Thermal shock, resistance

Thermal shock resistance (TSR) is of importance in both the fabrication and applications of many electronic ceramics. 

Precise evaluation of TSR is difficult for many reasons, one being that a failure criterion which depends on the application has to be adopted. For example, a refractory lining to a furnace may repeatedly crack during thermal cycling but, 

The operational capabilities of the various capacitor types are compared with the help of the characteristics described below. 

Volumetric efficiency, as the name implies, is a measure of the capacitance that can be accommodated in a given size of capacitor. In the case of a parallel-plate capacitor of area A and electrode separation h, 

Thermal shock resistance is the ability to withstand rapid changes in temperature with minimal cracking. This kind of situation will arise under the following circumstances  

Under these thermal shock conditions, if the material experiences a strain greater than its fracture strain, it will break into pieces. 

TABLE 19.1 How Different Properties Bring About Good Thermal Shock Resistance  

Low thermal expansion coefficient Reduces stress associated with temperature gradient 

High thermal conductivity Reduces temperature gradient 

The MAX phases are also quite thermal shock-resistant [4]. The response ofTiaSiC2 to thermal shock depends on the grain size [145] the post-quench flexural strengths of coarse-grained samples are not a function of quench temperature and actually become slightly stronger when quenched from 1400 °C (not shown). The response of 

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SiHcon nitride (see Nitrides) is a key material for stmctural ceramic appHcations in environments of high mechanical and thermal stress such as in vehicular propulsion engines. Properties which make this material uniquely suitable are high mechanical strength at room and elevated temperatures, good oxidation and creep resistance at high temperatures, high thermal shock resistance, exceUent abrasion and corrosion resistance, low density, and, consequently, a low moment of inertia. Additionally, siHcon nitride is made from abundant raw materials. 

Thermal Properties. Many commercial glass-ceramics have capitalized on thek superior thermal properties, particularly low or zero thermal expansion coupled with high thermal stabiUty and thermal shock resistance properties that are not readily achievable in glasses or ceramics. Linear thermal expansion coefficients ranging from —60 to 200 x 10 j° C can be obtained. Near-zero expansion materials are used in apphcations such as telescope mirror blanks, cookware, and stove cooktops, while high expansion frits are used for sealing metals. 

The interelectrode insulators, an integral part of the electrode wall stmcture, are required to stand off interelectrode voltages and resist attack by slag. Well cooled, by contact with neighboring copper electrodes, thin insulators have proven to be very effective, particularly those made of alumina or boron nitride. Alumina is cheaper and also provides good anchoring points for the slag layer. Boron nitride has superior thermal conductivity and thermal shock resistance. 

Because of its high modulus of elasticity, molybdenum is used in machine-tool accessories such as boring bars and grinding quills. Molybdenum metal also has good thermal-shock resistance because of its low coefficient of thermal expansion combined with high thermal conductivity. This combination accounts for its use in casting dies and in some electrical and electronic appHcations. 

Sihcones (qv) have an advantage over organic resias ia their superior thermal stabiUty and low dielectric constants. Polyurethanes, when cured, are tough and possess outstanding abrasion and thermal shock resistance. They also have favorable electrical properties and good adhesion to most surfaces. However, polyurethanes are extremely sensitive to and can degrade after prolonged contact with moisture as a result, they are not as commonly used as epoxies and sihcones (see Urethane polymers). 

Sihcon nitride has good strength retention at high temperature and is the most oxidation resistant nitride. Boron nitride [10043-11 -5] has excellent thermal shock resistance and is in many ways similar to graphite, except that it is not an electrical conductor. 

The resistance against thermal spalling of fireclay and high alumina brick is indicated in Table 5. No standard test has been adopted for basic brick. Refractories composed of 100% magnesia exhibit poor thermal shock resistance, which is improved by addition of chrome ore. So-called direct bonded basic brick, composed of magnesia and chrome additions, exhibits good thermal shock resistance. 

The properties of high quaUty vitreous sihca that determine its uses iaclude high chemical resistance, low coefficient of thermal expansion (5.5 X 10 /° C), high thermal shock resistance, high electrical resistivity, and high optical transmission, especially ia the ultraviolet. Bulk vitreous sihca is difficult to work because of the absence of network-modifyiag ions present ia common glass formulations. An extensive review of the properties and stmcture of vitreous sihca is available (72). 

Vitreous sihca has many exceptional properties. Most are the expected result of vitreous sihca being an extremely pure and strongly bonded glass. Inert to most common chemical agents, it has a high softening point, low thermal expansion, exceUent thermal shock resistance, and an exceUent optical transmission over a wide spectmm. Compared to other technical glasses, vitreous sihca is one of the best thermal and electrical insulators and has one of the lowest indexes of refraction. 

Cordierite [12182-53-5] Mg Al Si O g, is a ceramic made from talc (25%), kaolin (65%), and Al O (10%). It has the lowest thermal expansion coefficient of any commercial ceramic and thus tremendous thermal shock resistance. It has traditionally been used for kiln furniture and mote recently for automotive exhaust catalyst substrates. In the latter, the cordierite taw materials ate mixed as a wet paste, extmded into the honeycomb shape, then dried and fired. The finished part is coated with transition-metal catalysts in a separate process. 

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. 

Cr C2, and aluminum, A1 (5). Various mixes of these additives impart different combinations of wear resistance, thermal shock resistance, and toughness and allow tools to be tailored for a wide range of machining appHcations. 

Straight WC—Co tools are not suitable for machining steels that produce long chips because straight grades undergo crater wear from diffusion of WC into the steel chip surface. However, soHd solutions of WC—TiC, WC—TiC—TaC, etc, resist this type of chemical attack. In addition, tantalum carbide can improve thermal-shock resistance. Steel cutting compositions thus typically contain WC—TiC—(Ta,Nb)C—Co. Tantalum carbide is often added as (Ta,Nb)C because the chemical similarity between TaC and NbC makes their separation expensive. 

High Temperature. The low coefficient of thermal expansion and high thermal conductivity of sihcon carbide bestow it with excellent thermal shock resistance. Combined with its outstanding corrosion resistance, it is used in heat-transfer components such as recuperator tubes, and furnace components such as thermocouple protection tubes, cmcibles, and burner components. Sihcon carbide is being used for prototype automotive gas turbine engine components such as transition ducts, combustor baffles, and pilot combustor support (145). It is also being used in the fabrication of rotors, vanes, vortex, and combustor. 

A siHcon carbide-bonded graphite material in which graphite particles are distributed through the siHcon carbide matrix has high thermal shock resistance and is suitable for appHcations including rocket nose cones and nozzles and other severe thermal shock environments (155) (see Ablative materials). 

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