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Nanocrystalline alumina (Al2O3) powders were sintered by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) method in a vacuum atmosphere to obtain highly dense and fine grained final ceramic products. In the first section of experiments, 0.4 % wt MgO doped and 0.4 wt % Y2O3 doped Al2O3 were sintered at high temperatures and under high pressure with a SPS system. Later sintering procedures were carried out with codoping Y2O3 with the cathodic ratio of 0.4 wt % in order to investigate dopant effects on spark plasma sintered alumina. The microstructures of all samples were observed using scanning electron microscope and the properties such as density, hardness and fracture toughness were examined.
The aim of this study was to produce dense and mechanically strong boron carbide ceramics with the help of different oxide additives. Physical properties of two different grades of pure boron carbide powders were analysed and sintered by Spark Plasma Sintering method. Starting powders were prepared by ball milling with the addition of 5 wt. % Y2O3, Al2O3, SiO2 and Y2O3 + Al2O3. In the sintering step, powder mixtures were sintered by SPS method in round-shaped graphite dies under 50 MPa for 5 minutes in the range of 1700-1800oC. In the characterization step, sintered sample compositions and microstructures were characterized by XRD and SEM analysis respectively. The hardness values were measured under 1000 g load and the density values were measured with Archimedes' principle. The fracture toughness analysis were also carried out.
Stabilized zirconia shows rather high microwave absorbency at room temperature, and the absorbency become higher with increasing temperature. In this study, stabilized zirconia powder, partially stabilized zirconia powder and zirconia fiber were subjected for microwave absorption measurements at elevated temperature. Microwave absorption measurements were done by using a system consists of a microwave vector network analyzer, a circular wave-guide fixture and a vacuum furnace. Microwave absorbency was evaluated by the reflection power change from the sample in the circular wave-guide fixture under vacuum heating. Microwave absorbency of stabilized zirconia powder, partially stabilized zirconia powder and zirconia fiber gradually increased with the increase of temperature. We supposed that the increase of microwave absorbency is related to the ionic (oxygen) conduction behavior of stabilized zirconia. Stoichiometric composition ZrO2 powder was also subjected for a measurement to consider the relation between microwave absorbency and ion conduction of zirconia. As the result, stoichiometric composition ZrO2 powder was not absorbed microwave power even when the powder was heated up to 900oC because it isn’t an oxygen ion conductor.
Mullite- zirconia composites have better mechanical properties than monolithic mullite ceramics and can be produced by reaction sintering of ZrSiO4 and α -Al2O3. The samples were prepared from high-purity (99.9%) α-alumina and fine zircon (ZrO2>65 wt.%) powders using PVA as binder. The powder mixtures were compacted under 80 MPa as coin shaped samples by uniaxial dry pressing and then sintered in a multimode microwave field of 2.45 GHz. The microwave effect on ZrSiO4 dissociation and mullite formation was evaluated by comparing the microwave sintered samples with those sintered conventionally. The as-reacted compacts were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of sintering parameters on mullitization and mullite grain growth were investigated.