.« less

  15. A new in vivo screening model for posterior spinal bone formation: comparison of ten calcium phosphate ceramic material treatments.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Clayton E; Kruyt, Moyo C; de Bruijn, Joost D; van Blitterswijk, Clemens A; Oner, F Cumhur; Verbout, Abraham J; Dhert, Wouter J A

    2006-01-01

    This study presents a new screening model for evaluating the influence of multiple conditions on the initial process of bone formation in the posterior lumbar spine of a large animal. This model uses cages designed for placement on the decorticated transverse process of the goat lumbar spine. Five conduction channels per cage, each be defined by a different material treatment, are open to both the underlying bone and overlying soft tissue. The model was validated in ten adult Dutch milk goats, with each animal implanted with two cages containing a total of ten calcium phosphate material treatments according to a randomized complete block design. The ten calcium phosphate ceramic materials were created through a combination of material chemistry (BCP, TCP, HA), sintering temperature (low, medium, high), calcination and surface roughness treatments. To monitor the bone formation over time, fluorochrome markers were administered at 3, 5 and 7 weeks and the animals were sacrificed at 9 weeks after implantation. Bone formation in the conduction channels was investigated by histology and histomorphometry of non-decalcified sections using traditional light and epifluorescent microscopy. According to both observed and measured bone formation parameters, materials were ranked in order of increasing magnitude as follows: low sintering temperature BCP (rough and smooth) approximately medium sintering temperature BCP approximately = TCP > calcined low sintering temperature HA > non-calcined low sintering temperature HA > high sintering temperature BCP (rough and smooth) > high sintering temperature HA (calcined and non-calcined). These results agree closely with those obtained in previous studies of osteoconduction and bioactivity of ceramics thereby validating the screening model presented in this study.

  16. Fabrication of β-tricalcium phosphate composite ceramic sphere-based scaffolds with hierarchical pore structure for bone regeneration.

    PubMed

    He, Fupo; Qian, Guowen; Ren, Weiwei; Li, Jiyan; Fan, Peirong; Shi, Haishan; Shi, Xuetao; Deng, Xin; Wu, Shanghua; Ye, Jiandong

    2017-04-24

    Polymer sphere-based scaffolds, which are prepared by bonding the adjacent spheres via sintering the randomly packed spheres, feature uniform pore structure, full three-dimensional (3D) interconnection, and considerable mechanical strength. However, bioceramic sphere-based scaffolds fabricated by this method have never been reported. Due to high melting temperature of bioceramic, only limited diffusion rate can be achieved when sintering the bioceramic spheres, which is far from enough to form robust bonding between spheres. In the present study, for the first time we fabricated 3D interconnected β-tricalcium phosphate ceramic sphere-based (PG/TCP) scaffolds by introducing phosphate-based glass (PG) as sintering additive and placing uniaxial pressure during the sintering process. The sintering mechanism of PG/TCP scaffolds was unveiled. The PG/TCP scaffolds had hierarchical pore structure, which was composed by interconnected macropores (>200 μm) among spheres, pores (20–120 μm) in the interior of spheres, and micropores (1–3 μm) among the grains. During the sintering process, partial PG reacted with β-TCP, forming β-Ca2P2O7; metal ions from PG substituted to Ca2+ sites of β-TCP. The mechanical properties (compressive strength 2.8–10.6 MPa; compressive modulus 190–620 MPa) and porosity (30%–50%) of scaffolds could be tailored by manipulating the sintering temperatures. The introduction of PG accelerated in vitro degradation of scaffolds, and the PG/TCP scaffolds showed good cytocompatibility. This work may offer a new strategy to prepare bioceramic scaffolds with satisfactory physicochemical properties for application in bone regeneration.

  17. Field assisted sintering of refractory carbide ceramics and fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gephart, Sean

    The sintering behaviors of silicon carbide (SiC) and boron carbide (B4C) based materials were investigated using an emerging sintering technology known as field assisted sintering technology (FAST), also known as spark plasma sintering (SPS) and pulse electric current sintering (PECS). Sintering by FAST utilizes high density electric current, uniaxial pressure, and relatively high heating rate compared to conventional sintering techniques. This effort investigated issues of scaling from laboratory FAST system (25 ton capacity) to industrial FAST system (250 ton capacity), as well as exploring the difference in sintering behavior of single phase B4C and SiC using FAST and conventional sintering techniques including hot-pressing (HP) and pressure-less sintering (PL). Materials were analyzed for mechanical and bulk properties, including characterization of density, hardness, fracture toughness, fracture (bend) strength, elastic modulus and microstructure. A parallel investigation was conducted in the development of ceramic matrix composites (CMC) using SiC powder impregnation of fiber compacts followed by FAST sintering. The FAST technique was used to sinter several B4C and SiC materials to near theoretical density. Preliminary efforts established optimized sintering temperatures using the smaller 25 ton laboratory unit, targeting a sample size of 40 mm diameter and 8 mm thickness. Then the same B4C and SiC materials were sintered by the larger 250 ton industrial FAST system, a HP system, and PL sintering system with a targeted dense material geometry of 4 x 4 x 0.315 inches3 (101.6 x 101.6 x 8 mm3). The resulting samples were studied to determine if the sintering dynamics and/or the resulting material properties were influenced by the sintering technique employed. This study determined that FAST sintered ceramic materials resulted in consistently higher averaged values for mechanical properties as well as smaller grain size when compared to conventionally sintered materials. While FAST sintered materials showed higher average values, in general they also showed consistently larger variation in the scattered data and consequently larger standard deviation for the resulting material properties. In addition, dynamic impact testing (V50 test) was conducted on the resulting materials and it was determined that there was no discernable correlation between observed mechanical properties of the ceramic materials and the resulting dynamic testing. Another study was conducted on the sintering of SiC and carbon fiber reinforced SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMC) using FAST. There has been much interest recently in fabricating high strength, low porosity SiC CMC.s for high temperature structural applications, but the current methods of production, namely chemical vapor infiltration (CVI), melt infiltration (MI), and polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP), are considered time consuming and involve material related shortcomings associated with their respective methodologies. In this study, SiC CMC.s were produced using the 25 ton laboratory unit with a target sample size of 40 mm diameter and 3 mm thickness, as well as on the larger 250 ton industrial FAST system targeting a sample size of 101.6 x 101.6 x 3 mm3 to investigate issues associated with scaling. Several sintering conditions were explored including: pressure of 35-65 MPa, temperature of 1700-1900°C, and heating rates between 50-400°C/min. The SiC fibers used in this study were coated using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with boron nitride (BN) and pyrolytic carbon to act as a barrier layer and preserve the integrity of the fibers during sintering. Then the barrier coating was coated by an outer layer of SiC to enhance the bonding between the fibers and the SiC matrix. Microstructures of the sintered samples were examined by FE-SEM. Mechanical properties including flexural strength-deflection and stress-strain were characterized using 4-point bend testing. Tensile testing was performed on the larger 101.6 x 101.6 x 3 mm samples. The microstructures of samples sintered using the 25 ton laboratory FAST system showed a reduction in porosity and good adhesion between the fiber-fiber and fiber-matrix interface. The microstructures of samples sintered on the 250 ton industrial FAST system showed a reduction in porosity, but there was visible reaction of the fiber and fiber coatings with the surrounding matrix. Additionally, there was significant radial cracking of the fibers visible in the microstructures. There is gap in the understanding of sintering behavior between laboratory and industrial scale FAST systems. The vast majority of publications on FAST sintering have been primarily focused on small sample geometries (20 mm diameter, less than 3 mm thick). A study was coordinated to investigate the thermal properties during heating and cooling using a 250 ton industrial FAST system at 900°C using B4C and SiC materials inside the graphite die assembly. The thermal properties were then compared to the resulting material properties of the identically sintered B4C and SiC to approximately 94% relative density, at a temperature of 1950°C, pressure of 45 MPa, 10 minute hold, and heated at a rate of 100°C/min. The study determined that at 900°C there were significant thermal gradients within the system for the examined materials, and that these gradients correlated well with the material property difference of the samples sintered at higher temperatures where the gradients are presumably larger due to an increase in radiative heat loss. The observed temperatures throughout the graphite were significantly different between B4C and SiC. These temperatures also correlated well with the material properties of the sintered products which showed more substantial variation for B4C when compared to SiC which was overall less affected by thermal gradients. This was attributed to the intrinsic thermal conductivity difference between the two subject materials which was manifested as thermal gradients throughout the material and graphite die assembly. Additionally, both the observed temperature gradients throughout the graphite die assembly and the difference in temperature reading between the optical pyrometer and thermocouples were significantly larger for the 250 ton FAST system than previous publications have demonstrated experimentally or via modeling of smaller laboratory scale systems. The findings from this work showed that relative to conventional sintering methods, the FAST process demonstrated comparable or improved material and mechanical properties with a significantly shorter processing cycle. However, the results demonstrated on the 25 ton laboratory scale unit were significantly different compared to results for the same materials sintered using the 250 ton industrial scale unit. The temperature gradients observed on the 250 ton FAST unit were significantly larger than previous reports on smaller FAST units. This result showed future efforts to scale up the FAST sintering process while maintaining similar results will require careful attention to minimizing temperature gradients. This could potentially be achieved by reducing radiative heat loss during processing and/or optimizing the graphite die design and implementing heat spreaders in specific locations dependent on the host material.s thermal and electrical properties as well as the sample geometry.

