Output details
13 - Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Metallurgy and Materials
University of Oxford
Effects of YO additives and powder purity on the densification and grain boundary composition of AlO/SiC nanocomposites
Many claims for improvement of alumina's properties by nano-SiC additions are exaggerated, but the improvements in abrasive wear resistance are substantial, with potential for use as low-cost fluid seals in domestic, automotive and aerospace applications. Most groups producing high-quality alumina-based "nanocomposites" have used Hot Isostatic Pressing for consolidation but this is too expensive. We investigated the role of additives in producing high-quality materials by pressureless sintering, and this detailed study explains for the first time the mechanism by which this operates. Morgan Advanced Ceramics have carried out trial sintering runs as the first stage in exploiting these advanced ceramics.
