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Calcium cobaltite is one of the most promising oxide p-type thermoelectric materials. The solid-state reaction (or calcination, respectively), which is well known for large-scale powder synthesis of functional materials, can also be used for the synthesis of thermoelectric oxides. There are various calcination routines in literature for Ca3Co4O9 powder synthesis, but no systematic study has been done on the influence of calcination procedure on thermoelectric properties. Therefore, the influence of calcination conditions on the Seebeck coefficient and the electrical conductivity was studied by modifying calcination temperature, dwell time, particle size of raw materials and number of calcination cycles. This study shows that elevated temperatures, longer dwell times, or repeated calcinations during powder synthesis do not improve but deteriorate the thermoelectric properties of calcium cobaltite. Diffusion during calcination leads to idiomorphic grain growth, which lowers the driving force for sintering of the calcined powder. A lower driving force for sintering reduces the densification. The electrical conductivity increases linearly with densification. The calcination procedure barely influences the Seebeck coefficient. The calcination procedure has no influence on the phase formation of the sintered specimens.
Soiling of photovoltaic (PV) systems compromises their performance causing a significant power loss and demanding periodical cleaning actions. This phenomenon raises great concerns in the solar energy field, thus leading to notable research efforts over the last decades. Soiling is caused by a dual action of dust deposition and biofouling. However, surprisingly, the microbiological contribution to PV soiling is often overlooked or underestimated. In this study, a variety of qPCR-based methods have been developed to quantify the microbial load of fungi, bacteria and phototrophs on PV panels. These protocols were evaluated by comparison with culturedependent methods, and were implemented with real solar plants for two years. The results show that the developed molecular methods are highly sensitive and reliable to monitor the microbial component of the soiling. Fungal biomass was clearly dominant in all analysed PV modules, while bacteria and phototrophs showed much lower abundance. Light microscopy and qPCR results revealed that melanised microcolonial fungi and phototrophs are the main biofilm-forming microorganisms on the studied solar panels. In particular, the fungal qPCR protocol is proposed as a useful tool for monitoring of PV soiling, and investigating the microbial contribution to specific soiling cases.
The sintering behavior and the thermoelectric performance of Ca3Co4O9 multilayer laminates were studied, and a multilayer thermoelectric generator was fabricated. Compacts and multilayer samples with anisotropic microstructure and residual porosity were obtained after conventional sintering at 920 °C, whereas dense and isotropic multilayer samples were prepared by firing at 1200 °C and reoxidation at 900 °C. A hot-pressed sample has a dense and anisotropic microstructure. Samples sintered at 920 °C exhibit low electrical conductivity due to the low density, whereas the Seebeck coefficient is not sensitive to preparation conditions. However, thermal conductivity of multilayers is very low, and, hence acceptable ZT values are obtained. A ransversal multilayer thermoelectric generator (TMLTEG) was fabricated by stacking layers of Ca3Co4O9 green tapes, AgPd conductor printing, and co-firing at 920 °C. The TMLTEG has a power output of 3 mW at ΔT =200 K in the temperature interval of 25 °C to 300 °C.
Sand erosion of solar glass: Specific energy uptake, total transmittance, and module efficiency
(2018)
Surface roughness, R Z , normal transmittance, Τ N , total transmittance, Τ T , and photovoltaic (PV) module efficiency, η S , were measured for commercial solar glass plates and PV test modules identically sandblasted with different loads of quartz sand (200 – 400 μ m), impact inclination angles, and sand particle speed. Measured data are presented versus the specific energy uptake during sand blasting, E (J/m2). Cracks, adhering particles, and scratch ‐ like textures probably caused by plastic flow phenomena could be observed after sand blasting. Their characteristic size was much smaller than that of sand particles.
After blasting and subsequent cleaning, the glass surface was still covered with adhering glass particles. These particles, cracks, and scratch ‐ like textures could not be removed by cleaning. For sand blasting with α = 30° inclination angle and E = 30 000 J/m2, normal transmittance, total transmittance, and relative module efficiency decreased by 29%, 2% and ∽ 2%, respectively. This finding indicates that diffusive transmission of light substantially contributes to PV module efficiency and that the module efficiency decrease caused by sand erosion can be better estimated from total than by normal transmittance measurements.