  18. Effect of processing conditions on microstructural features in Mn–Si sintered steels

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Oro, Raquel, E-mail: raqueld@chalmers.se; Hryha, Eduard, E-mail: hryha@chalmers.se; Campos, Mónica, E-mail: campos@ing.uc3m.es

    2014-09-15

    Sintering of steels containing oxidation sensitive elements is possible if such elements are alloyed with others which present lower affinity for oxygen. In this work, a master alloy powder containing Fe–Mn–Si–C, specifically designed to create a liquid phase during sintering, has been used for such purpose. The effect of processing conditions such as sintering temperature and atmosphere was studied with the aim of describing the microstructural evolution as well as the morphology and distribution of oxides in the sintered material, evaluating the potential detrimental effect of such oxides on mechanical properties. Chemical analyses, metallography and fractography studies combined with X-raymore » photoelectron spectroscopy analyses on the fracture surfaces were used to reveal the main mechanism of fracture and their correlation with the chemical composition of the different fracture surfaces. The results indicate that the main mechanism of failure in these steels is brittle fracture in the surrounding of the original master alloy particles due to degradation of grain boundaries by the presence of oxide inclusions. Mn–Si oxide inclusions were observed on intergranular decohesive facets. The use of reducing atmospheres and high sintering temperatures reduces the amount and size of such oxide inclusions. Besides, high heating and cooling rates reduce significantly the final oxygen content in the sintered material. A model for microstructure development and oxide evolution during different stages of sintering is proposed, considering the fact that when the master alloy melts, the liquid formed can dissolve some of the oxides as well as the surface of the surrounding iron base particles. - Highlights: • Oxide distribution in steels containing oxidation-sensitive elements • Mn, Si introduced in a master alloy powder, mixed with a base iron powder • Selective oxidation of Mn and Si on iron grain boundaries • Decohesive fracture caused by degradation of grain boundaries by oxide inclusions • Reducing agents efficient at low temperatures critical for avoiding oxide inclusions.« less

  19. Heat treatment of Na2O-CaO-P2O5-SiO2 bioactive glasses: densification processes and postsintering bioactivity.

    PubMed

    Sola, A; Bellucci, D; Raucci, M G; Zeppetelli, S; Ambrosio, L; Cannillo, V

    2012-02-01

    Because of their excellent bioactivity, bioactive glasses are increasingly diffused to produce biomedical devices for bone prostheses, to face the dysfunctions that may be caused by traumatic events, diseases, or even natural aging. However, several processing routes, such as the production of scaffolds or the deposition of coatings, include a thermal treatment to apply or sinter the glass. The exposure to high temperature may induce a devetrification phenomenon, altering the properties and, in particular, the bioactivity of the glass. The present contribution offers an overview of the thermal behavior and properties of two glasses belonging to the Na2O-CaO-P2O5-SiO2 system, to be compared to the standard 45S5 Bioglass(®). The basic goal is to understand the effect of both the original composition and the thermal treatment on the performance of the sintered glasses. The new glasses, the one (BG_Na) with a high content of Na2O, the other (BG_Ca) with a high content of CaO, were fully characterized and sintering tests were performed to define the most interesting firing cycles. The sintered samples, treated at 880°C and 800°C respectively, were investigated from a microstructural point of view and their mechanical properties were compared to those of the bulk (not sintered) glass counterparts. The effect of sintering was especially striking on the BG_Ca material, whose Vickers hardness increased from 598.9 ± 46.7 HV to 1053.4 ± 35.0 HV. The in vitro tests confirmed the ability of the glasses, both in bulk and sintered form, of generating a hydroxyapatite surface layer when immersed in a simulated body fluid. More accurate biological tests performed on the sintered glasses proved the high bioactivity of the CaO-rich composition even after a heat treatment. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. 40 CFR 63.1542 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... materials are introduced into a sinter machine, blast furnace, or dross furnace. Dross furnace means any... which material is prepared for charging to a sinter machine or smelting furnace or other lead processing operation. Operating time means the period of time in hours that an affected source is in operation...

  1. 40 CFR 63.1542 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... materials are introduced into a sinter machine, blast furnace, or dross furnace. Dross furnace means any... which material is prepared for charging to a sinter machine or smelting furnace or other lead processing operation. Operating time means the period of time in hours that an affected source is in operation...

  2. 40 CFR 63.1542 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... materials are introduced into a sinter machine, blast furnace, or dross furnace. Dross furnace means any... which material is prepared for charging to a sinter machine or smelting furnace or other lead processing operation. Operating time means the period of time in hours that an affected source is in operation...

  3. Processing of surrogate nuclear fuel pellets for better dimensional control with dry bag isostatic pressing

    DOE PAGES

    Hoggan, Rita E.; Zuck, Larry D.; Cannon, W. Roger; ...

    2016-05-26

    A study of improved methods of processing fuel pellets was undertaken using ceria and zirconia/yttria/alumina as surrogates. Through proper granulation and vertical vibration (tapping) of the parts bag prior to dry bag isostatic pressing (DBIP), reproducibility of diameter profiles among multiple pellets of ceria was improved by almost an order of magnitude. Reproducibility of sintered pellets was sufficiently good to possibly avoid grinding. Deviation from the mean diameter along the length of multiple pellets, as well as, deviation from roundness, decreased after sintering. This is not generally observed with dry pressed pellets. Thus it is possible to machine to tolerancemore » before sintering if grinding is necessary.« less

  4. Influence of metallic additives on manganese ferrites sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shevelev, S. A.; Luchnikov, P. A.; Yarullina, A. R.

    2018-01-01

    Influence of cuprum nanopowder additive received by electric explosion on the process of manganese ferrites MgFe2O4 consolidating at thermal sintering was researched by dilatometry method. Cuprum nanopowder at a rate of 5 mass % was added into the original commercial-grade powder of manganese ferrite MgFe2O4. Powder mixture was numerously blended with screening for better blending before pressing. Powder compacts were formed by cold one-axle static pressing. It was proved that introduction of cuprum additive caused shrinkage increase at final heating stage. There was abnormal compact enlarging at sintering in the air at isothermal stage; the specified process was not observed in vacuum. This difference can be explained by changes in conditions of gaseous discharge from volume of pores.

  5. Embrittling Components in Sintered Steels: Comparison of Phosphorus and Boron

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Danninger, Herbert; Vassileva, Vassilka; Gierl-Mayer, Christian

    2017-12-01

    In ferrous powder metallurgy, both boron and phosphorus have been known to be sintering activators for a long time. However, the use has been widely different: while P is a standard additive to sintered iron and steels, boron has been frequently studied, but its use in practice is very limited. Both additives are also known to be potentially embrittling, though in a different way. In the present study the differences between the effects of both elements are shown: while P activates sintering up to a certain threshold, in part by stabilizing ferrite, in part by forming a transient liquid phase, boron is the classical additive enhancing persistent liquid phase, being virtually insoluble in the iron matrix. The consequence is that sintered steels can tolerate quite a proportion of phosphorus, depending on composition and sintering process; boron however is strongly embrittling in particular in combination with carbon, which requires establishing a precisely defined content that enhances sintering but is not yet embrittling. The fracture mode of embrittled materials is also different: while with Fe-P the classical intergranular fracture is observed, with boron a much more rugged fracture surface appears, indicating some failure through the eutectic interparticle network but mostly transgranular cleavage. If carbon is added, in both cases transgranular cleavage dominates even in the severely embrittled specimens, indicating that no more the grain boundaries and sintering necks are the weakest links in the systems.

  6. Development of TiN particulates reinforced SS316 based metal matrix composite by direct metal laser sintering technique and its characterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hussain, Manowar; Mandal, Vijay; Kumar, Vikas; Das, A. K.; Ghosh, S. K.

    2017-12-01

    The present study describes the fabrication of TiN particulates reinforced SS316 based Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) in nitrogen and argon atmosphere. The influence of sintering process parameters on microstructure, density, porosity, wear rate and microhardness of the fabricated samples has been analyzed. The input variable process parameters, such as, laser power density (range: 4.13-5.57 W/cm2 (× 104)), scanning speed (range: 3500-4500 mm/min) and the constant parameters, such as, laser beam diameter (0.4 mm), hatching distance (0.2 mm) and layer thickness (0.4 mm) have been considered in the process. It has been observed from Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) analysis that TiN and SS316 powder mixture can be sintered in which chromium acts as a binder. Fine gaps are not found at the interface between TiN and SS316 when the mixture is sintered in nitrogen atmosphere. With an increase in the percentage of TiN, the density and wear rate decreases. However, when the reinforcement is taken beyond 18% by weight, the wear rate starts increasing. The microhardness also increases with an increase in the percentage of TiN. The microstructure, elemental compositions and phase characterization of the developed sintered MMCs have been examined by FESEM, EDX (Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) and XRD (X-ray diffractometer) analysis, respectively. The results have demonstrated the suitability of the TiN reinforced SS316 MMCs for industrial applications.

