5 Werkstofftechnik
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The possibility to produce dense monolithic ceramic parts with additive manufacturing is at the moment restricted to small parts with low wall thickness. Up to now, the additive manufacturing of voluminous ceramic parts is realized by powder bed based processes which, however, generate parts with residual porosity. Via infiltration these parts can be processed to dense parts like for example SiC but this is not possible for all ceramics like for example Si3N4. There is a lack of methods for the additive manufacturing of dense voluminous parts for most ceramics.
We have developed a new additive manufacturing technology, the Laser Induced Slip casting (LIS), based on the layerwise deposition of slurries and their local drying by laser radiation. Laser Induced Slip casting generates ceramic green bodies which can be sintered to dense ceramic components like traditional formed ceramic powder compacts. We will introduce the LIS technology, green bodies and sintered parts will be shown and their microstructure and mechanical properties will be discussed.
Calcium cobaltite (Ca3Co4O9) is considered as one of the most promising thermoelectric p-type oxides for energy harvesting applications at temperatures above 500 °C. It is challenging to sinter this material as its stability is limited to 920 °C. To facilitate a practicable and scalable production of Ca3Co4O9 for multilayer generators, a systematic study of the influence of powder calcination, Bi-doping, reaction sintering, and pressure-assisted sintering (PAS) on microstructure and thermoelectric properties is presented. Batches of doped, undoped, calcined, and not calcined powders were prepared, tape-cast, and sintered with and without uniaxial pressure at 900 °C. The resulting phase compositions, microstructures and thermoelectric properties were analysed. It is shown that the beneficial effect of Bi-doping observed on pressureless sintered samples cannot be transferred to PAS. Liquid phase formation induces distortions and abnormal grain growth. Although the Seebeck coefficient is increased to 139 µV/K by Bi-doping, the power factor is low due to poor electrical conductivity. The best results were achieved by PAS of calcined powder. The dense and textured microstructure exhibits a high power factor of 326 µW/mK² at 800 °C but adversely high thermal conductivity in the relevant direction. The figure of merit is higher than 0.08 at 700 °C.
Dielectric breakdown of ceramics is widely believed to originate from microstructural defects. Still, there is no commonly accepted model for the origin and process of dielectric failure that covers all observed phenomena and dependencies. In analogy to mechanical strength, the Weibull distribution is commonly used to evaluate dielectric strength data. This works well for a given group of specimens with constant geometry. But unlike mechanical strength, dielectric strength scales with the inverse square root of sample thickness. This cannot be explained by the classic Weibull concept. The Griffith type energy release rate model of dielectric breakdown proposed by Schneider is based on space charge injection and conducting filaments from the sample surface. This model incorporates the distinct thickness dependence and the pronounced influence of surface defects. Based on this model and the classic Weibull probability of failure, Schneider’s group theoretically derived a probability of breakdown that predicts an increase of failure probability with increasing electrode area. In our study we tested this model with dielectric strength data measured on dense alumina samples using different electrode areas. Weibull modulus and characteristic dielectric strength (scale parameter) were determined for a set of measurements using small electrodes. These values were used to calculate the failure probability under large electrodes according to the model. The calculated data excellently fits the measured values. Thus, our experiments substantiate the assumptions made in the breakdown model and the significance of surface defects for dielectric failure.
Many of the most successful and precise additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are based on the deposition layer-by-layer of a flowable powder. Since the first pioneering work at the end of the 1980th many developments have been introduced, greatly extending the use of different materials, improving the physical properties of the components built and enhancing the accuracy of the process. Still very important issues remain nowadays, hampering a completely autonomous production of parts and even restricting the freedom of design by means of these technologies. One of the major issues is the low density and stability of the parts during the building process, which implies the need of support structures: The powder bed surrounding the part has an essential role, since it should support the structure during building, until it’s ready for removal. Moreover, the microstructure of the powder bed is a template for the microstructure of the part produced. In this context, the use of submicron ceramic powders is still a challenge. Three approaches for the stabilization and densification of powder beds will be presented: The Layerwise Slurry Deposition process LSD, the gas flow assisted powder deposition and the Laser Induced Slipcasting (LIS) of ceramic powder compacts.
This paper investigates fast and inexpensive measurement methods for defect detection in parts produced by Additive Manufacturing (AM) with special focus on lattice parts made of ceramics. By Lithography-based Ceramic Manufacturing, parts were built both without defects and with typical defects intentionally introduced. These defects were investigated and confirmed by industrial X-ray Computed Tomography. Alternative inexpensive methods were applied afterwards on the parts such as weighing, volume determination by Archimedes method and gas permeability measurement. The results showed, that defects resulting in around 20% of change in volume and mass could be separated from parts free of defects by determination of mass or volume. Minor defects were not detectable as they were in the range of process-related fluctuations. Permeability measurement did not allow to safely identify parts with defects. The measurement methods investigated can be easily integrated in AM process chains to support quality control.