Wollastonite (CaSiO 3 ) – diopside (CaMgSi 2 O 6 ) glass-ceramic scaffolds have been successfully fabricated using two different additive manufacturing techniques: powder-based 3D printing (3DP) and digital light processing (DLP), coupled with the sinter-crystallization of glass powders with two different compositions. The adopted manufacturing process depended on the balance between viscous flow sintering and crystallization of the glass particles, in turn in fluenced by the powder size and the sensitivity of CaO – MgO – SiO 2 glasses to surface nucleation. 3DP used coarser glass powders and was more appropriate for low temperature firing (800 – 900 °C), leading to samples with limited crystallization. On the contrary, DLP used finer glass powders, leading to highly crystallized glass-ceramic samples. Despite the differences in manufacturing technology and crystallization, all samples featured very good strength-to-density ratios, which bene fit theiruse for bone tissue engineering applications. The bioactivity of 3D-printed glass-ceramics after immersion in simulated body fluid and the similarities, in terms of ionic releases and hydroxyapatite formation with already validated bioactive glass-ceramics, were preliminarily assessed.
The Layerwise Slurry Deposition is a technology for the deposition of highly packed powder layers. A powder bed is achieved by depositing and drying layers of a ceramic suspension by means of a doctor blade. This deposition technique was combined with the binder jetting technology to develop a novel Additive Manufacturing technology, named LSD-print. The LSD-print was applied to a porcelain ceramic. It is shown that it was possible to produce parts with high definition, good surface finish and at the same time having physical and mechanical properties close to those of traditionally processed porcelain, e.g. by slip casting.
This technology shows high future potential for being integrated alongside traditional production of porce-lain, as it is easily scalable to large areas while maintaining a good definition. Both the Layerwise Slurry Deposition method and the binder jetting technologies are readily scalable to areas as large as > 1 m2.
A shape evolution approach based on the thermally activated self-organization of 3D printed parts into minimal surface area structures is presented. With this strategy, the present communication opposes currently established additive manufacturing strategies aiming to stipulate each individual volumetric element (voxel) of a part. Instead, a 3D structure is roughly defined in a 3D printing process, with all its advantages, and an externally triggered self-organization allows the formation of structural elements with a definition greatly exceeding the volumetric resolution of the printing process. For enabling the self-organization of printed objects by viscous flow of material, functionally graded structures are printed as rigid frame and melting filler. This approach uniquely combines the freedom in design, provided by 3D printing, with the mathematical formulation of minimal surface structures and the knowledge of the physical potentials governing self-organization, to overcome the paradigm which strictly orrelates the geometrical definition of 3D printed parts to the volumetric resolution of the printing process. Moreover, a transient liquid phase allows local programming of functionalities, such as the alignment of functional particles, by means of electric or magnetic fields.
Tricalcium phosphate (b-TCP) can be used as bone graft, exhibiting suitable bioabsorption and osteoconduction properties. The presence of silica may induce the formation of a hydroxyapatite layer, enhancing the integration between implant and bone tissue. Preceramic polymers present silicon in their composition, being a source of SiO2 after thermal treatment. Using the versatility of 3D printing, b-TCP and a polysiloxane were combined to manufacture a bulkb-TCP with a silica coating. For the additive manufacturing process, PMMA powder was used as passive binder for the b-TCP particles, and polymethylsilsesquioxane (MK), dissolved in an organic solvent, was used both as a printing binder (ink) and as the source of SiO2 for the coating. Five distinct coating compositions were printed with increasing amounts of MK. The structures were then submitted to heat treatment at 1180 °C for 4 h. XRD and FTIR showed no chemical reaction between the calcium phosphate and silica. SEM allowed observation of a silicon-based ating on the structure surface. Mechanical strength of the sintered porous structures was within the range of that of trabecular bones.
Here we demonstrate that by applying exclusively Martian resources a processing route involving suspensions of mineral particles called slurries or slips can be established for manufacturing ceramics on Mars. We developed water-based slurries without the use of additives that had a 51 wt. % solid load resembling commercial porcelain slurries in respect to the particle size distribution and rheological properties. These slurries were used to slip cast discs, rings and vases that were sintered at temperatures between 1000 and 1130 °C using different sintering schedules, the latter were set-up according the results of hot-stage microscopic characterization. The microstructure, porosity and the mechanical properties were characterized by SEM, X-ray Computer tomography and Weibull analysis. Our wet processing of minerals yields ceramics with complex shapes that show similar mechanical properties to porcelain and could serve as a technology for future Mars colonization. The best quality parts with completely vitrificated matrix supporting a few idiomorphic crystals are obtained at 1130 °C with 10 h dwell time with volume and linear shrinkage as much as ~62% and ~17% and a characteristic compressive strength of 51 MPa.