  7. High Thermoelectric Performance in Copper Telluride

    DOE PAGES

    He, Ying; Zhang, Tiansong; Shi, Xun; ...

    2015-06-21

    Recently, Cu 2-δ S and Cu 2-δ Se were reported to have an ultralow thermal conductivity and high thermoelectric figure of merit zT. Thus, as a member of the copper chalcogenide group, Cu 2-δ Te is expected to possess superior zTs because Te is less ionic and heavy. However, the zT value is low in the Cu 2Te sintered using spark plasma sintering, which is typically used to fabricate high-density bulk samples. In addition, the extra sintering processes may change the samples’ compositions as well as their physical properties, especially for Cu 2Te, which has many stable andmore » meta-stable phases as well as weaker ionic bonding between Cu and Te as compared with Cu 2S and Cu 2Se. In this study, high-density Cu 2Te samples were obtained using direct annealing without a sintering process. In the absence of sintering processes, the samples’ compositions could be well controlled, leading to substantially reduced carrier concentrations that are close to the optimal value. The electrical transports were optimized, and the thermal conductivity was considerably reduced. The zT values were significantly improved—to 1.1 at 1000 K—which is nearly 100% improvement. Furthermore, this method saves substantial time and cost during the sample’s growth. The study demonstrates that Cu 2-δ X (X=S, Se and Te) is the only existing system to show high zTs in the series of compounds composed of three sequential primary group elements.« less

  8. Characterization of the distribution of the sintering activator boron in powder metallurgical steels with SIMS.

    PubMed

    Krecar, Dragan; Vassileva, Vassilka; Danninger, Herbert; Hutter, Herbert

    2004-06-01

    Powder metallurgy is a well-established method for manufacturing ferrous precision parts. A very important step is sintering, which can be strongly enhanced by the formation of a liquid phase during the sintering process. Boron activates this process by forming such a liquid phase at about 1200 degrees C. In this work, the sintering of Fe-B was performed under the protective atmospheres of hydrogen, argon or nitrogen. Using different grain sizes of the added ferroboron leads to different formations of pores and to the formation of secondary pores. The effect of boron was investigated by means of Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) supported by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Light Microscopy (LM). To verify the influence of the process parameters on the mechanical properties, the microstructure (pore shape) was examined and impact energy measurements were performed. The concentrations of B in different samples were varied from 0.03-0.6 weight percent (wt%). Higher boron concentrations are detectable by EPMA, whereas the distributions of boron in the samples with interesting overall concentration in the low wt% range are only detectable by means of SIMS. This work shows that the distribution of boron strongly depends on its concentration and the sintering atmosphere used. At low concentration (up to 0.1 wt%) there are boride precipitations; at higher concentration there is a eutectic iron-boron grain boundary network. There is a decrease of the impact energy observed that correlates with the amount of eutectic phase.

  9. Influence of sintering temperature on the characteristics of shale brick containing oil well-derived drilling waste.

    PubMed

    Li, Xiang-Guo; Lv, Yang; Ma, Bao-Guo; Jian, Shou-Wei; Tan, Hong-Bo

    2011-11-01

    The influence of sintering temperature on the physico-mechanical characteristics (such as water absorption, apparent porosity, bulk density, weight loss on ignition, firing shrinkage, and compressive strength), leachability, and microstructure of shale brick containing oil well-derived drilling waste (DW) was investigated. The experiments were conducted at a temperature ranging from 950°C to 1,050°C with 30% DW addition. The results indicate that increasing the sintering temperature decreases the water absorption and apparent porosity and increases the shrinkage, density, and compressive strength of sintered specimens. Moreover, the physico-mechanical properties of samples sintered at 1,050°C meet the requirements of the MU20 according to GB/T 5101-2003 (in China). The heavy metal concentrations of the leachate are much lower than the current regulatory limits according to GB16889-2008. The results from XRD and SEM show that increasing sintering temperature results in an increase of the high temperature liquid phase, which may have a significant effect on the densification process of the samples.

  10. The investigation of die-pressing and sintering behavior of ITP CP-Ti and Ti-6Al-4V powders

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chen, Wei; Yamamoto, Yukinori; Peter, William H

    This paper investigated the die-pressing and sintering behavior of the low-cost CP-Ti and Ti-6Al- 4V powders made by the Armstrong Process . The Armstrong powders have an irregular coral like, dendritic morphology, with a dendrite size of approximately 2-5 m. As-received as well as milled powders were uniaxially pressed at designated pressures up to 690 MPa to form disk samples with different aspect ratios. In the studied pressure range, an empirical powder compaction equation was applied to linearize the green density pressure relationship, and powder compaction parameters were obtained. The Armstrong Ti-64 powder exhibited a significantly higher sinterability than themore » CP-Ti powder. This was explained to be due to the higher diffusivity of V at the sintering temperature. The Ti-64 samples with a green density of 71.0% increased to 99.6% after sintering at 1300oC for 1 hour. An ex-situ technique was used to track the powder morphology change before and after sintering.« less

  11. Flexural and compressive mechanical behaviors of the porous titanium materials with entangled wire structure at different sintering conditions for load-bearing biomedical applications.

    PubMed

    He, Guo; Liu, Ping; Tan, Qingbiao; Jiang, Guofeng

    2013-12-01

    The entangled titanium materials with various porosities have been investigated in terms of the flexural and compressive mechanical properties and the deformation and failure modes. The effect of the sintering parameters on the mechanical properties and the porosity reduction has been comprehensively studied. The results indicate that both the flexural and compressive mechanical properties increase significantly as the porosity decreases. In the porosity range investigated the flexural elastic modulus is in the range of 0.05-6.33GPa, the flexural strength is in the range of 9.8-324.9MPa, the compressive elastic modulus is in the range of 0.03-2.25GPa, and the compressive plateau stress is in the range of 2.3-147.8MPa. The mechanical properties of the entangled titanium materials can be significantly improved by sintering, which increase remarkably as the sintering temperature and/or the sintering time increases. But on other hand, the sintering process can induce the porosity reduction due to the oxidation on the titanium wire surface. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Room-Temperature Chemical Welding and Sintering of Metallic Nanostructures by Capillary Condensation.

    PubMed

    Yoon, Sung-Soo; Khang, Dahl-Young

    2016-06-08

    Room-temperature welding and sintering of metal nanostructures, nanoparticles and nanowires, by capillary condensation of chemical vapors have successfully been demonstrated. Nanoscale gaps or capillaries that are abundant in layers of metal nanostructures have been found to be the preferred sites for the condensation of chemically oxidizing vapor, H2O2 in this work. The partial dissolution and resolidification at such nanogaps completes the welding/sintering of metal nanostructures within ∼10 min at room-temperature, while other parts of nanostructures remain almost intact due to negligible amount of condensation on there. The welded networks of Ag nanowires have shown much improved performances, such as high electrical conductivity, mechanical flexibility, optical transparency, and chemical stability. Chemically sintered layers of metal nanoparticles, such as Ag, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Co, have also shown orders of magnitude increase in electrical conductivity and improved environmental stability, compared to nontreated ones. Pertinent mechanisms involved in the chemical welding/sintering process have been discussed. Room-temperature welding and sintering of metal nanostructures demonstrated here may find widespread application in diverse fields, such as displays, deformable electronics, wearable heaters, and so forth.

  13. The investigation of order–disorder transition process of ZSM-5 induced by spark plasma sintering

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, Liang; Wang, Lianjun, E-mail: wanglj@dhu.edu.cn; Jiang, Wan

    2014-04-01

    Based on the amorphization of zeolites, an order–disorder transition method was used to prepare silica glass via Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). In order to get a better understanding about the mechanism of amorphization induced by SPS, the intermediate products in this process were prepared and characterized by different characterization techniques. X-ray diffraction and High-energy synchrotron X-ray scattering show a gradual transformation from ordered crystal to glass. Local structural changes in glass network including Si–O bond length, O–Si–O bond angle, size of rings, coordination were detected by Infrared spectroscopy and {sup 29}Si magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Topologically ordered,more » amorphous material with a different intermediate-range structure can be obtained by precise control of intermediate process which can be expected to optimize and design material. - Graphical abstract: Low-density, ordered zeolites collapse to the rigid amorphous glass through spark plasma sintering. The intermediate-range structure formed in the process of order–disorder transition may give rise to specific property. - Highlights: • Order–disorder transition process of ZSM-5 induced by spark plasma sintering was investigated using several methods including XRD, High-energy synchrotron X-ray scattering, SAXS, IR, NMR, ect. • Order–disorder transition induced by SPS was compared with TIA and PIA. • Three stages has been divided during the whole process. • The collapse temperature range which may give rise to intermediate-range structure has been located.« less

  14. Apparatus with moderating material for microwave heat treatment of manufactured components

    DOEpatents

    Ripley, Edward B [Knoxville, TN

    2011-05-10

    An apparatus for heat treating manufactured components using microwave energy and microwave susceptor material. Heat treating medium such as eutectic salts may be employed. A fluidized bed introduces process gases which may include carburizing or nitriding gases The process may be operated in a batch mode or continuous process mode. A microwave heating probe may be used to restart a frozen eutectic salt bath.

