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Microstructural Design and Processing Control of Advanced Ceramics

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced and Functional Ceramics and Glasses".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2022) | Viewed by 19275

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Qingyuan Wang

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Guest Editor

College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Interests: very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) & fracture; mechanics of advanced materials and structures

Dr. Yu Chen

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Guest Editor

College of Mechanical Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
Interests: dielectric/piezoelectric/ferroelectric materials; flexible electronics; energy harvesting system

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advanced ceramics are referred to in various parts of the world as technical ceramics, high-tech ceramics, and high-performance ceramics. They represent an important technology which has considerable impact for a large variety of industries, branches, and markets. It is considered an enabling technology which has the potential to deliver high-value contributions for solving the challenges of our future. From a general point of view, the advanced ceramics sector comprises the following categories:

Functional ceramics: Electrical and magnetic ceramics (i.e., dielectrics, piezoelectrics, ferromagnetics), ionic conductors, and superconductive ceramics;
Structural ceramics: Monoliths and composites, e.g., oxides, nitrides, carbides, borides, and composite materials based on these materials;
Bioceramics, e.g., hydroxyapatite and alumina;
Ceramic coatings: Oxides, nitrides, carbides, borides, cermets, and diamond-like coatings, deposited by technologies such as spraying, vapor deposition, and sol–gel coating;
Special glasses: processed flat glass, fire-resistant glazing, and glasses for optoelectronics.

First, advanced ceramics tend to lack a glassy component, i.e., they are “basically crystalline”. Second, microstructures are usually highly engineered, meaning that grain sizes, grain shapes, porosity, and phase distributions (for instance, the arrangements of second phases such as whiskers and fibers) can be carefully planned and controlled. Such planning and control require “detailed regulation” of composition and processing. Finally, such advanced ceramics with both well-designed microstructures tend to exhibit unique or superior functional attributes that can be “precisely specified” by careful processing and quality control. Examples include unique electrical properties such as superconductivity or superior mechanical properties, such as enhanced toughness or high-temperature strength.

Because of the attention to microstructural design and processing control, advanced ceramics are often high value-added products. Developments in advanced ceramic processing continue at a rapid pace, constituting what can be considered a revolution in the kind of materials and properties obtained.

Prof. Dr. Qingyuan Wang
Dr. Yu Chen
Guest Editors

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Keywords

advanced ceramics
chemical composition
microstructural design
processing control
high-performance
multifunction

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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6 pages, 2668 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Microstructural Design and Processing Control of Advanced Ceramics

by Yu Chen and Qingyuan Wang

Materials 2023, 16(3), 905; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma16030905 - 17 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1162

Abstract

Advanced ceramics are referred to in various parts of the world as technical ceramics, high-tech ceramics, and high-performance ceramics [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructural Design and Processing Control of Advanced Ceramics)

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Research

Jump to: Editorial

10 pages, 5031 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Tribological Behaviors in Zr-Based Bulk Metallic Glass with High Heterogeneous Microstructure

by Yubai Ma, Mei Li and Fangqiu Zu

Materials 2022, 15(21), 7772; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15217772 - 04 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 890

Abstract

Microstructural inhomogeneity of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) plays a significant role in their mechanical properties. However, there is hardly ant research concerning the influence of heterogeneous microstructures on tribological behaviors. Hence, in this research, the tribological behaviors of different microstructural-heterogeneity BMGs sliding in-air were systematically investigated, and the corresponding wear mechanisms were disclosed via analyzing the chemical composition and morphology of the wear track. Higher microstructural-heterogeneity BMGs can possess a better wear resistance both under dry sliding and a 3.5% NaCl solution. The results suggest that microstructural heterogeneity enhancement is a valid strategy to improve the tribological performance of BMGs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructural Design and Processing Control of Advanced Ceramics)

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12 pages, 5235 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gd/Mn Co-Doped CaBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ Aurivillius-Phase Ceramics: Structures, Electrical Conduction and Dielectric Relaxation Behaviors

by Daowen Wu, Huajiang Zhou, Lingfeng Li and Yu Chen

Materials 2022, 15(17), 5810; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15175810 - 23 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1177