Tunable microwave devices will play an important role in future wireless systems, in which high-frequency bands, e.g. millimeter waves, will become promising, due to its huge spectrum availability. At such frequency bands, liquid crystals (LCs) exhibit low microwave loss, which is excellent compared with the other tuning elements. In this paper, LC-based microwave components are fabricated by using low temperature co-fired ceramic technology, allowing the integration of the LC into microwave structures. The first component, the Amplitude tuner, controls the signal’s amplitude by using the interference concept, which exhibits a tunable attenuation range from 11 dB to 30 dB at 30 GHz. The second component is a 3-pole tunable bandpass filter, which is realized by using a substrate integrated waveguide topology, enabling a device with comparatively high-quality factors (Q-factors). The measurement results show Q-factors in the range of 68 to 100 for a frequency tuning of 29.4–30.1 GHz, i.e. a tuning range of 700 MHz, accompanied by an insertion loss 2 dB to 4 dB.
A wide range of solid-state synthesis routes for calcium manganate is reported in the literature, but there is no systematic study about the influence of the solid-state synthesis conditions on thermoelectric properties. Therefore, this study examined the influence of calcination temperature and calcination cycles on the Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity. Higher calcination temperatures and repeated calcination cycles minimized the driving force for sintering of the synthesized powder, leading to smaller shrinkage and lower densities of the sintered specimens. As the electrical conductivity increased monotonously with increasing density, a higher energy input during calcination caused deterioration of electrical conductivity. Phase composition and Seebeck coefficient of sintered calcium manganate were not influenced by the calcination procedure. The highest thermoelectric properties with the highest power factors and figures of merit were obtained by means of reaction-sintering of uncalcined powder.
The granules commonly yielded by spray drying procedures exhibit a hard shell and an irregular, dimpled shape, which is often described as donut-like morphology. Sintered parts produced from such granules suffer from microstructural defects and reduced mechanical properties resulting from these disadvantageous granule properties.
Using the example of alumina, zirconia and zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) batches, this paper shows that the morphology of the granules can be tuned by adjusting slurry stability. High zeta potential is essential to optimally disperse the particles. But to achieve spherical and soft granules the electrostatic repulsion forces between the particles should be reduced before spray granulation. Electrostatic repulsion forces were changed with the addition of nitric acid. Measurements of zeta potential and viscosity, as well as sedimentation investigations with an optical centrifuge were used for precise slurry assessment as a major precondition for optimal and reproducible adjustment of slurries before spray drying. Sedimentation analysis using an optical centrifuge was performed to investigate different influences like that of additive composition, solids content or pH-value on the sedimentation behavior. Adequately flocculated slurries lead to homogeneous, soft granules that can be easily deformed and pressed. The fraction of donut-shaped particles and the rigidity of granules were reduced. Consequently, the sintered parts produced from these granulates show improvements regarding porosity, pore size distribution, sintered density and biaxial strength.
Spherical mesoporous bioactive glasses in the silicon dioxide (SiO2)-phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5)–calcium oxide (CaO) system with a high specific surface area of up to 300m2/g and a medium pore radius of 4 nm were synthesized by using a simple one-pot surfactant-assisted sol–gel synthesis method followed by calcination at 500–700°C. The authors were able to control the particle properties by varying synthesis parameters to achieve microscale powders with spherical morphology and a particle size of around 5–10 mm by employing one structure-directing agent. Due to a high Calcium oxide content of 33·6mol% and a phosphorus pentoxide content of 4·0mol%, the powder showed very good bioactivity up to 7 d of immersion in simulated Body fluid. The resulting microspheres are promising materials for a variety of life science applications, as further processing – for example, granulation – is unnecessary. Microspheres can be applied as materials for powder-based additive manufacturing or in stable suspensions for drug release, in bone cements or fillers.