  15. Apparatus for microwave heat treatment of manufactured components

    DOEpatents

    Babcock & Wilcox Technical Services Y-12, LLC

    2008-04-15

    An apparatus for heat treating manufactured components using microwave energy and microwave susceptor material. Heat treating medium such as eutectic salts may be employed. A fluidized bed introduces process gases which may include carburizing or nitriding gases. The process may be operated in a batch mode or continuous process mode. A microwave heating probe may be used to restart a frozen eutectic salt bath.

  16. Methods for microwave heat treatment of manufactured components

    DOEpatents

    Ripley, Edward B.

    2010-08-03

    An apparatus for heat treating manufactured components using microwave energy and microwave susceptor material. Heat treating medium such as eutectic salts may be employed. A fluidized bed introduces process gases which may include carburizing or nitriding gases. The process may be operated in a batch mode or continuous process mode. A microwave heating probe may be used to restart a frozen eutectic salt bath.

  17. TOPICAL REVIEW: Sintering and microstructure of ice: a review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blackford, Jane R.

    2007-11-01

    Sintering of ice is driven by the thermodynamic requirement to decrease surface energy. The structural morphology of ice in nature has many forms—from snowflakes to glaciers. These forms and their evolution depend critically on the balance between the thermodynamic and kinetic factors involved. Ice is a crystalline material so scientific understanding and approaches from more conventional materials can be applied to ice. The early models of solid state ice sintering are based on power law models originally developed in metallurgy. For pressure sintering of ice, these are based on work on hot isostatic pressing of metals and ceramics. Recent advances in recognizing the grain boundary groove geometry between sintering ice particles require models that use new approaches in materials science. The newer models of sintering in materials science are beginning to incorporate more realistic processing conditions and microstructural complexity, and so there is much to be gained from applying these to ice in the future. The vapour pressure of ice is high, which causes it to sublime readily. The main mechanism for isothermal sintering of ice particles is by vapour diffusion; however other transport mechanisms certainly contribute. Plastic deformation with power law creep combined with recrystallization become important mechanisms in sintering with external pressure. Modern experimental techniques, low temperature scanning electron microscopy and x-ray tomography, are providing new insights into the evolution of microstructures in ice. Sintering in the presence of a small volume fraction of the liquid phase causes much higher bond growth rates. This may be important in natural snow which contains impurities that form a liquid phase. Knowledge of ice microstructure and sintering is beneficial in understanding mechanical behaviour in ice friction and the stability of snow slopes prone to avalanches.

  18. Rapid vacuum sintering: A novel technique for fabricating fluorapatite ceramic scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

    PubMed

    Denry, Isabelle; Goudouri, Ourania-Menti; Harless, Jeffrey; Holloway, Julie A

    2018-01-01

    Macroporous bioceramic scaffolds are often fabricated via the foam replica technique, based on polymeric foam impregnation with a glass slurry, followed by slow heat treatment to allow for drying, polymeric burnout, and sintering of the glass particles. As a consequence, the process is time consuming and complicated by concurrent crystallization of the glass, often leading to incomplete sintering. Our goal was to investigate the effect of heating rate on sintering behavior, architecture, and mechanical properties of fluorapatite-based glass and glass-ceramic scaffolds. Glass scaffolds were prepared and sintered by rapid vacuum sintering (RVS) at 785°C under vacuum at a fast heating rate (55°C/min.) or without vacuum at a slow heating rate (2°C/min.). Two additional groups were further crystallized at 775°C/1 h. XRD confirmed the presence of fluorapatite for crystallized scaffolds. All groups presented interconnected porosity with a pore size in the 500 μm range. Scaffolds produced by RVS exhibited an excellent degree of sintering while scaffolds produced by slow sintering were incompletely sintered. The mean compressive strength was significantly higher for the RVS groups (1.52 ± 0.55 and 1.72 ± 0.61 MPa) compared to the slow-sintered groups (0.54 ± 0.30 and 0.45 ± 0.26 MPa). Meanwhile, the total production time was reduced by more than 12 h by using the RVS technique. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 291-299, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Spark plasma sintering of pure and doped tungsten as plasma facing material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Autissier, E.; Richou, M.; Minier, L.; Naimi, F.; Pintsuk, G.; Bernard, F.

    2014-04-01

    In the current water cooled divertor concept, tungsten is an armour material and CuCrZr is a structural material. In this work, a fabrication route via a powder metallurgy process such as spark plasma sintering is proposed to fully control the microstructure of W and W composites. The effect of chemical composition (additives) and the powder grain size was investigated. To reduce the sintering temperature, W powders doped with a nano-oxide dispersion of Y2O3 are used. Consequently, the sintering temperature for W-oxide dispersed strengthened (1800 °C) is lower than for pure W powder. Edge localized mode tests were performed on pure W and compared to other preparation techniques and showed promising results.

  20. Non-destructive, ultra-low resistance, thermally stable contacts for use on shallow junction InP solar cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weizer, V. G.; Fatemi, N. S.; Korenyi-Both, A. L.

    1993-01-01

    Contact formation to InP is plagued by violent metal-semiconductor intermixing that takes place during the contact sintering process. Because of this the InP solar cell cannot be sintered after contact deposition. This results in cell contact resistances that are orders of magnitude higher than those that could be achieved if sintering could be performed in a non-destructive manner. We report here on a truly unique contact system involving Au and Ge, which is easily fabricated, which exhibits extremely low values of contact resistivity, and in which there is virtually no metal-semiconductor interdiffusion, even after extended sintering. We present a description of this contact system and suggest possible mechanisms to explain the observed behavior.

  1. Plasma-assisted microwave processing of materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barmatz, Martin (Inventor); Jackson, Henry (Inventor); Ylin, Tzu-yuan (Inventor)

    1998-01-01

    A microwave plasma assisted method and system for heating and joining materials. The invention uses a microwave induced plasma to controllably preheat workpiece materials that are poorly microwave absorbing. The plasma preheats the workpiece to a temperature that improves the materials' ability to absorb microwave energy. The plasma is extinguished and microwave energy is able to volumetrically heat the workpiece. Localized heating of good microwave absorbing materials is done by shielding certain parts of the workpiece and igniting the plasma in the areas not shielded. Microwave induced plasma is also used to induce self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) process for the joining of materials. Preferably, a microwave induced plasma preheats the material and then microwave energy ignites the center of the material, thereby causing a high temperature spherical wave front from the center outward.

  2. In vitro and in vivo performance of bioactive Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA implants fabricated by a rapid microwave sintering technique.

    PubMed

    Choy, Man Tik; Tang, Chak Yin; Chen, Ling; Wong, Chi Tak; Tsui, Chi Pong

    2014-09-01

    Failure of the bone-implant interface in a joint prosthesis is a main cause of implant loosening. The introduction of a bioactive substance, hydroxyapatite (HA), to a metallic bone-implant may enhance its fixation on human bone by encouraging direct bone bonding. Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composites with a reproducible porous structure (porosity of 27% and pore size of 6-89 μm) were successfully fabricated by a rapid microwave sintering technique. This method allows the biocomposites to be fabricated in a short period of time under ambient conditions. Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composites exhibited a compressive strength of 93 MPa, compressive modulus of 2.9 GPa and microhardness of 556 HV which are close to those of the human cortical bone. The in vitro preosteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on the Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composite showed that the composite surface could provide a biocompatible environment for cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation without any cytotoxic effects. This is among the first attempts to study the in vivo performance of load-bearing Ti6Al4V/TiC and Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composites in a live rabbit. The results indicated that the Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composite had a better bone-implant interface compared with the Ti6Al4V/TiC implant. Based on the microstructural features, the mechanical properties, and the in vitro and in vivo test results from this study, the Ti6Al4V/TiC/HA composites have the potential to be employed in load-bearing orthopedic applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Finite element method analysis of cold forging for deformation and densification of Mo alloyed sintered steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kamakoshi, Y.; Nishida, S.; Kanbe, K.; Shohji, I.

    2017-10-01

    In recent years, powder metallurgy (P/M) materials have been expected to be applied to automobile products. Then, not only high cost performance but also more strength, wear resistance, long-life and so on are required for P/M materials. As an improvement method of mechanical properties of P/M materials, a densification is expected to be one of effective processes. In this study, to examine behaviours of the densification of Mo-alloyed sintered steel in a cold-forging process, finite element method (FEM) analysis was performed. Firstly, a columnar specimen was cut out from the inner part of a sintered specimen and a load-stroke diagram was obtained by the compression test. 2D FEM analysis was performed using the obtained load-stroke diagram. To correct the errors of stress between the porous mode and the rigid-elastic mode of analysis software, the analysis of a polynominal approximation was performed. As a result, the modified true stress-true strain diagram was obtained for the sintered steel with the densification. Afterwards, 3D FEM analysis of backward extrusion was carried out using the modified true stress-true strain diagram. It was confirmed that both the shape and density of the sintered steel analyzed by new FEM analysis that we suggest correspond well with experimental ones.