Abstract

In this work, Gd/Mn co-doped CaBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ Aurivillius-type ceramics with the formula of Ca_1-xGd_xBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ + xGd/0.2wt%MnCO₃ (abbreviated as CBT-xGd/0.2Mn) were prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction route. Firstly, the prepared ceramics were identified as the single CaBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ phase with orthorhombic symmetry and the change in lattice parameters detected from the Rietveld XRD refinement demonstrated that Gd³⁺ was successfully substituted for Ca²⁺ at the A-site. SEM observations further revealed that all samples were composed of the randomly orientated plate-like grains, and the corresponding average grain size gradually decreased with Gd content (x) increasing. For all compositions studied, the frequency independence of conductivity observed above 400 °C showed a nature of ionic conduction behavior, which was predominated by the long-range migration of oxygen vacancies. Based on the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) model, the maximum barrier height W_M, the dc conduction activation energy E_d_c, as well as the hopping conduction activation energy E_p were calculated for the CBT-xGd/0.2Mn ceramics. The composition with x = 0.06 was found to have the highest E_dc value of 1.87 eV, as well as the lowest conductivity (1.8 × 10⁻⁵ S/m at 600 °C) among these compositions. The electrical modules analysis for this composition further illustrated the degree of interaction between charge carrier β increases, with an increase in temperature from 500 °C to 600 °C, and then a turn to decrease when the temperature exceeded 600 °C. The value of β reached a maximum of 0.967 at 600 °C, indicating that the dielectric relaxation behavior at this temperature was closer to the ideal Debye type. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructural Design and Processing Control of Advanced Ceramics)

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10 pages, 3593 KiB

Open AccessArticle

High Humidity Response of Sol–Gel-Synthesized BiFeO₃ Ferroelectric Film

by Yaming Zhang, Bingbing Li and Yanmin Jia

Materials 2022, 15(8), 2932; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15082932 - 17 Apr 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1868

Abstract

In this work, a BiFeO₃ film is prepared via a facile sol–gel method, and the effects of the relative humidity (RH) on the BiFeO₃ film in terms of capacitance, impedance and current–voltage (I–V) are explored. The capacitance of the BiFeO₃ film increased from 25 to 1410 pF with the increase of RH from 30% to 90%. In particular, the impedance varied by more than two orders of magnitude as RH varied between 30% and 90% at 10 Hz, indicating a good hysteresis and response time. The mechanism underlying humidity sensitivity was analyzed by complex impedance spectroscopy. The adsorption of water molecules played key roles at low and high humidity, extending the potential application of ferroelectric BiFeO₃ films in humidity-sensitive devices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructural Design and Processing Control of Advanced Ceramics)

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10 pages, 4920 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Composites Obtained by Spark Plasma Sintering of Ti₃SiC₂-15 vol.%Cu Mixtures

by Rui Zhang, Biao Chen, Fuyan Liu, Miao Sun, Huiming Zhang and Chenlong Wu

Materials 2022, 15(7), 2515; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15072515 - 29 Mar 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1529

