OPTIMIZATION OF INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING CONDITIONS FOR LOW-COST CERAMICS FOR THE SIALON TYPE MADE FROM SILICO-ALUMINA RAW MATERIALS, FOR THERMO-MECHANICAL APPLICATION IN HEAT ENGINES.

SILICON NITRIDE-BASED CERAMICS HAVE BEEN GENERATING CONSIDERABLE INTEREST DURING THE PAST 10 YEARS OWING TO THEIR POSSIBILITIES IN THERMO-MECHANICAL APPLICATIONS AND, IN PARTICULAR, IN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.
HOWEVER, MOST SILICON NITRIDE POWDERS COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE ARE UNSUITABLE FOR NATURAL SINTERING AND REQUIRE SINTERING UNDER PRESSURE. WHILST THERE ARE SEVERAL SOLUTIONS POSSIBLE, THE ONE PRESENTLY SOUGHT IN THIS PROJECT IS BASED UPON SIALONS, WHICH CAN BE OBTAINED BY DIFFERENT WAYS, ONE OF THEM HAVING THE INTERESTING FEATURE OF MAKING USE OF LOW-COST RAW MATERIALS.
THE SINTERING OF SIALON POWDERS OBTAINED FROM SILICO-ALUMINA RAW MATERIALS WILL BE INVESTIGATED AND THE THERMO-MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE SINTERED PRODUCTS WILL BE CHARACTERIZED. THIS IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE AN OPTIMUM MEANS OF OBTAINING COST EFFECTIVE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS.
THE RESEARCH WILL INCLUDE:
- THE SYNTHESIS OF SIALON PRODUCTS FROM SILICO-ALUMINA RAW MATERIALS,
- THE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE POWDERS THUS OBTAINED,
- THE STUDY OF THE BASIC DENSIFICATION MECHANISMS OF THESE POWDERS,
- THE OPTIMIZATION OF THE INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS FOR THEIR PROCESSING,
THE EVALUATION OF THE THERMO-MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED UNDER INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS.

THIS WILL BE A JOINT PROJECT BETWEEN LAFARGE REFRACTAIRES, SOCIETE FRANCAISE DE CERAMIQUE, FRANCE, (SUT-106-F) AND THE UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS, UK, (SUT-119-UK). LAFARGE REFRACTAIRES WILL CARRY OUT THE SYNTHESIS OF THE SIALON PRODUCTS FROM SILICO-ALUMINA RAW MATERIALS AND WILL DEVELOP THE OPTIMIZED INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS FOR THEIR PROCESSING.