  4. Examination of the sintering process-dependent properties of TiO2 on glass and textile substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Junger, Irén Juhász; Homburg, Sarah Vanessa; Grethe, Thomas; Herrmann, Andreas; Fiedler, Johannes; Schwarz-Pfeiffer, Anne; Blachowicz, Tomasz; Ehrmann, Andrea

    2017-01-01

    In recent years, the development of smart textiles has attracted great attention. Such textiles can contain small electrical devices, which need a power supply. Dye-sensitized solar cells, which can be produced from nontoxic, cheap, low-purity materials, could fill this purpose. However, to reach reasonable cell properties, sintering the TiO2 layer on the substrate is necessary. Unfortunately, only a few textile materials can withstand a sintering process at high temperatures. Therefore, it is important to find an optimal temperature leading to a reasonable improvement of the cell characteristics without damaging the textile substrate. The influence of the sintering temperature on different properties is investigated. For this, the surface properties of the TiO2 coating, such as adhesion to the substrate, dye adsorption characteristic, and film stability, are investigated on different substrates, i.e., a glass plate, a stainless steel nonwoven fabric, and a carbon woven fabric. Two commercially available TiO2 sources are used: a TiO2 dispersion obtained from Man Solar and a water-based solution of TiO2 particles purchased from Kronos. The influence of the sintering temperature on short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage of solar cells on the aforementioned substrates is also examined.

  5. Cold sintering and electrical characterization of lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Dixiong; Guo, Hanzheng; Morandi, Carl S.; Randall, Clive A.; Trolier-McKinstry, Susan

    2018-01-01

    This paper describes a cold sintering process for Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 ceramics and the associated processing-property relations. Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 has a very small, incongruent solubility that is a challenge during cold sintering. To circumvent this, a Pb(NO3)2 solution was used as the transient liquid phase. A bimodal lead zirconate titanate powder was densified to a relative density of 89% by cold sintering at 300 °C and 500 MPa. After the cold sintering step, the permittivity was 200, and the dielectric loss was 2.0%. A second heat-treatment involving a 3 h anneal at 900 °C increased the relative density to 99%; the resulting relative dielectric permittivity was 1300 at room temperature and 100 kHz. The samples showed well-defined ferroelectric hysteresis loops, having a remanent polarization of 28 μC/cm2. On poling, the piezoelectric coefficient d33 was ˜200 pC/N. With a 700 °C 3 h post-annealing, samples show a lower room temperature relative permittivity (950 at 100 kHz), but a 24 h hold time at 700 °C produces ceramics where there is an improved relative dielectric constant (1050 at 100 kHz).

  6. Ni-base superalloy powder-processed porous layer for gas cooling in extreme environments

    DOE PAGES

    White, Emma M. H.; Heidloff, Andrew J.; Byrd, David J.; ...

    2016-05-26

    Extreme high temperature conditions demand novel solutions for hot gas filters and coolant access architectures, i.e., porous layers on exposed components. These high temperatures, for example in current turbine engines, are at or exceeding current material limits for high temperature oxidation/corrosion, creep resistance, and, even, melting temperature. Thus novel blade designs allowing greater heat removal are required to maintain airfoil temperatures below melting and/ or rapid creep deformation limits. Gas atomized Ni-base superalloy powders were partially sintered into porous layers to allow full-surface, transpirational cooling of the surface of airfoils. Furthermore, these powder-processed porous layers were fully characterized for surface,more » morphology, cross-sectional microstructure, and mechanical strength characteristics. A sintering model based on pure Ni surface diffusion correlated well with the experimental results and allowed reasonable control over the partial sintering process to obtain a specified level of porosity within the porous layer.« less

  7. Ni-base superalloy powder-processed porous layer for gas cooling in extreme environments

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    White, Emma M. H.; Heidloff, Andrew J.; Byrd, David J.

    Extreme high temperature conditions demand novel solutions for hot gas filters and coolant access architectures, i.e., porous layers on exposed components. These high temperatures, for example in current turbine engines, are at or exceeding current material limits for high temperature oxidation/corrosion, creep resistance, and, even, melting temperature. Thus novel blade designs allowing greater heat removal are required to maintain airfoil temperatures below melting and/ or rapid creep deformation limits. Gas atomized Ni-base superalloy powders were partially sintered into porous layers to allow full-surface, transpirational cooling of the surface of airfoils. Furthermore, these powder-processed porous layers were fully characterized for surface,more » morphology, cross-sectional microstructure, and mechanical strength characteristics. A sintering model based on pure Ni surface diffusion correlated well with the experimental results and allowed reasonable control over the partial sintering process to obtain a specified level of porosity within the porous layer.« less

  8. Direct observation of grain rotations during coarsening of a semisolid Al–Cu alloy

    PubMed Central

    Dake, Jules M.; Oddershede, Jette; Sørensen, Henning O.; Werz, Thomas; Shatto, J. Cole; Uesugi, Kentaro; Schmidt, Søren; Krill, Carl E.

    2016-01-01

    Sintering is a key technology for processing ceramic and metallic powders into solid objects of complex geometry, particularly in the burgeoning field of energy storage materials. The modeling of sintering processes, however, has not kept pace with applications. Conventional models, which assume ideal arrangements of constituent powders while ignoring their underlying crystallinity, achieve at best a qualitative description of the rearrangement, densification, and coarsening of powder compacts during thermal processing. Treating a semisolid Al–Cu alloy as a model system for late-stage sintering—during which densification plays a subordinate role to coarsening—we have used 3D X-ray diffraction microscopy to track the changes in sample microstructure induced by annealing. The results establish the occurrence of significant particle rotations, driven in part by the dependence of boundary energy on crystallographic misorientation. Evidently, a comprehensive model for sintering must incorporate crystallographic parameters into the thermodynamic driving forces governing microstructural evolution. PMID:27671639

  9. Preface to the special issue on "Integrated Microwave Photonic Signal Processing"

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Azaña, José; Yao, Jianping

    2016-08-01

    As Guest Editors, we are pleased to introduce this special issue on ;Integrated Microwave Photonic Signal Processing; published by the Elsevier journal Optics Communications. Microwave photonics is a field of growing importance from both scientific and practical application perspectives. The field of microwave photonics is devoted to the study, development and application of optics-based techniques and technologies aimed to the generation, processing, control, characterization and/or distribution of microwave signals, including signals well into the millimeter-wave frequency range. The use of photonic technologies for these microwave applications translates into a number of key advantages, such as the possibility of dealing with high-frequency, wide bandwidth signals with minimal losses and reduced electromagnetic interferences, and the potential for enhanced reconfigurability. The central purpose of this special issue is to provide an overview of the state of the art of generation, processing and characterization technologies for high-frequency microwave signals. It is now widely accepted that the practical success of microwave photonics at a large scale will essentially depend on the realization of high-performance microwave-photonic signal-processing engines in compact and integrated formats, preferably on a chip. Thus, the focus of the issue is on techniques implemented using integrated photonic technologies, with the goal of providing an update of the most recent advances toward realization of this vision.

  10. 40 CFR 98.177 - Records that must be retained.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ...) Production capacity (in metric tons per year) for the production of taconite pellets, coke, sinter, iron, and...-recovery coke oven battery, sinter process, electric arc furnace, decarburization vessel, and direct... of coal charged to the coke ovens (e.g., weigh belts, a combination of measuring volume and bulk...

  11. 40 CFR 98.177 - Records that must be retained.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ...) Production capacity (in metric tons per year) for the production of taconite pellets, coke, sinter, iron, and...-recovery coke oven battery, sinter process, electric arc furnace, decarburization vessel, and direct... of coal charged to the coke ovens (e.g., weigh belts, a combination of measuring volume and bulk...

  12. 40 CFR 98.177 - Records that must be retained.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...) Production capacity (in metric tons per year) for the production of taconite pellets, coke, sinter, iron, and...-recovery coke oven battery, sinter process, electric arc furnace, decarburization vessel, and direct... of coal charged to the coke ovens (e.g., weigh belts, a combination of measuring volume and bulk...

  13. 40 CFR 98.177 - Records that must be retained.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ...) Production capacity (in metric tons per year) for the production of taconite pellets, coke, sinter, iron, and...-recovery coke oven battery, sinter process, electric arc furnace, decarburization vessel, and direct... of coal charged to the coke ovens (e.g., weigh belts, a combination of measuring volume and bulk...

  14. 40 CFR 420.23 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... wet air pollution control system. The following table presents BAT limitations for sintering operations with wet air pollution control systems: Subpart B—Effluent Limitations (BAT) Regulated parameter... water is co-treated with ironmaking wastewater. 3 Applicable only when sintering process wastewater is...

  15. 40 CFR 420.23 - Effluent limitations guidelines representing the degree of effluent reduction attainable by the...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... wet air pollution control system. The following table presents BAT limitations for sintering operations with wet air pollution control systems: Subpart B—Effluent Limitations (BAT) Regulated parameter... water is co-treated with ironmaking wastewater. 3 Applicable only when sintering process wastewater is...

  16. Development of Processing Parameters for Organic Binders Using Selective Laser Sintering

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mobasher, Amir A.