The freeze casting technique assisted with cryo thiol-ene photopolymerization is successfully employed for the fabrication of macroporous polymer-derived silicon oxycarbide with highly aligned porosity. It is demonstrated that the free radical initiated thiol-ene click reaction effectively cross-linked the vinyl-containing liquid polysiloxanes into infusible thermosets even at low temperatures. Furthermore, mixed solution- and suspension-based freeze casting is employed by adding silica nanopowders. SiOC/SiO2 foams with almost perfect cylindrical shapes are obtained, demonstrating that the presence of nano-SiO2 does not restrict the complete photoinduced cross-linking. The post-pyrolysis HF acid treatments of produced SiOC monoliths yields hierarchical porosities, with SiOC/SiO2 nanocomposites after etching demonstrating the highest specific surface area of 494 m2/g and pore sizes across the macro-, meso- and micropores ranges. The newly developed approach gives a versatile solution for the fabrication of bulk polymer-derived ceramics with controlled porosity.
Additive manufacturing of alkali-activated materials currently attracts a lot of attention, because of the possibility to produce customized high-performance elements for a range of applications, potentially being more resource-efficient than conventionally produced parts. Here, we describe a new additive manufacturing process for alkali-activated materials that is based on selective laser-heating of lithium aluminate/microsilica slurries. The new process-material combination allows to manufacture elements with complex geometries at high building rates and high accuracy. The process is versatile and transferrable to structures of sizes differing by orders of magnitude. The mechanical strength of the obtained materials was in the range of values reported for conventional metakaolin-based geopolymers, and superior to what has been hitherto reported for alkali-activated materials produced by additive manufacturing. This mechanical performance was obtained despite the fact that the degree of reaction of the lithium aluminate and the microsilica was low, suggesting that significant reactions took place only at the surface of the microsilica particles.
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.
Dual-phase membranes for high-temperature carbon dioxide Separation have emerged as promising technology to mitigate anthropogenic greenhouse gases emissions, especially as a pre- and post-combustion separation technique in coal burning power plants. To implement These membranes industrially, the carbon dioxide permeability must be improved. In this study, Ce_(0.8) Sm_(0.2) O_(2-d) (SDC) and Ce_(0.8)Sm_(0.19)Fe_(0.01)O_(2-d) (FSDC) ceramic powders were used to form the skeleton in dual-Phase membranes. The use of MgO as an environmentally friendly pore generator allows control over the membrane porosity and microstructure in order to compare the effect of the membrane’s ceramic phase. The ceramic powders and the resulting membranes were characterized using ICP-OES, HSM, gravimetric analysis, SEM/EDX, and XRD, and the carbon dioxide flux density was quantified using a high-temperature membrane permeation setup. The carbon dioxide permeability slightly increases with the addition of iron in the FSDC membranes compared to the SDC membranes mainly due to the reported scavenging effect of iron with the siliceous impurities, with an additional potential contribution of an increased crystallite size due to viscous flow sintering. The increased permeability of the FSDC system and the proper microstructure control by MgO can be further extended to optimize carbon dioxide permeability in this membrane system.
Additive manufacturing of SiSiC by layerwise slurry deposition and binder jetting (LSD-print)
(2019)
The current work presents for the first time results on the Additive Manufacturing of SiSiC complex parts based on the Layerwise Slurry Deposition (LSD) process. This technology allows to deposit highly packed powder layers by spreading a ceramic slurry and drying. The capillary forces acting during the process are responsible for the dense powder packing and the good joining between layers. The LSD process can be combined with binder jetting to print 2D cross-sections of an object in each successive layer, thus forming a 3D part. This process is named LSD-print.
By LSD-print and silicon infiltration, SiSiC parts with complex geometries and features down to 1mm and an aspect ratio up to 4:1 could be demonstrated.
The density and morphology were investigated for a large number of samples. Furthermore, the density and the mechanical properties, measured by ball-on-three-balls method, were in all three building directions close to isostatic pressed references.
Dielectric strength testing of ceramics can be performed with various setups and parameters. Comparisons of results from different sources are often not meaningful, because the results are strongly dependent on the actual testing procedure. The aim of this study is to quantify the influence of voltage ramp rate, electrode size, electrode conditioning, and sample thickness on the measured AC dielectric strength of a commercial alumina. Mean values, Weibull moduli, and failure probabilities determined in standardized short time tests are evaluated and related to withstand voltage tests. Dielectric strength values in the range from 21.6 to 33.2 kV/mm were obtained for the same material using different testing procedures. Short time tests resulted in small standard deviations (< 2 kV/mm) and high Weibull moduli around 30, while withstand tests at voltage levels with low and virtual zero failure probability in short time tests resulted in large scatter of withstand time and Weibull moduli < 1. The strong decrease in Weibull moduli is attributed to progressive damage from partial discharge and depolarization during AC testing. These findings emphasize the necessity of a thorough documentation of testing procedure and highlight the importance of withstand voltage tests for a comprehensive material characterization.