Practical breakdown voltage calculations using dielectric breakdown strength reference values
(2020)
Dielectric breakdown is a catastrophic failure of ceramic substrates and insulators. The use of dielectric breakdown strength (DBS) reference values for the dimensioning of such components is not straightforward, as the DBS depends on sample thickness and electrode area. This fact also hampers a valid comparison of data taken from different literature sources. Based on the empirically confirmed proportionality of DBS to the reciprocal square root of sample thickness and an approach to account for the influence of electrode area on the failure probability, a practical equation is derived to calculate the breakdown voltage for arbitrary sample thickness and electrode area from one set of DBS reference data. To validate the equation, the AC DBS of commercial alumina substrates with thicknesses ranging from 0.3 mm to 1.0 mm was performed using different printed electrodes with varying areas. The breakdown voltages comprise a range from 18 kV for thick samples to 8.5 kV for thin samples, resulting in DBS values from 17 kV/mm for 1.0 mm thick samples to 29 kV/mm for 0.3 mm thin samples, all made from the same material. The influence of electrode area is comparatively smaller. The results calculated with the proposed equation are in reasonable accordance with the measured data. Thus, the equation can be applied for a proper comparison of literature DBS data measured in different setups and for a reasonable estimation of breakdown voltages in DBS tests and applications based on reference data.
The relationship between fracture toughness and Yttria content in modern zirconia ceramics was revised. For that purpose, we evaluated here 10 modern Y2O3-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) materials currently used in biomedical applications, namely prosthetic and implant dentistry. The most relevant range between 2-5 mol% Y2O3 was addressed by selecting from conventional opaque 3 mol% YSZ up to more translucent compositions (4-5 mol% YSZs). A technical 2YSZ was used to extend the range of our evaluation. The bulk mol% Y2O3 concentration was measured by X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy. Phase quantification by Rietveld refinement considered two tetragonal phases or an additional cubic phase. A first-account of the fracture toughness (KIc) of the pre-sintered blocks is given, which amounted to 0.4 – 0.7 MPa√m. In the fully-densified state, an inverse power-law behavior was obtained between KIc and bulk mol% Y2O3 content, whether using only our measurements or including literature data, challenging some established relationships. A linear relationship between KIc and the fraction of the transformable t-phase was established within the range of 30–70 vol%.
Ceramic springs combine attractive properties for applications in machinery, metrology, and sensor technology. They are electrically insulating, non-magnetic, provide a linear stress-strain behavior, and are stable at high temperatures and in corrosive environments. Generally, the precise dimensioning of a ceramic spring with respect to the spring constant is challenging. Different models are described, but many of these calculations do not match the actual spring properties. We demonstrate a reliable approach for the dimensioning and manufacturing of helical compression springs with a rectangular winding cross-section. Based on the German standard DIN 2090, which is referring to metallic springs, the spring constant can be calculated based on shear modulus, diameter, height, widths, and number of windings. Different ceramic springs were produced by milling of sintered hollow cylinders of zirconia, alumina and silicon nitride. The experimental spring constants are in very good agreement with the calculated values. Spring constants of zirconia springs were varied over three orders of magnitude between 0.02 N/mm and 5 N/mm by purposeful adaption of the spring geometry. The combination of dimensioning based on DIN 2090 and precise hard machining offers a reliable technology for the fabrication of tailored ceramic springs for special applications.
The dielectric breakdown strength of ceramics strongly depends on the test conditions. Thus, standardized test procedures and thorough documentation are indispensable. However, during dielectric strength testing the breakdown often occurs near the electrode edge or even outside the specified electrode area. This behavior is similarly observed for printed and cylindrical electrodes. The aim of the presented study was to calculate the electric field strength distribution in a ball-on-plate testing setup for metallized samples and to correlate the field distribution with the observed breakdown locations. Small misalignments in the test setup were also considered in the simulations. Furthermore, the field strength at the breakdown Location should be compared to the experimentally determined dielectric strength. Therefore, Finite Element Models of several test conditions with varying printed electrode areas and sample thicknesses were created and electrostatic calculations of the electric field Distribution were performed. The simulation results were compared to experimental data. Alumina (96 %) was used as test material. The calculations show that the electric field strength maxima match the experimentally observed locations of breakdown. Without any fitting of the model, the maximum calculated field strength is in reasonable agreement with the experimental dielectric strength. The FE analysis is a helpful tool to understand the observations in experimental dielectric strength testing.
Filigree structures can be manufactured via two-photon-polymerization (2PP) operating in the regime of non-linear light absorption. For the first time it is possible to apply this technique to the powder processing of ceramic structures with a feature size in the range of the critical defect size responsible for brittle fracture and, thus, affecting fracture toughness of high-performance ceramics. In this way, tailoring of advanced properties can be achieved already in the shaping process. Traditionally, 2PP relies on transparent polymerizable resins, which is diametrically opposed to the usually completely opaque ceramic resins and slurries. Here we present a transparent and photocurable suspension of nanoparticles (resin) with very high mass fractions of yttria-stabilized zirconia particles (YSZ). Due to the extremely well dispersed nanoparticles, scattering of light can be effectively suppressed at the process-relevant wavelength of 800 nm. Sintered ceramic structures with a resolution of down to 500 nm were obtained. Even at reduced densities of 1 to 4 g/cm³, the resulting compressive strength with 4,5 GPa is equivalent or even exceeding bulk monolithic yttria stabilized zirconia. A ceramic metamaterial is born, where the mechanical properties of yttria stabilized zirconia are altered by changing geometrical parameters and gives access to a new class of ceramic materials.