    2003-01-01

    This document describes rapid prototyping, its relation to Computer Aided Design (CAD), and the application of these techniques to choosing parameters for Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). The document reviews the parameters selected by its author for his project, the SLS machine used, and its software.

  17. Application of spark plasma sintering for fabricating Nd-Fe-B composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sivkov, A. A.; Ivashutenko, A. S.; Lomakina, A. A.

    2015-10-01

    Constant magnets are applied in such fields as electric equipment and electric generators with fixed rotor. Rare earth metal neodymium is well known as promising material. Production of magnets by sintering three elements (neodymium, iron and boron) is one the most promising methods. But there are difficulties in choosing the right temperature for sintering and further processing. Structure and properties of the product, consisted of rare earth metals, was analyzed. X-ray analysis of the resulting product and the finished constant magnet was performed. Vickers microhardness was obtained.

  18. Sintering Process and Mechanical Property of MWCNTs/HDPE Bulk Composite.

    PubMed

    Ming-Wen, Wang; Tze-Chi, Hsu; Jie-Ren, Zheng

    2009-08-01

    Studies have proved that increasing polymer matrices by carbon nanotubes to form structural reinforcement and electrical conductivity have significantly improved mechanical and electrical properties at very low carbon nanotubes loading. In other words, increasing polymer matrices by carbon nanotubes to form structural reinforcement can reduce friction coefficient and enhance anti-wear property. However, producing traditional MWCNTs in polymeric materix is an extremely complicated process. Using melt-mixing process or in situ polymerization leads to better dispersion effect on composite materials. In this study, therefore, to simplify MWCNTs /HDPE composite process and increase dispersion, powder was used directly to replace pellet to mix and sinter with MWCNTs. The composite bulks with 0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 4% nanotube content by weight was analyzed under SEM to observe nanotubes dispersion. At this rate, a MWCNTs/HDPE composite bulk with uniformly dispersed MWCNTs was achieved, and through the wear bench (Pin-on-Disk), the wear experiment has accomplished. Accordingly, the result suggests the sintered MWCNTs/HDPE composites amplify the hardness and wear-resist property.

  19. Processing and fabrication of mixed uranium/refractory metal carbide fuels with liquid-phase sintering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knight, Travis W.; Anghaie, Samim

    2002-11-01

    Optimization of powder processing techniques were sought for the fabrication of single-phase, solid-solution mixed uranium/refractory metal carbide nuclear fuels - namely (U, Zr, Nb)C. These advanced, ultra-high temperature nuclear fuels have great potential for improved performance over graphite matrix, dispersed fuels tested in the Rover/NERVA program of the 1960s and early 1970s. Hypostoichiometric fuel samples with carbon-to-metal ratios of 0.98, uranium metal mole fractions of 5% and 10%, and porosities less than 5% were fabricated. These qualities should provide for the longest life and highest performance capability for these fuels. Study and optimization of processing methods were necessary to provide the quality assurance of samples for meaningful testing and assessment of performance for nuclear thermal propulsion applications. The processing parameters and benefits of enhanced sintering by uranium carbide liquid-phase sintering were established for the rapid and effective consolidation and formation of a solid-solution mixed carbide nuclear fuel.

  20. Copper sludge from printed circuit board production/recycling for ceramic materials: a quantitative analysis of copper transformation and immobilization.

    PubMed

    Tang, Yuanyuan; Lee, Po-Heng; Shih, Kaimin

    2013-08-06

    The fast development of electronic industries and stringent requirement of recycling waste electronics have produced a large amount of metal-containing waste sludge. This study developed a waste-to-resource strategy to beneficially use such metal-containing sludge from the production and recycling processes of printed circuit board (PCBs). To observe the metal incorporation mechanisms and phase transformation processes, mixtures of copper industrial waste sludge and kaolinite-based materials (kaolinite and mullite) were fired between 650 and 1250 °C for 3 h. The different copper-hosting phases were identified by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) in the sintered products, and CuAl2O4 was found to be the predominant hosting phase throughout the reactions, regardless of the strong reduction potential of copper expected at high temperatures. The experimental results indicated that CuAl2O4 was generated more easily and in larger quantities at low-temperature processing when using the kaolinite precursor. Maximum copper transformations reached 86% and 97% for kaolinite and mullite systems, respectively, when sintering at 1000 °C. To monitor the stabilization effect after thermal process, prolonged leaching tests were carried out using acetic acid with an initial pH value of 2.9 to leach the sintered products for 20 days. The results demonstrated the decrease of copper leachability with the formation of CuAl2O4, despite different sintering behavior in kaolinite and mullite systems. This study clearly indicates spinel formation as the most crucial metal stabilization mechanism when sintering copper sludge with aluminosilicate materials, and suggests a promising and reliable technique for reusing metal-containing sludge as ceramic materials.

  1. Improved silicon carbide for advanced heat engines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whalen, T. J.; Winterbottom, W. L.

    1986-01-01

    Work performed to develop silicon carbide materials of high strength and to form components of complex shape and high reliability is described. A beta-SiC powder and binder system was adapted to the injection molding process and procedures and process parameters developed capable of providing a sintered silicon carbide material with improved properties. The initial effort has been to characterize the baseline precursor materials (beta silicon carbide powder and boron and carbon sintering aids), develop mixing and injection molding procedures for fabricating test bars, and characterize the properties of the sintered materials. Parallel studies of various mixing, dewaxing, and sintering procedures have been carried out in order to distinguish process routes for improving material properties. A total of 276 MOR bars of the baseline material have been molded, and 122 bars have been fully processed to a sinter density of approximately 95 percent. The material has a mean MOR room temperature strength of 43.31 ksi (299 MPa), a Weibull characteristic strength of 45.8 ksi (315 MPa), and a Weibull modulus of 8.0. Mean values of the MOR strengths at 1000, 1200, and 14000 C are 41.4, 43.2, and 47.2 ksi, respectively. Strength controlling flaws in this material were found to consist of regions of high porosity and were attributed to agglomerates originating in the initial mixing procedures. The mean stress rupture lift at 1400 C of five samples tested at 172 MPa (25 ksi) stress was 62 hours and at 207 MPa (30 ksi) stress was 14 hours. New fluid mixing techniques have been developed which significantly reduce flaw size and improve the strength of the material. Initial MOR tests indicate the strength of the fluid-mixed material exceeds the baseline property by more than 33 percent.

  2. Improvement of the electrochromic response of a low-temperature sintered dye-modified porous electrode using low-resistivity indium tin oxide nanoparticles

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Watanabe, Yuichi, E-mail: yuichi.watanabe@aist.go.jp; Suemori, Kouji; Hoshino, Satoshi

    2016-06-15

    An indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticle-based porous electrode sintered at low temperatures was investigated as a transparent electrode for electrochromic displays (ECDs). The electrochromic (EC) response of the dye-modified ITO porous electrode sintered at 150 °C, which exhibited a generally low resistivity, was markedly superior to that of a conventional dye-modified TiO{sub 2} porous electrode sintered at the same temperature. Moreover, the EC characteristics of the dye-modified ITO porous electrode sintered at 150 °C were better than those of the high-temperature (450 °C) sintered conventional dye-modified TiO{sub 2} porous electrode. These improvements in the EC characteristics of the dye-modified ITO porous electrode aremore » attributed to its lower resistivity than that of the TiO{sub 2} porous electrodes. In addition to its sufficiently low resistivity attained under the sintering conditions required for flexible ECD applications, the ITO porous film had superior visible-light transparency and dye adsorption capabilities. We conclude that the process temperature, resistivity, optical transmittance, and dye adsorption capability of the ITO porous electrode make it a promising transparent porous electrode for flexible ECD applications.« less

  3. Sol-gel synthesis of lithium metatitanate as tritium breeding material under different sintering conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Wei; Wang, Jing; Pu, Wenjing; Li, Kaiping; Ma, Shubing; Wang, Weihua

    2018-04-01

    Lithium metatitanate (Li2TiO3) is a promising tritium breeding material candidate for solid blanket of D-T fusion reactors, due to its high mechanical strength, chemical stability, and tritium release rate. In this paper, Li2TiO3 powder with homogeneous crystal structure is synthesized by sol-gel method. The chemical reactions in gel thermal cracking and sintering process are studied by thermo gravimetric/differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC). The relationship between the sintering condition and the particle/grain size is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results show that below 673 K the gel precursor is completely decomposed and Li2TiO3 phase initially forms. The LiTiO2 by-product formed under the reductive atmosphere in muffle furnace, could be oxidized continually to Li2TiO3 at higher sintering temperature (≥1273 K) for longer sintering time (≥10 h). Both grain and particle sizes rely on a linear growth with the increase of sintering time at 1273 K. Over 1473 K, significant agglomerations exist among particles. The optimal sintering condition is selected as 1273 K for 10 h, for the purer Li2TiO3 phase (>99%), smaller grain and particle size.