Chemically modified bioactive glasses based on ICIE16 were prepared with the melt-quenching method using water as a quenching medium. The sinterability of these bioactive glasses was investigated and is discussed in this article. The sintering experiments were conducted with different sintering temperatures, sintering times and heating rates. Those parameters are crucial for dense glass with an amorphous structure. The particle size (d50) of the starting glass powder was determined at 88 μm and kept constant. The pre-pressed glass pellets were cold-isostatically pressed at 300 MPa to a green density of around 63 %. Density development, phase identification, shrinkage behavior and the microstructure were investigated to determine the sinterability of the developed glasses. The glass powders were sintered at different temperatures inside the processing window while crystallization was monitored. The results have shown that the sinterability of the developed glasses strongly dependsonthe proposed chemical additions. The highest density reached was 96 %, which belongs to BP1 glass with sintering conditions of 20 K/min heating rate for 60 min at 750 °C.
An investigation of the two-component phase diagram of the CaNaPO4- CaKPO4system performed using various analysis techniques is reported. The continuous solid solution series of α-CaMPO4 existing above 700 °C undergoes eutectoid decomposition during cooling to β-CaMPO4-based solid solutions enriched with Na and K, and to an intermediate nonstoichiometric compound with an ideal composition of CaK0.6Na0.4PO4. All three compounds exhibit significant volumetric effects associated with first-order phase transitions, with positive volume changes under cooling for the intermediate compound. Increased K content in ceramics based on CaKyNa1-yPO4 compositions enhances the strength properties of those ceramics, including their fracture toughness, which is associated with increased density. Increased K content also has a smaller effect of inducing phase transformations accompanied by strong volume changes.
Dense ZnO films with a strong c‐axis texture have been deposited on transparent conductive oxide glass, glass, and Si wafers, respectively, with a two‐step pressureless wet chemical method using zinc acetate dihydrate as Zn‐precursor. The crystallographic structure of the films has been studied with XRD and scanning electron microscopy. Optical measurements reveal a high transparency of the ZnO films with a thickness of up to 10 μm. This new cost‐effective route for ZnO film deposition does not require expensive sophisticated equipment and is easily upscaled.
As humanity contemplates manned missions to Mars, strategies need to be developed for the design and operation of hospitable environments to safely work in space for years. The supply of spare parts for repair and replacement of lost equipment will be one key need, but in-space manufacturing remains the only option for a timely supply. With high flexibility in design and the ability to manufacture ready-to-use components directly from a computeraided model, additive manufacturing (AM) technologies appear extremely attractive. For the manufacturing of metal parts, laser-beam melting is the most widely used AM process. However, the handling of metal powders in the absence of gravity is one prerequisite for its successful application in space. A gas flow throughout the powder bed is successfully applied to compensate for missing gravitational forces in microgravity experiments. This so-called gas-flow-assisted powder deposition is based on a porous Building platform acting as a filter for the fixation of metal particles in a gas flow driven by a pressure difference maintained by a vacuum pump.
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.
The influence of the atomization technique on the suitability of granules for dry pressing is the focus of the presented investigations. Therefore, destabilized alumina, zirconia, and zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA) slurries were spray dried and the obtained granules were used to fabricate green and finally sintered bodies for evaluation.
Granules made in a laboratory spray dryer with a two-fluid nozzle served as a reference. An ultrasonic atomizer was integrated into the same spray dryer and the influence on the granule properties was evaluated. Untapped bulk density, granule size distribution, and flowability are among the evaluated granule-related properties as well as the granule yield which is used as an indicator of the process efficiency.
Yield and flowability as most important granule properties are clearly improved when atomization is realized with ultrasound. The investigated sinter body properties include porosity, sinter body density, and biaxial strength and are as well positively affected by switching the atomization technique to ultrasound. Therefore, the Approach to improve the compressibility of granules by ultrasonic atomization, which leads to an improved microstructure, density, and strength of sintered bodies, has proven to be successful for single-component ceramics (alumina and zirconia) as well as for the multicomponent ceramic ZTA.
