Objective
TO USE CRYSTALLINE MULLITE-ZIRCONIA CERAMICS AS COMMERCIAL THERMO-MECHANICAL MATERIAL.
THE RESEARCH AIMS TO PRODUCE A MULLITE-ZIRCONIA COMPOSITE AND TO OPTIMIZE ITS HIGH TEMPERATURE PROPERTIES IN ORDER TO EXTEND THE APPLICATIONS OF MULLITE.
MULLITE IS A BINARY SILICA-ALUMINA COMPOUND PRESENTS INTERESTING PROPERTIES SUCH AS HIGH REFRACTORINESS, CHEMICAL CORROSION RESISTANCE, LOW DENSITY. UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS A BRITTLE MATERIAL AND ITS FLEXURAL STRENGTH IS LOW SO THAT CLASSICAL MULLITE MATERIAL CANNOT BE USED IN STRUCTURAL APPLICATION. THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES CAN BE LARGELY IMPROVED BY TOUGHENING DUE TO EVENLY DISPERSED FINE GRAINED ZIRCONIA INCLUSIONS IN THE MULLITE MATRIX.
THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL CAN BE OBTAINED AS THE RESULT OF AN ORIGINAL METHOD : THE REACTION SINTERING FROM MIXTURES OF ALUMINA AND ZIRCON POWDERS ACCORDING TO THE REACTION:
2ZRSIO4 + 3AL2O3 ----- 2ZRO2 + 3AL2O3.2SIO2
THE WORK CAN BE UNDERSTOOD IN TERMS OF THE FOLLOWING SCHEME:
1. POWDER PREPARATION INCLUDING CHARACTERIZATION OF COMMERCIAL POWDERS, PREPARATION OF THE FINEST POWDER OF HIGHEST PURITY ZIRCON, DETERMINATION OF THE BEST REACTION STOECHIOMETRY, PREPARATION OF HOMOGENEOUS MIXTURES;
2. STUDY OF FORMING PROCEDURES (DIE PRESSING, ISOSTATIC PRESSING, EXTRUSION, SLIPCASTING);
3. REACTION SINTERING INCLUDING SIMULTANEOUS OR DISTINCT SINTERING AND REACTION STEPS, ADDITIVES SELECTION, ANNELA]LING;
4. CHARACTERIZATION OF THE FINAL PRODUCTS INCLUDING MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AT ROOM TEMPERATURE AND AT HIGH TEMPERATURE AND DIMENSIONAL BEHAVIOUR DURING FIRING.
STARTING FROM LOW COST RAW MATERIALS, A CERAMIC BODY CAN BE OBTAINED WHICH OPENS UP MANY CHANNELS FOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS (DIES, ENGINE PARTS:
DIESEL COMPONENTS OR GAS TURBINE STATORS).
INDUSTRIAL AND FUNDAMENTAL STUDIES WILL BE CARRIED OUT WITH THE HELP OF CRIBC OF MONS (POWDER CHARACTERIZATION, FORMING, X-RAY DIFFRACTION) AND OF RUCA OF ANTWERP (TEM).
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
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Data not availableCoordinator
8500 KORTRIJK
Belgium