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At least 19 records

Robust Joining and Integration of Advanced Ceramics and Composites: Challenges, Opportunities, and Realities

Advanced ceramics and fiber reinforced composites are under active consideration for use in a wide variety of high temperature applications within the aeronautics, space transportation, energy, and nuclear industries. The engineering designs of ceramic and composite components require fabrication and manufacturing of large and complex shaped parts of various thicknesses. In many instances, it is more economical to build up complex shapes by joining simple geometrical shapes. In addition, these components have to be joined or assembled with metallic sub-components. Thus, joining and attachment have been recognized as enabling technologies for successful utilization of ceramic components in various demanding applications. In this presentation, various challenges and opportunities in design, fabrication, and testing of high temperature joints in advanced ceramics and ceramic matrix composites will be presented. Silicon carbide based advanced ceramics and fiber reinforced composites in different shapes and sizes, have been joined using an affordable, robust ceramic joining technology. In addition, some examples of metal-ceramic brazing will also be presented. Microstructure and high temperature mechanical properties of joints in silicon carbide ceramics and composites will be reported. Various joint design philosophies and design issues in joining of ceramics and composites will be discussed.

Singh, Mrityunjay↗

International Standards for Properties and Performance of Advanced Ceramics - 30 years of Excellence

Mechanical and physical properties/performance of brittle bodies (e.g., advanced ceramics and glasses) can be difficult to measure correctly unless the proper techniques are used. For three decades, ASTM Committee C28 on Advanced Ceramics, has developed numerous full-consensus standards (e.g., test methods, practices, guides, terminology) to measure various properties and performance of a monolithic and composite ceramics and coatings that, in some cases, may be applicable to glasses. These standards give the "what, how, how not, why, why not, etc." for many mechanical, physical, thermal, properties and performance of advanced ceramics. Use of these standards provides accurate, reliable, repeatable and complete data. Involvement in ASTM Committee C28 has included users, producers, researchers, designers, academicians, etc. who write, continually update, and validate through round robin test programmes, more than 45 standards in the 30 years since the Committee's inception in 1986. Included in this poster is a pictogram of the ASTM Committee C28 standards and how to obtain them either as i) individual copies with full details or ii) a complete collection in one volume. A listing of other ASTM committees of interest is included. In addition, some examples of the tangible benefits of standards for advanced ceramics are employed to demonstrate their practical application.

composites↗

Environment Conscious Ceramics (Ecoceramics): An Eco-Friendly Route to Advanced Ceramic Materials

Environment conscious ceramics (Ecoceramics) are a new class of materials, which can be produced with renewable natural resources (wood) or wood wastes (wood sawdust). This technology provides an eco-friendly route to advanced ceramic materials. Ecoceramics have tailorable properties and behave like ceramic materials manufactured by conventional approaches. Silicon carbide-based ecoceramics have been fabricated by reactive infiltration of carbonaceous preforms by molten silicon or silicon-refractory metal alloys. The fabrication approach, microstructure, and mechanical properties of SiC-based ecoceramics are presented.

Singh, M.↗

Standardization Efforts for Mechanical Testing and Design of Advanced Ceramic Materials and Components

Advanced aerospace systems occasionally require the use of very brittle materials such as sapphire and ultra-high temperature ceramics. Although great progress has been made in the development of methods and standards for machining, testing and design of component from these materials, additional development and dissemination of standard practices is needed. ASTM Committee C28 on Advanced Ceramics and ISO TC 206 have taken a lead role in the standardization of testing for ceramics, and recent efforts and needs in standards development by Committee C28 on Advanced Ceramics will be summarized. In some cases, the engineers, etc. involved are unaware of the latest developments, and traditional approaches applicable to other material systems are applied. Two examples of flight hardware failures that might have been prevented via education and standardization will be presented.