  4. Development of Macroscale Models of UO 2 Fuel Sintering and Densification using Multiscale Modeling and Simulation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Greenquist, Ian; Tonks, Michael

    2016-10-01

    Light water reactor fuel pellets are fabricated using sintering to final densities of 95% or greater. During reactor operation, the porosity remaining in the fuel after fabrication decreases further due to irradiation-assisted densification. While empirical models have been developed to describe this densification process, a mechanistic model is needed as part of the ongoing work by the NEAMS program to develop a more predictive fuel performance code. In this work we will develop a phase field model of sintering of UO 2 in the MARMOT code, and validate it by comparing to published sintering data. We will then add themore » capability to capture irradiation effects into the model, and use it to develop a mechanistic model of densification that will go into the BISON code and add another essential piece to the microstructure-based materials models. The final step will be to add the effects of applied fields, to model field-assisted sintering of UO 2. The results of the phase field model will be validated by comparing to data from field-assisted sintering. Tasks over three years: 1. Develop a sintering model for UO 2 in MARMOT 2. Expand model to account for irradiation effects 3. Develop a mechanistic macroscale model of densification for BISON« less

  5. Recent Trends in Newly Developed Plasma-Sprayed and Sintered Coatings for Implant Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bsat, Suzan; Speirs, Andrew; Huang, Xiao

    2016-08-01

    The current paper aims to review recent trends (2011 to 2015) in newly developed plasma-sprayed and sintered coatings for implant applications. Recent developments in plasma-sprayed and sintered coatings have focused on improving biological performance, bacterial growth resistance, and mechanical properties, predominantly of HA and glass ceramics. The majority of these improvements are attributed to the addition of dopants. To improve biological performance, trace elements, such as Zn and Mg, both of which are found in bone, were added to replicate the functions they provide for the skeletal system. Though bacterial growth resistance is traditionally improved by Ag dopant, the addition of new dopants such as CeO2 and Zn were explored as well. Great effort has also been made to improve coating adherence and reduce stresses by minimizing coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch between the coating and substrate through the addition of elements such as Zn and Mg or the inclusion of a buffer layer. For sintering process in particular, there was an emphasis on reducing sintering temperature through modification of 45S5 Bioglass. New plasma spray and sintering technologies aimed at reducing high-temperature exposure are briefly introduced as well. These include microplasma spray and spark plasma sintering.

  6. Anisotropic Dielectric Properties of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites during Microwave Curing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Linglin; Li, Yingguang; Zhou, Jing

    2018-01-01

    Microwave cuing technology is a promising alternative to conventional autoclave curing technology in high efficient and energy saving processing of polymer composites. Dielectric properties of composites are key parameters related to the energy conversion efficiency during the microwave curing process. However, existing methods of dielectric measurement cannot be applied to the microwave curing process. This paper presented an offline test method to solve this problem. Firstly, a kinetics model of the polymer composites under microwave curing was established based on differential scanning calorimetry to describe the whole curing process. Then several specially designed samples of different feature cure degrees were prepared and used to reflect the dielectric properties of the composite during microwave curing. It was demonstrated to be a feasible plan for both test accuracy and efficiency through extensive experimental research. Based on this method, the anisotropic complex permittivity of a carbon fiber/epoxy composite during microwave curing was accurately determined. Statistical results indicated that both the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the composite increased at the initial curing stage, peaked at the maximum reaction rate point and decreased finally during the microwave curing process. Corresponding mechanism has also been systematically investigated in this work.

  7. Ceramic electrolyte coating and methods

    DOEpatents

    Seabaugh, Matthew M [Columbus, OH; Swartz, Scott L [Columbus, OH; Dawson, William J [Dublin, OH; McCormick, Buddy E [Dublin, OH

    2007-08-28

    Aqueous coating slurries useful in depositing a dense coating of a ceramic electrolyte material (e.g., yttrium-stabilized zirconia) onto a porous substrate of a ceramic electrode material (e.g., lanthanum strontium manganite or nickel/zirconia) and processes for preparing an aqueous suspension of a ceramic electrolyte material and an aqueous spray coating slurry including a ceramic electrolyte material. The invention also includes processes for depositing an aqueous spray coating slurry including a ceramic electrolyte material onto pre-sintered, partially sintered, and unsintered ceramic substrates and products made by this process.

  8. Surprising synthesis of nanodiamond from single-walled carbon nanotubes by the spark plasma sintering process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mirzaei, Ali; Ham, Heon; Na, Han Gil; Kwon, Yong Jung; Kang, Sung Yong; Choi, Myung Sik; Bang, Jae Hoon; Park, No-Hyung; Kang, Inpil; Kim, Hyoun Woo

    2016-10-01

    Nanodiamond (ND) was successfully synthesized using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as a pure solid carbon source by means of a spark plasma sintering process. Raman spectra and X-ray diffraction patterns revealed the generation of the cubic diamond phase by means of the SPS process. Lattice-resolved TEM images confirmed that diamond nanoparticles with a diameter of about ˜10 nm existed in the products. The NDs were generated mainly through the gas-phase nucleation of carbon atoms evaporated from the SWCNTs. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  9. Synthesis and characterisation of novel low temperature ceramic and its implementation as substrate in dual segment CDRA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumari, Preeti; Tripathi, Pankaj; Sahu, Bhagirath; Singh, S. P.; Parkash, Om; Kumar, Devendra

    2018-02-01

    Li2O-(2-3x)MgO-(x)Al2O3-P2O5 (LMAP) (x = 0.00-0.08) ceramic system was prepared through solid state synthesis route at different sintering temperatures (800-925 °C). A small addition of Al2O3 (x = 0.02) in LMAP ceramics lowers the sintering temperature by more than 100 °C with good relative density of 94.13%. The sintered samples were characterized in terms of density, apparent porosity, water absorption, crystal structure, micro-structure and microwave dielectric properties. Silver compatibility test is also performed for its use as electrode material in low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) application. To check the performance of the prepared LTCC as substrate, a microstrip-fed aperture-coupled dual segment cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna (DS-CDRA) is designed using LMAP (x = 0.02) ceramic as substrate material and Barium Strontium Titanate with 10 wt% of PbO-BaO-B2O3-SiO2 glass (BSTG) and Teflon as the components of resonating material. The simulation study of the DS-CDRA is performed using the Ansys High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) software. A conductive coating of silver is used on the substrate. The simulated and measured -10 dB reflection coefficient bandwidths of 910 MHz (9.07-9.98 GHz at resonant frequency of 9.49 GHz) and 1080 MHz (8.68-9.76 GHz at resonant frequency of 9.36 GHz), respectively are achieved. The measured results of the fabricated antenna are found in good agreement with the simulation results. The prepared material can find potential applications in radar and radio navigation as well as radio astronomy and military satellite communication.

  10. Study of process variables associated with manufacturing hermetically-sealed nickel-cadmium cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, L.

    1974-01-01

    A two year study of the major process variables associated with the manufacturing process for sealed, nickel-cadmium, areospace cells is summarized. Effort was directed toward identifying the major process variables associated with a manufacturing process, experimentally assessing each variable's effect, and imposing the necessary changes (optimization) and controls for the critical process variables to improve results and uniformity. A critical process variable associated with the sintered nickel plaque manufacturing process was identified as the manual forming operation. Critical process variables identified with the positive electrode impregnation/polarization process were impregnation solution temperature, free acid content, vacuum impregnation, and sintered plaque strength. Positive and negative electrodes were identified as a major source of carbonate contamination in sealed cells.

  11. Environmentally benign processing of YAG transparent wafers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yan; Wu, Yiquan

    2015-12-01

    Transparent yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) wafers were successfully produced via aqueous tape casting and vacuum sintering techniques using a new environmentally friendly binder, a copolymer of isobutylene and maleic anhydride with the commercial name ISOBAM (noted as ISOBAM). Aqueous YAG slurries were mixed by ball-milling, which was followed by de-gassing and tape casting of wafers. The final YAG green tapes were homogenous and flexible, and could be bent freely without cracking. After the drying and sintering processes, transparent YAG wafers were achieved. The microstructures of both the green tape and vacuum-sintered YAG ceramic were observed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). Phase compositions were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Optical transmittance was measured in UV-VIS regions with the result that the transmittance is 82.6% at a wavelength of 800 nm.

  12. Effect of Microwave Non thermal Plasma Irradiation on the Adsorptive Properties of Active Carbon Preliminarily Impregnated with Poly(vinyl alcohol)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ueshima, Masato; Toda, Eriko; Nakajima, Yuki; Sugiyama, Kazuo

    2010-08-01

    Microwave non thermal plasma irradiation was conducted on active carbon (AC) preliminarily impregnated with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in order to modify the adsorption properties of active carbon, particularly to increase hydrophobicity. The plasma was produced by applying microwave power on the PVA-impregnated active carbon (PVA/AC) placed in a low vacuum chamber (<10 Torr). The surface of the plasma-treated PVA/AC was imaged using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy (SEM and AFM, respectively), and analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Hydrophobicity of the plasma-treated PVA/AC was compared to that of untreated PVA/AC and AC by a sinking test in water/methanol mixed solutions. The hydrophobicity drastically increased for PVA/AC treatment with 1-min plasma irradiation. The AFM results indicated that the surface roughness of the PVA/AC was dependent upon the hydrophobicity, rather than reduction of free energy due to reduction of polarized functional groups. NaOH and HCl adsorption onto the plasma-treated PVA/AC was also measured. Adsorption capacity of plasma-treated PVA/AC increased for NaOH, whereas it decreased for HCl. The plasma treatment not only increased the hydrophobicity of PVA/AC, but also changed its acid-base adsorption properties. We have developed a new material based on active carbon, which is light, hydrophobic and electrically conductive by using a combination of PVA sintering and plasma irradiation.