Abstract

Method of soft metal (Cu) strengthening of Ti₃SiC₂ was conducted to increase the hardness and improve the wear resistance of Ti₃SiC₂. Ti₃SiC₂/Cu composites containing 15 vol.% Cu were fabricated by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) in a vacuum. The effect of the sintering temperature on the phase composition, microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites was investigated in detail. The as-synthesized composites were thoroughly characterized by scanning electron micrography (SEM), optical micrography (OM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD), respectively. The results indicated that the constituent of the Ti₃SiC₂/Cu composites sintered at different temperatures included Ti₃SiC₂, Cu₃Si and TiC. The formation of Cu₃Si and TiC originated from the reaction between Ti₃SiC₂ and Cu, which was induced by the presence of Cu and the de-intercalation of Si atoms Ti₃SiC₂. OM analysis showed that with the increase in the sintering temperature, the reaction between Ti₃SiC₂ and Cu was severe, leading to the Ti₃SiC₂ getting smaller and smaller. SEM measurements illustrated that the uniformity of the microstructure distribution of the composites was restricted by the agglomeration of Cu, controlling the mechanical behaviors of the composites. At 1000 °C, the distribution of Cu in the composites was relatively even; thus, the composites exhibited the highest density, relatively high hardness and compressive strength. The relationships of the temperature, the current and the axial dimension with the time during the sintering process were further discussed. Additionally, a schematic illustration was proposed to explain the related sintering characteristic of the composites sintered by SPS. The as-synthesized Ti₃SiC₂/Cu composites were expected to improve the wear resistance of polycrystalline Ti₃SiC₂. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructural Design and Processing Control of Advanced Ceramics)

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12 pages, 6013 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Studies on Electron Escape Condition in Semiconductor Nanomaterials via Photodeposition Reaction

by Chen Ye and Yu Huan

Materials 2022, 15(6), 2116; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15062116 - 13 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1629

Abstract

In semiconductor material-driven photocatalysis systems, the generation and migration of charge carriers are core research contents. Among these, the separation of electron-hole pairs and the transfer of electrons to a material’s surface played a crucial role. In this work, photodeposition, a photocatalysis reaction, was used as a “tool” to point out the electron escaping sites on a material’s surface. This “tool” could be used to visually indicate the active particles in photocatalyst materials. Photoproduced electrons need to be transferred to the surface, and they will only participate in reactions at the surface. By reacting with escaped electrons, metal ions could be reduced to nanoparticles immediately and deposited at electron come-out sites. Based on this, the electron escaping conditions of photocatalyst materials have been investigated and surveyed through the photodeposition of platinum. Our results indicate that, first, in monodispersed nanocrystal materials, platinum nanoparticles deposited randomly on a particle’s surface. This can be attributed to the abundant surface defects, which provide driving forces for electron escaping. Second, platinum nanoparticles were found to be deposited, preferentially, on one side in heterostructured nanocrystals. This is considered to be a combination result of work function difference and existence of heterojunction structure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructural Design and Processing Control of Advanced Ceramics)

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12 pages, 3125 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microstructure and Tribological Properties of Spark-Plasma-Sintered Ti₃SiC₂-Pb-Ag Composites at Elevated Temperatures

by Rui Zhang, Huiming Zhang and Fuyan Liu

Materials 2022, 15(4), 1437; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15041437 - 15 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1297

Abstract

Ti₃SiC₂-PbO-Ag composites (TSC-PA) were successfully prepared using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. The ingredient and morphology of the as-synthesized composites were elaborately investigated. The tribological properties of the TSC-PA pin sliding against Inconel 718 alloys disk at room temperature (RT) to 800 °C were examined in air. The wear mechanisms were argued elaborately. The results showed that the TSC-PA was mainly composed of Ti₃SiC₂, Pb, and Ag. The average friction coefficient of TSC-PA gradually decreased from 0.72 (RT) to 0.3 (800 °C), with the temperature increasing from RT to 800 °C. The wear rate of TSC-PA showed a decreasing trend, with the temperature rising from RT to 800 °C. The wear rate of Inconel 718 exhibited positive wear at RT and negative wear at elevated temperatures. The tribological property of TSC-PA was related to the tribo-chemistry, and the abrasive and adhesive wear. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructural Design and Processing Control of Advanced Ceramics)

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23 pages, 4745 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Al₂TiO₅ Content and Sintering Temperature on the Microstructure and Residual Stress of Al₂O₃–Al₂TiO₅ Ceramic Composites

by Kunyang Fan, Wenhuang Jiang, Jesús Ruiz-Hervias, Carmen Baudín, Wei Feng, Haibin Zhou, Salvador Bueno and Pingping Yao

Materials 2021, 14(24), 7624; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14247624 - 11 Dec 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2305