Salem, Jonathan A.↗

Test Standard Developed for Determining the Slow Crack Growth of Advanced Ceramics at Ambient Temperature

The service life of structural ceramic components is often limited by the process of slow crack growth. Therefore, it is important to develop an appropriate testing methodology for accurately determining the slow crack growth design parameters necessary for component life prediction. In addition, an appropriate test methodology can be used to determine the influences of component processing variables and composition on the slow crack growth and strength behavior of newly developed materials, thus allowing the component process to be tailored and optimized to specific needs. At the NASA Lewis Research Center, work to develop a standard test method to determine the slow crack growth parameters of advanced ceramics was initiated by the authors in early 1994 in the C 28 (Advanced Ceramics) committee of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). After about 2 years of required balloting, the draft written by the authors was approved and established as a new ASTM test standard: ASTM C 1368-97, Standard Test Method for Determination of Slow Crack Growth Parameters of Advanced Ceramics by Constant Stress-Rate Flexural Testing at Ambient Temperature. Briefly, the test method uses constant stress-rate testing to determine strengths as a function of stress rate at ambient temperature. Strengths are measured in a routine manner at four or more stress rates by applying constant displacement or loading rates. The slow crack growth parameters required for design are then estimated from a relationship between strength and stress rate. This new standard will be published in the Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol. 15.01, in 1998. Currently, a companion draft ASTM standard for determination of the slow crack growth parameters of advanced ceramics at elevated temperatures is being prepared by the authors and will be presented to the committee by the middle of 1998. Consequently, Lewis will maintain an active leadership role in advanced ceramics standardization within ASTM. In addition, the authors have been and are involved with several international standardization organizations including the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS), the International Energy Agency (IEA), and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The associated standardization activities involve fracture toughness, strength, elastic modulus, and the machining of advanced ceramics.

Choi, Sung R.↗

Joining and Assembly of Silicon Carbide-based Advanced Ceramics and Composites for High Temperature Applications

Silicon carbide based advanced ceramics and fiber reinforced composites are under active consideration for use in wide variety of high temperature applications within the aeronautics, space transportation, energy, and nuclear industries. The engineering designs of ceramic and composite component require fabrication and manufacturing of large and complex shaped parts of various thicknesses. In many instances, it is more economical to build up complex shapes by joining simple geometrical shapes. In addition these components have to be joined or assembled with metallic sub-components. Thus, joining and attachment have been recognized as enabling technologies for successful utilization of ceramic components in various demanding applications. In this presentation, various challenges and opportunities in design, fabrication, and testing o high temperature joints in ceramic matrix composites will be presented. Silicon carbide based advanced ceramics (CVD and hot pressed), and C/SiC and SiC/SiC composites, in different shapes and sizes, have been joined using an affordable, robust ceramic joining technology (ARCJoinT). Microstructure and high temperature mechanical properties of joints in silicon carbide ceramics and CVI and melt infiltrated SiC matrix composites will,be reported. Various joint design philosophies and design issues in joining of ceramics and composites well be discussed.

Singh, M.↗

ASTM Committee C28: International Standards for Properties and Performance of Advanced Ceramics, Three Decades of High-quality, Technically-rigorous Normalization

Physical and mechanical properties and performance of advanced ceramics and glasses are difficult to measure correctly without the proper techniques. For over three decades, ASTM Committee C28 on Advanced Ceramics, has developed high quality, rigorous, full-consensus standards (e.g., test methods, practices, guides, terminology) to measure properties and performance of monolithic and composite ceramics that may be applied to glasses in some cases. These standards testing particulars for many mechanical, physical, thermal, properties and performance of these materials. As a result these standards provide accurate, reliable, repeatable and complete data. Within Committee C28 users, producers, researchers, designers, academicians, etc. have written, continually updated, and validated through round-robin test programs, nearly 50 standards since the Committees founding in 1986. This paper provides a retrospective review of the 30 years of ASTM Committee C28 including a graphical pictogram listing of C28 standards along with examples of the tangible benefits of advanced ceramics standards to demonstrate their practical applications.

properties↗

High Temperature Wear of Advanced Ceramics

It was initially hypothesized that advanced ceramics would exhibit favorable high te- friction and wear properties because of their high hot hardness and low achievable surface roughness welding observed in metals does not occur in ceramics. More recent tribological studies of many nitride, carbide, oxide and composite ceramics, however, have revealed that ceramics often exhibit high friction and wear in non-lubricated, high temperature sliding contacts. A summary is given to measure friction and wear factor coefficients for a variety of ceramics from self mated ceramic pin-on-disk tests at temperatures from 25 to up to 1200 C. Observed steady state friction coefficients range from about 0.5 to 1.0 or above. Wear factor coefficients are also very high and range from about to 10(exp -5) to 10(exp -2) cubic millimeters per N-m. By comparison, oil lubricated steel sliding results in friction coefficients of 0.1 or less and wear factors less than 10(exp -9) cubic millimeters per N-m.

