Ceramic toughness

An important application for zirconium oxide is as an alloying element in aluminum oxide ceramics. Sintered aluminum oxide is brittle. It has been found that the toughness can be considerably improved by mixing aluminum oxide with 4-15% zirconium oxide and sintering the two together. Then a white ceramic , tough enough for many applications, e.g. tools, is obtained. 

Cera.micA.bla.tors, Several types of subliming or melting ceramic ablators have been used or considered for use in dielectric appHcations particularly with quartz or boron nitride [10043-11 -5] fiber reinforcements to form a nonconductive char. Fused siHca is available in both nonporous (optically transparent) and porous (sHp cast) forms. Ford Aerospace manufactures a 3D siHca-fiber-reinforced composite densified with coUoidal siHca (37). The material, designated AS-3DX, demonstrates improved mechanical toughness compared to monolithic ceramics. Other dielectric ceramic composites have been used with performance improvements over monolithic ceramics (see COMPOSITE MATERIALS, CERAMIC MATRIX). 

Finally, the nature of the crystalline microstmcture, ie, crystal size and morphology and the textural relationship among the crystals and glass, is the key to many mechanical and optical properties, including transparency/opacity, strength and fracture toughness, and machinabiUty. These microstmctures can be quite complex and often are distinct from conventional ceramic microstmctures (6). 

Because of its high toughness and good thermal shock resistance, test results indicate the possibility of using square-, triangular-, and diamond-shaped tools of SiAlON for machining superaHoys in the intermediate speed range (ca 150 m /min) where only round tools are used currently with other ceramics. 

In order to extead appHcatioas of cBN to iaclude machining of medium-hardness steels, modifications of the cBN were iatroduced. An example is the fabrication of siatered cBN tools by the same HP—HT process, but usiag biader and second phase (either metallic or nonmetaUic) such as TiN or TiC to iacrease toughness (171). In regard to phase distribution, cBN tools resemble cemented-carbide or alumina—TiC ceramic tools, but are tougher and have greater chemical stabUity. 

In the glass (qv) and ceramic industry (see Ceramics), barite can be used both as a flux, to promote melting at a lower temperature or to increase the production rate, and as an additive to increase the refractive index of glass. The viscosity of barite-containing glass often needs to be raised. Alumina in the form of feldspar is sometimes used. To offset any color produced by iron from the barite addition, more decolorizer may be needed. When properly used, barytes help reduce seed, increase toughness and brilliancy, and reduce annealing time. Barite is also a raw material for the manufacture of other barium chemicals. 

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