Abstract

A series of Al₂O₃–Al₂TiO₅ ceramic composites with different Al₂TiO₅ contents (10 and 40 vol.%) fabricated at different sintering temperatures (1450 and 1550 °C) was studied in the present work. The microstructure, crystallite structure, and through-thickness residual stress of these composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, time-of-flight neutron diffraction, and Rietveld analysis. Lattice parameter variations and individual peak shifts were analyzed to calculate the mean phase stresses in the Al₂O₃ matrix and Al₂TiO₅ particulates as well as the peak-specific residual stresses for different hkl reflections of each phase. The results showed that the microstructure of the composites was affected by the Al₂TiO₅ content and sintering temperature. Moreover, as the Al₂TiO₅ grain size increased, microcracking occurred, resulting in decreased flexure strength. The sintering temperatures at 1450 and 1550 °C ensured the complete formation of Al₂TiO₅ during the reaction sintering and the subsequent cooling of Al₂O₃–Al₂TiO₅ composites. Some decomposition of AT occurred at the sintering temperature of 1550 °C. The mean phase residual stresses in Al₂TiO₅ particulates are tensile, and those in the Al₂O₃ matrix are compressive, with virtually flat through-thickness residual stress profiles in bulk samples. Owing to the thermal expansion anisotropy in the individual phase, the sign and magnitude of peak-specific residual stress values highly depend on individual hkl reflection. Both mean phase and peak-specific residual stresses were found to be dependent on the Al₂TiO₅ content and sintering temperature of Al₂O₃–Al₂TiO₅ composites, since the different developed microstructures can produce stress-relief microcracks. The present work is beneficial for developing Al₂O₃–Al₂TiO₅ composites with controlled microstructure and residual stress, which are crucial for achieving the desired thermal and mechanical properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructural Design and Processing Control of Advanced Ceramics)

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11 pages, 2443 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Effects of Oxide Additives on the Phase Structures and Electrical Properties of SrBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ High-Temperature Piezoelectric Ceramics

by Shaozhao Wang, Huajiang Zhou, Daowen Wu, Lang Li and Yu Chen

Materials 2021, 14(20), 6227; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14206227 - 19 Oct 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1820

Abstract

In this work, SrBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ (SBT) high-temperature piezoelectric ceramics with the addition of different oxides (Gd₂O₃, CeO₂, MnO₂ and Cr₂O₃) were fabricated by a conventional solid-state reaction route. The effects of oxide additives on the phase structures and electrical properties of the SBT ceramics were investigated. Firstly, X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that all these oxides-modified SBT ceramics prepared presented a single SrBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ phase with orthorhombic symmetry and space group of Bb21m, the change in cell parameters indicated that these oxide additives had diffused into the crystalline lattice of SBT and formed solid solutions with it. The SBT ceramics with the addition of MnO₂ achieved a high relative density of up to 97%. The temperature dependence of dielectric constant showed that the addition of Gd₂O₃ could increase the T_C of SBT. At a low frequency of 100 Hz, those dielectric loss peaks appearing around 500 °C were attributed to the space-charge relaxation as an extrinsic dielectric response. The synergetic doping of CeO₂ and Cr₂O₃ could reduce the space-charge-induced dielectric relaxation of SBT. The piezoelectricity measurement and electro-mechanical resonance analysis found that Cr₂O₃ can significantly enhance both d₃₃ and k_p of SBT, and produce a higher phase-angle maximum at resonance. Such an enhanced piezoelectricity was attributed to the further increased orthorhombic distortion after Ti⁴⁺ at B-site was substituted by Cr³⁺. Among these compositions, Sr_0.92Gd_0.053Bi₄Ti₄O₁₅ + 0.2 wt% Cr₂O₃ (SGBT-Cr) presented the best electrical properties including T_C = 555 °C, tan δ = 0.4%, k_p = 6.35% and d₃₃ = 28 pC/N, as well as a good thermally-stable piezoelectricity that the value of d₃₃ was decreased by only 3.6% after being annealed at 500 °C for 4 h. Such advantages provided this material with potential applications in the high-stability piezoelectric sensors operated below 500 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructural Design and Processing Control of Advanced Ceramics)