DellaCorte, C.↗

Strength and flexibility properties of advanced ceramic fabrics

The mechanical properties of four advanced ceramic fabrics are measured at a temperature range of 23 C to 1200 C. The fabrics evaluated are silica, high-and low-boria content aluminoborosilicate, and silicon carbide. Properties studied include fabric break strengths from room temperature to 1200 C, and bending durability after temperature conditioning at 1200 C and 1400 C. The interaction of the fabric and ceramic insulation is also studied for shrinkage, appearance, bend resistance, and fabric-to-insulation bonding. Based on these tests, the low-boria content aluminoborosilicate fabric retains more strength and fabric durability than the other fabrics studied at high temperature.

Sawko, P. M.↗

Strength and flexibility properties of advanced ceramic fabrics

The mechanical properties of four advanced ceramic fabrics were measured at a temperature range of 23C to 1200C. The fabrics evaluated were silica, high and low-boria content aluminoborosilicate, and silicon carbide. Properties studied included fabric break strengths from room temperature to 1200C, and bending durability after temperature conditioning at 1200C and 1400C. The interaction of the fabric and ceramic insulation was also studied for shrinkage, appearance, bend resistance, and fabric-to-insulation bonding. Based on these tests, the low-boria content aluminoborosilicate fabric retained more strength and fabric durability than the other fabrics studied at high temperature.

Sawko, P. M.↗

Challenges and Opportunities in Reactive Processing and Applications of Advanced Ceramic Materials

Recently, there has been a great deal of interest in the research, development, and commercialization of innovative synthesis and processing technologies for advanced ceramics and composite materials. Reactive processing approaches have been actively considered due to their robustness, flexibility, and affordability. A wide variety of silicon carbide-based advanced ceramics and composites are currently being fabricated using the processing approaches involving reactive infiltration of liquid and gaseous species into engineered fibrous or microporous carbon performs. The microporous carbon performs have been fabricated using the temperature induced phase separation and pyrolysis of two phase organic (resin-pore former) mixtures and fiber reinforcement of carbon and ceramic particulate bodies. In addition, pyrolyzed native plant cellulose tissues also provide unique carbon templates for manufacturing of non-oxide and oxide ceramics. In spite of great interest in this technology due to their affordability and robustness, there is a lack of scientific basis for process understanding and many technical challenges still remain. The influence of perform properties and other parameters on the resulting microstructure and properties of final material is not well understood. In this presentation, mechanism of silicon-carbon reaction in various systems and the effect of perform microstructure on the mechanical properties of advanced silicon carbide based materials will be discussed. Various examples of applications of reactively processed advanced silicon carbide ceramics and composite materials will be presented.

Singh, Mrityunjay↗

Chemical vapor deposition for silicon cladding on advanced ceramics

Polycrystalline Si was used to clad several advanced ceramic materials such as SiC, Si3N4, sapphire Al2O3, pyrolytic BN, and Si by a CVD process. The thickness of Si cladding ranged from 0.025 to 3.0 mm. CVD Si adhered quite well to all the above materials except Al3O, where the Si cladding was highly stressed and cracked or delaminated. A detailed material characterization of Si-clad SiC samples showed that Si adherence to SiC does not depend much on the substrate surface preparation; that the thermal cycling and polishing of the samples do not cause delamination; and that, in four-point bend tests, the Si-SiC bond remains intact, with the failure occurring in the Si.