  13. Matrix Structure Evolution and Nanoreinforcement Distribution in Mechanically Milled and Spark Plasma Sintered Al-SiC Nanocomposites.

    PubMed

    Saheb, Nouari; Aliyu, Ismaila Kayode; Hassan, Syed Fida; Al-Aqeeli, Nasser

    2014-09-19

    Development of homogenous metal matrix nanocomposites with uniform distribution of nanoreinforcement, preserved matrix nanostructure features, and improved properties, was possible by means of innovative processing techniques. In this work, Al-SiC nanocomposites were synthesized by mechanical milling and consolidated through spark plasma sintering. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) facility was used for the characterization of the extent of SiC particles' distribution in the mechanically milled powders and spark plasma sintered samples. The change of the matrix crystallite size and lattice strain during milling and sintering was followed through X-ray diffraction (XRD). The density and hardness of the developed materials were evaluated as function of SiC content at fixed sintering conditions using a densimeter and a digital microhardness tester, respectively. It was found that milling for 24 h led to uniform distribution of SiC nanoreinforcement, reduced particle size and crystallite size of the aluminum matrix, and increased lattice strain. The presence and amount of SiC reinforcement enhanced the milling effect. The uniform distribution of SiC achieved by mechanical milling was maintained in sintered samples. Sintering led to the increase in the crystallite size of the aluminum matrix; however, it remained less than 100 nm in the composite containing 10 wt.% SiC. Density and hardness of sintered nanocomposites were reported and compared with those published in the literature.

  14. Phase identification and morphology study of hematite (Fe2O3) with sintering time varitions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yazirin, Cepi; Puspitasari, Poppy; Sasongko, Muhammad Ilman Nur; Tsamroh, Dewi Izzatus; Risdanareni, Puput

    2017-09-01

    Iron oxide has been the interest of many studies due to its applications in various scientific and industrial fields including in environment, corrosion, soil science, and exhaust emissions. Iron oxide (Fe2O3) has potential applications in catalytic reactions in electronic devices such as semiconductors, paint formulations, and lithium rechargeable batteries. Fe2O3 can be synthesized through the process of stirring, decomposition of organic iron, sol-gel, combustion, and evaporating solvents. Most of the methods used involve several steps and take a long time. The aim of this research was to investigate the phase and morphology characterization of iron oxide (Fe2O3) powder with solvent ethylene glycol after being sintered for 1 hour, 2 hours and 3 hours. The characterization tools utilized were XRD, SEM-EDX, and FTIR. The results of XRD analysis showed that the Fe2O3 sintered for 1 hour had the smallest crystallite size with a diameter of 21.05 nm. In the XRD test, the beam of X-ray was shot directly at the grain being tested. The results of SEM analysis showed thatthe Fe2O3 sintered for 1 hour produced the best result due to its crystallite size of 12.36 nm and hada shape of homogeneous nanosphere; the duration of sintering indeed had a great influence on the grain size of iron oxide (Fe2O3). In addition, the results of the elemental composition analysis indicate that the longer the sintering process, the higher the concentration of O but the lower the Fe.

  15. Defense Technical Information Center Thesaurus

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2000-10-01

    acquisition radar 4 + Indicates existence of further generic levels of the term DTIC Thesaurus Actuators Acridines Actinide series (cont.) Activated sintering...BT Heterocyclic compounds+ Uranium+ BT Sintering Acrilan Actinide series compounds Activated sludge process use Acrylonitrile polymers RT Actinide...Waste treatment+ Protactinium compounds Acronyms Thorium compounds+ Activation use Abbreviations Transuranium compounds+ UF Energizing Uranium compounds

  16. Mixed uranium dicarbide and uranium dioxide microspheres and process of making same

    DOEpatents

    Stinton, David P.

    1983-01-01

    Nuclear fuel microspheres are made by sintering microspheres containing uranium dioxide and uncombined carbon in a 1 mole percent carbon monoxide/99 mole percent argon atmosphere at 1550.degree. C. and then sintering the microspheres in a 3 mole percent carbon monoxide/97 mole percent argon atmosphere at the same temperature.

  17. Optimization of consolidation parameters of 18Cr-ODS ferritic steel through microstructural and microtexture characterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dash, Manmath Kumar; Mythili, R.; Dasgupta, Arup; Saroja, S.

    2018-04-01

    This paper reports the optimization of consolidation process based on the evolution of microstructure, microtexture and densification in 18%-Cr Oxide Dispersion Strengthened steel. The steel powder of composition Fe-18Cr-0.01C-2W-0.25Ti-0.35Y2O3 has been consolidated by cold isostatic pressing (CIP) for green compaction after mechanical milling. Sintering (1000-1250 °C) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) at 1150 °C has been employed to achieve good densification on compacted CIP specimen. The effect of sintering temperatures on densification behavior was evaluated and sintering at 1150°C was identified to be optimum for achieving good compaction (92% density) and homogeneous polygonal microstructure with a uniform distribution of fine pores. In addition, HIP of CIP product at 1150°C was found to yield a more homogeneous microstructure as compared to sintered product with 97% density. A static/dynamic recrystallization associated with (1 1 1) texture is observed during consolidation process. A statistical comparison has been made based on frequency of grain boundary distribution and associated texture with its theoretical attributes.

  18. Development of porous titanium for biomedical applications: A comparison between loose sintering and space-holder techniques.

    PubMed

    Torres, Yadir; Lascano, Sheila; Bris, Jorge; Pavón, Juan; Rodriguez, José A

    2014-04-01

    One of the most important concerns in long-term prostheses is bone resorption as a result of the stress shielding due to stiffness mismatch between bone and implant. The aim of this study was to obtain porous titanium with stiffness values similar to that exhibited by cortical bone. Porous samples of commercial pure titanium grade-4 were obtained by following both loose-sintering processing and space-holder technique with NaCl between 40 and 70% in volume fraction. Both mechanical properties and porosity morphology were assessed. Young's modulus was measured using uniaxial compression testing, as well as ultrasound methodology. Complete characterization and mechanical testing results allowed us to determine some important findings: (i) optimal parameters for both processing routes; (ii) better mechanical response was obtained by using space-holder technique; (iii) pore geometry of loose sintering samples becomes more regular with increasing sintering temperature; in the case of the space-holder technique that trend was observed for decreasing volume fraction; (iv) most reliable Young's modulus measurements were achieved by ultrasound technique. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Investigation of the dielectric function of solution-processed InGaZnO films using ellipsometry.

    PubMed

    Kim, Tae Jung; Yoon, Jae Jin; Hwang, Soo Min; Choi, Jun Hyuk; Hwang, Soon Yong; Ghong, Tae Ho; Barange, Nilesh; Kim, Jun Young; Kim, Young Dong; Joo, Jinho

    2012-07-01

    The optical properties of InGaZnO (IGZO) films grown through the sol-gel process as a function of sintering time were investigated with spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). The IGZO precursor sol was prepared by mixing In nitrate, Ga nitrate, and Zn acetate at a molar ratio of In:Ga:Zn = 3:1:1. The solution was deposited on a SiO2/Si substrate via spin coating. Sintering was performed at 400 degrees C for 1-15 h in an ambient atmosphere. The optical properties were measured over the range 1.12-6.52 eV via variable angle SE, at room temperature. The angle of incidence was varied from 50 to 70 degrees in 5 degree steps. To extract the pure optical properties of IGZO, multilayer-structure calculation with Tauc-Lorentz dispersion relation for IGZO was performed. The changes in the dielectric function of the IGZO films with varying sintering time were observed. The resultant optical properties can be related to the concentration of oxygen vacancies in the material, which can be controlled by the sintering time.

  20. Development of dense glass-ceramic from recycled soda-lime-silicate glass and fly ash for tiling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mustaffar, Mohd Idham; Mahmud, Mohamad Haniza; Hassan, Mahadi Abu

    2017-12-01

    Dense glass-ceramics were prepared by sinter-crystallization process from a combination of soda-lime-silicate glass waste and fly ash. Bentonite clay that acted as a binder was also added in a prepared formulation. The powder mixture of soda-lime glass, fly ash and bentonite clay were compacted by using uniaxial hydraulic press machine and sintered at six (6) various temperatures namely 750, 800, 850, 900, 950 and 1000 °C. The heating rate and sintering time were set at 5 °C/min and 30 minutes respectively. The results revealed that modulus of rupture (MOR), density and linear shrinkage increase first from 750 to 800 °C but decrease later after 800 to 1000 °C. In the meantime, water absorption was showing completely an opposite trend. The glass-ceramic sintered at 800 °C was found to have the best combination of physical-mechanical properties and has the potential to be applied in the construction industry particularly as floor and wall tiles because of the simple manufacturing process at low temperature.

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