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11 pages, 28589 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization and Microstructural Evolution of Continuous BN Ceramic Fibers Containing Amorphous Silicon Nitride

by Yang Li, Min Ge, Shouquan Yu, Huifeng Zhang, Chuanbing Huang, Weijia Kong, Zhiguang Wang and Weigang Zhang

Materials 2021, 14(20), 6194; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14206194 - 18 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2300

Abstract

Boron nitride (BN) ceramic fibers containing amounts of silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) were prepared using hybrid precursors of poly(tri(methylamino)borazine) (PBN) and polycarbosilane (PCS) via melt-spinning, curing, decarburization under NH₃ to 1000 °C and pyrolysis up to 1600 °C under N₂. The effect of Si₃N₄ contents on the microstructure of the BN/Si₃N₄ composite ceramics was investigated. Series of the BN/Si₃N₄ composite fibers containing various amounts of Si₃N₄ from 5 wt% to 25 wt% were fabricated. It was found that the crystallization of Si₃N₄ could be totally restrained when its content was below 25 wt% in the BN/Si₃N₄ composite ceramics at 1600 °C, and the amorphous BN/Si₃N₄ composite ceramic could be obtained with a certain ratio. The mean tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the composite fibers correlated positively with the Si₃N₄ mass content, while an obvious BN (shell)/Si₃N₄ (core) was formed only when the Si₃N₄ content reached 25 wt%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructural Design and Processing Control of Advanced Ceramics)

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16 pages, 7902 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Microstructures and Electrical Conduction Behaviors of Gd/Cr Codoped Bi₃TiNbO₉ Aurivillius Phase Ceramic

by Huajiang Zhou, Shaozhao Wang, Daowen Wu, Qiang Chen and Yu Chen

Materials 2021, 14(19), 5598; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14195598 - 26 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1719

Abstract

In this work, a kind of Gd/Cr codoped Bi₃TiNbO₉ Aurivillius phase ceramic with the formula of Bi_2.8Gd_0.2TiNbO₉ + 0.2 wt% Cr₂O₃ (abbreviated as BGTN−0.2Cr) was prepared by a conventional solid-state reaction route. Microstructures and electrical conduction behaviors of the ceramic were investigated. XRD and SEM detection found that the BGTN−0.2Cr ceramic was crystallized in a pure Bi₃TiNbO₉ phase and composed of plate-like grains. A uniform element distribution involving Bi, Gd, Ti, Nb, Cr, and O was identified in the ceramic by EDS. Because of the frequency dependence of the conductivity between 300 and 650 °C, the electrical conduction mechanisms of the BGTN−0.2Cr ceramic were attributed to the jump of the charge carriers. Based on the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) model, the maximum barrier height W_M, dc conduction activation energy E_c, and hopping conduction activation energy E_p were calculated with values of 0.63 eV, 1.09 eV, and 0.73 eV, respectively. Impedance spectrum analysis revealed that the contribution of grains to the conductance increased with rise in temperature; at high temperatures, the conductance behavior of grains deviated from the Debye relaxation model more than that of grain boundaries. Calculation of electrical modulus further suggested that the degree of interaction between charge carriers β tended to grow larger with rising temperature. In view of the approximate relaxation activation energy (~1 eV) calculated from Z″ and M″ peaks, the dielectric relaxation process of the BGTN−0.2Cr ceramic was suggested to be dominated by the thermally activated motion of oxygen vacancies as defect charge carriers. Finally, a high piezoelectricity of d₃₃ = 18 pC/N as well as a high resistivity of ρ_dc = 1.52 × 10⁵ Ω cm at 600 °C provided the BGTN−0.2Cr ceramic with promising applications in the piezoelectric sensors with operating temperature above 600 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microstructural Design and Processing Control of Advanced Ceramics)

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