The possibility of creating patient-specific individual implants makes Additive Manufacturing technologies of special interest for the medical sector. For substitution of bone defects, powder based Additive Manufacturing by Binder Jetting is a suitable method to produce complex scaffold-like structures made of bioceramics with easily adapted geometries and controlled porosity. The process inherent residual porosity in the printed part, even though desired as it supports bone ingrowth, also leads to limited mechanical strength. Currently, bioceramic scaffolds made by Binder Jetting feature suitable biocompatible and biodegradable properties, while a sufficient mechanical stability is rather challenging. The purpose of this work is to apply the gas flow assisted powder deposition introduced in 2014 by Zocca et al., to the powder bed during printing of bioceramic tablets and scaffolds using α-TCP powder as feedstock. This enables exploiting the advantages of an increased powder bed density, thereby improving the mechanical properties of the printed parts.
A new approach for fabrication of ceramic components with inner channels is proposed, as a result of the combination of two additive and one subtractive manufacturing processes. In this project, porcelain parts are manufactured by the Layerwise Slurry Deposition (LSD) process, meanwhile end milling and Direct Ink Writing (DIW) are applied to create channels on the surface of the deposited ceramic. Unique to the LSD process is the Formation of a freestanding powder bed with a mechanical strength comparable to conventional slip casted ceramic green bodies. Combining these three processes allows the manufacturing of ceramic objects containing an internal path of ink, which in this case was a graphite-based ink that can be further eliminated by heat treatment to obtain a porcelain object embedded with channels. The results show the capabilities of this method and its potential to fabricate not only parts with inner channels, but also multi-material and multi-functional components (such as integrated electronic circuits).
Future lunar exploration can benefit greatly from In-Situ Resource Utilization. Accordingly, the in-Situ Resource Utilization approach highlights the need for detailed analysis of lunar regolith. In this study, JSC-2A Simulant was studied regarding its sintering and melting behaviour using Differential Thermal Analysis under ambient and inert conditions. The minerals at the crystalline peaks were determined using X-Ray Diffraction analysis.
Moreover, melting droplet shape and wetting behaviour of pressed regolith samples of different particle size distributions were studied by Hot Stage Microscopy technique. Hot Stage Microscopy experiments were performed at different heating rates under ambient conditions. Bloating effects within the solidified samples were then qualitatively examined by X-ray tomography. Lastly, the optimization of processing strategies for the Additive Manufacturing of lunar regolith is discussed.
The wet processing of regolith simulant for clay in situ resource utilization (ISRU) on Mars is presented. The two raw materials from the Mars global simulant family, one without clay (MGS-1) and one with clay - sodium montmorillonite smectite - (MGS-1C) were milled and mixed to produce a simulant with small particle size and reduced clay content (MGS-1C/8). All three simulants and the pure clay raw material were extensively characterized using XRF, synchrotron XRD, gas adsorption and gas pycnometry methods. In a straightforward processing approach, MGS-1C/8 was mixed with water and different dispersant approaches were investigated, all of which gave stable slurries. Particle size distribution, rheology, ion concentration, pH and electrical conductivity of these slurries were characterized. The slurry systems can easily be adapted to fit all typical ceramic shaping routes and here parts of varying complexity from slip casting, throwing on a potter's wheel and additive manufacturing, including material extrusion (robocasting) and binder jetting (powder bed 3D printing) were produced.
The unique properties of the sodium montmorillonite clay, which is readily accessible in conjunction with magnesium sulfate on the Martian surface, acted as a natural nanosized binder and produced high strength green bodies (unfired ceramic body) with compressive strength from 3.3 to 7.5 MPa. The most elaborate additive manufacturing technique layerwise slurry deposition (LSD) produced water-resistant green bodies with a compressive strength of 30.8 ± 2.5 MPa by employing a polymeric binder, which is similar or higher than the strength of standard concrete. The unfired green bodies show sufficient strength to be used for remote Habitat building on Mars using additive manufacturing without humans being present.