Goela, Jitendra S.↗

Advanced Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) for High Temperature Applications

Advanced ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are enabling materials for a number of demanding applications in aerospace, energy, and nuclear industries. In the aerospace systems, these materials are being considered for applications in hot sections of jet engines such as the combustor liner, vanes, nozzle components, nose cones, leading edges of reentry vehicles, and space propulsion components. Applications in the energy and environmental industries include radiant heater tubes, heat exchangers, heat recuperators, gas and diesel particulate filters, and components for land based turbines for power generation. These materials are also being considered for use in the first wall and blanket components of fusion reactors. In the last few years, a number of CMC components have been developed and successfully tested for various aerospace and ground based applications. However, a number of challenges still remain slowing the wide scale implementation of these materials. They include robust fabrication and manufacturing, assembly and integration, coatings, property modeling and life prediction, design codes and databases, repair and refurbishment, and cost. Fabrication of net and complex shape components with high density and tailorable matrix properties is quite expensive, and even then various desirable properties are not achievable. In this presentation, a number of examples of successful CMC component development and testing will be provided. In addition, critical need for robust manufacturing, joining and assembly technologies in successful implementation of these systems will be discussed.

Singh, M.↗

Advanced ceramic matrix composites for TPS

Recent advances in ceramic matrix composite (CMC) technology provide considerable opportunity for application to future aircraft thermal protection system (TPS), providing materials with higher temperature capability, lower weight, and higher strength and stiffness than traditional materials. The Thermal Protection Material Branch at NASA Ames Research Center has been making significant progress in the development, characterization, and entry simulation (arc-jet) testing of new CMC's. This protection gives a general overview of the Ames Thermal Protection Materials Branch research activities, followed by more detailed descriptions of recent advances in very-high temperature Zr and Hf based ceramics, high temperature, high strength SiC matrix composites, and some activities in polymer precursors and ceramic coating processing. The presentation closes with a brief comparison of maximum heat flux capabilities of advanced TPS materials.

Rasky, Daniel J.↗

Fracture toughness of advanced ceramics at room temperature

Results of round-robin fracture toughness tests on advanced ceramics are reported. A gas-pressure silicon nitride and a zirconia-toughened alumina were tested using three test methods: indentation fracture, indentation strength, and single-edge precracked beam. The latter two methods have produced consistent results. The interpretation of fracture toughness test results for the zirconia alumina composite is shown to be complicated by R-curve and environmentally assisted crack growth phenomena.

Quinn, George D.↗

Crack Branching and Fracture Mirror Data of Glasses and Advanced Ceramics

The fracture mirror and crack branching constants were determined from three glasses and nine advanced ceramics tested under various loading and specimen configurations in an attempt to use the constants as a data base for fractography. The ratios of fracture mirror or crack branching constant to fracture toughness were found to be approximately two for most ceramic materials tested. A demonstration of how to use the two constants as a tool for verifying stress measurements was presented for silicon nitride disk specimens subjected to high-temperature, constant stress-rate biaxial flexure testing.

Choi, Sung R.↗

Nondestructive evaluation of advanced ceramics

A review is presented of Lewis Research Center efforts to develop nondestructive evaluation techniques for characterizing advanced ceramic materials. Various approaches involved the use of analytical ultrasonics to characterize monolythic ceramic microstructures, acousto-ultrasonics for characterizing ceramic matrix composites, damage monitoring in impact specimens by microfocus X-ray radiography and scanning ultrasonics, and high resolution computed X-ray tomography to identify structural features in fiber reinforced ceramics.

Klima, Stanley J.↗

Advanced Ceramic Wafer Seals Demonstrated at 2000 deg. F

Durable, high-temperature sliding seals are required in advanced hypersonic engines and around movable control surfaces on future vehicles. These seals must operate at temperatures of 2000 to 2500 F, limit hot gas flow, remain resilient for multiple cycles, and resist scrubbing damage against rough surfaces. Current seal designs do not meet these demanding requirements, so the NASA Glenn Research Center is developing advanced seals and preload devices to overcome these shortfalls. An advanced ceramic wafer seal design and two silicon nitride compression spring designs were evaluated in a series of compression, scrub, and flow tests.

Dunlap, Patrick H.↗