Bioactive glass ceramics have excellent biocompatibility and osteoconductivity; and can form direct chemical bonds with human bones; thus, these ceramic are considered as “Smart” materials. In this study, we develop a new type of bioactive glass ceramic (AP40mod) as a scaffold containing Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and Mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to repair critical-sized bone defects in rabbit mandibles. For in vitro experiments:
AP40mod was prepared by Dgital light processing (DLP) system and the optimal ratio of EPCs/BMSCs was screened by analyzing cell proliferation and ALP activity, as well as the influence of genes related to osteogenesis and angiogenesis by direct inoculation into scaffolds. The scaffold showed suitable mechanical properties, with a Bending strength 52.7 MPa and a good biological activity. Additionally, when EPCs/BMSCs ratio were combined at a ratio of 2:1 with AP40mod, the ALP activity, osteogenesis and angiogenesis were significantly increased. For in vivo experiments: application of AP40mod/EPCs/BMSCs (after 7 days of in vitro spin culture) to repair and reconstruct critical-sized mandible defect in rabbit showed that all scaffolds were successfully accurately implanted into the defect area. As revealed by macroscopically and CT at the end of 9 months, defects in the AP40mod/EPCs/BMSCs group were nearly completely covered by normal bone and the degradation rate was 29.9% compared to 20.1% in the AP40mod group by the 3D reconstruction. As revealed by HE and Masson staining analyses, newly formed blood vessels, bone marrow and collagen maturity were significantly increased in the AP40mod/EPCs/BMSCs group compared to those in the AP40mod group. We directly inoculated cells on the novel material to screen for the best inoculation ratio. It is concluded that the AP40mod combination of EPCs/BMSCs is a promising approach for repairing and reconstructing large load bearing bone defect.
Transformers couple two sections of a circuit by electromagnetic induction. They are widely used to either transform alternating voltage levels or to transmit power or signals across galvanic isolation. Both of these functions are essential for the operation of sensors and controllers. Covering all aspects from idea to circuit performance and from design to manufacture, this paper presents the first comprehensive description of the making of miniaturized, rugged, up-to-100W transformers for embedding into multilayer circuit boards. For circular coils, the well-manageable Ampere-Laplace law is shown to yield reliable designs, predicting correctly the performance of manufactured hardware. This enables fast design without lengthy finite element modelling. In the low-power linear regime, basic relations describe how the device’s characteristics evolve from the material properties and device structure. While scattering Parameters are useful for the analysis of isolated transformers with their intrinsic parasitics, the interaction with the components of the final circuit and the aspects of power and efficiency are addressed by chain matrixes.
While these design rules are similar for multilayer boards of different material (like epoxy, Teflon, ceramics), the manufacturing of ceramic board transformers is considered here in detail. Low-temperature-cofired ceramic (LTCC) boards being sintered at 900 °C are particularly suited for harsh environments with chemical or thermal stress as frequently found at sensor positions. The transformer performance usually benefits from or even requires an integrated ceramic core of higher permeability, a ferrite, to shape the magnetic flux. Methods to sinter ferrites inside a dielectric ceramic multilayerandto measure their performance are therefore described in detail.Asthe sintering behaviour of dielectricandmagnetic ceramics differs considerably, their simultaneous sintering is challenging.However, the sintering temperatures of the usefulMnZnand NiZnCu ferrites can be lowered to that of the dielectric material with only moderate loss of permeability by glass additives. Furthermore, thermal mismatch between materials causes catastrophic failure or at least stress and loss of magnetic performance during cooling to room temperature after sintering. This is avoidable by either adjusting the thermal expansion coefficient of the ferrite or by enclosing the ferrite between stressreleasing separation layers.We present the state of the art in materials development according to the first approach as well as fully functional devices made with the second technique.
Other applications not directly addressed but well related to this work are characterized by low load resistance in relation to the coil resistance of the transformer. Efficient power transmission then requires that technological solutions are applied to achieve the lowest possible resistive loss inside the coils by an enlarged conductor cross-section.
As this is particularly challenging for LTCC boards, a technique is discussed to fabricate conductor traces with a thickness larger than their width.
Methods and materials are presented here, which enable the manufacturing of fine structures using a 3D-printing method known as two-photon polymerization (2PP). As traditional photolithography methods for structuring ceramic slurries do not function with 2PP, due to light scattering on ceramic particles, a novel water-based photoresist with high ceramic loading of extremely well dispersed ceramic nano particles was developed. This photoresist is basically a ceramic slurry containing a photocurable agent and a photoinitiator to be crosslinkable with the 780 nm wavelength femtosecond laser light source of the 2PP machine. It is demonstrated that it is possible to gain a highly transparent and low viscous slurry suitable for 2PP processing. This work shows the development of the slurry, first printing results and the post-printing processes required to form three dimensional ceramic microstructures consisting of alumina toughened zirconia (ATZ).
The wireless high-frequency technology requires a robust, cost-effective, and highly integrated substrate technology offering the capability for areas of tailored permittivity. The wet-chemical porosification of low temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) substrates offers such an approach by locally embedding air. Porosification of LTCC in both extremely acidic and alkaline media has been investigated in previous works. However, for improving the available knowledge on the porosification of LTCC with H3PO4 as a standard and a widely used etching solution, the impact of solution concentration was systematically investigated and a substantial improvement in the etching performance was achieved. Moreover, in the present study, for the first time, the intermediate pH values, and the impact of pH as a key parameter on the etching process have been investigated. For this purpose, the applicability of phosphate buffer solution (PBS) as a prospective novel etchant mixture for the porosification of a commercially available LTCC tape (Ceramtape GC) was explored. Valuable information about surface morphology, crystalline composition, and the pore structure of the etched LTCCs was gathered employing scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and mercury porosimetry measurements. Based on these findings, the performance of PBS-based etchant systems towards the generation of porous LTCCs combining high depths of porosification with acceptable surface characteristics for subsequent metallization is demonstrated. Based on the obtained results, by application of a 0.2 mol L−1 solution of PBS, the effective relative permittivity of test samples with a thickness of approximately 600 µm and a porosification depth of 186 µm from each side, could be reduced up to 10% of its initial “as fired” value. Also, based on the measurement results and by measuring the depth of porosification, the permittivity of the etched layer was estimated to show a reduction of up to 22% compared to the initial “as fired” value.
Calcium cobaltite Ca3Co4O9, abbreviated Co349, is a promising thermoelectric material for high‐temperature applications in air. Its anisotropic properties can be assigned to polycrystalline parts by texturing. Tape casting and pressure‐assisted sintering (PAS) are a possible future way for a cost‐effective mass‐production of thermoelectric generators. This study examines the influence of pressure and dwell time during PAS at 900°C of tape‐cast Co349 on texture and thermoelectric properties. Tape casting aligns lentoid Co349. PAS results in a textured Co349 microstructure with the thermoelectrically favorable ab‐direction perpendicular to the pressing direction. By pressure variation during sintering, the microstructure of Co349 can be tailored either toward a maximum figure of merit as required for energy harvesting or toward a maximum power factor as required for energy harvesting. Moderate pressure of 2.5 MPa results in 25% porosity and a textured microstructure with a figure of merit of 0.13 at 700°C, two times higher than the dry‐pressed, pressureless‐sintered reference. A pressure of 7.5 MPa leads to 94% density and a high power factor of 326 µW/mK2 at 800°C, which is 11 times higher than the dry‐pressed reference (30 MPa) from the same powder.
The effect of particle grain sizes in different cement-based mixtures on the laser-induced plasma evolution is studied using two experimental methods: (i) temporal and spatial evolution of the laser-induced shock wave is investigated using shadowgraphy and two-dimensional plasma imaging, and (ii) temporal and spatial distribution of elements in the plasma is investigated using two-dimensional spectral imaging. This study is motivated by the interest in applying laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for chemical analysis of concrete, and subsequently obtain information related to damage assessment of structures like bridges and parking decks. The distribution of grain sizes is of major interest in civil engineering as for making concrete different aggregate grain sizes defined by a sieving curve (64mm to 0.125 mm) are needed. Aggregates up to a size of 180 μm can be excluded from the data set, therefore only the amount of small aggregates with a grain size below 180 μm must be considered with LIBS. All components of the concrete with a grain size smaller than 0.125mm are related to the flour grain content. Tested samples consisted of dry and hardened cement paste (water-cement ratio w/z=0.5), which served as a reference. Aggregate mixtures were made by adding flour grains (size 40 μm) and silica fume (size 0.1 μm) in different ratios to cement: 10%, 30%, 50% and 60%, all combined to the remaining percentage of dry or hydrated cement. The visualization results show that a dependance in the evolution of the plasma as a function of sample grain size can be detected only in the initial stages of the plasma formation, that is, at the initial 3 μs of the plasma life. Spectral information reveals the elemental distribution of the silicon and calcium in plasma, in both neutral and ionized form. Here also, a significant effect is observed in the first 1 μs of the plasma lifetime.
Calcium alkali metal (potassium and sodium) double and triple phosphates have been synthesized in different ways. Was for the first time used reaction sintering to produce ceramics based on calcium alkali metal mixed phosphates and investigated the densification behavior of mixed phosphate-based multiphase materials during sintering by this method. Was presented the microstructure of polished surfaces of sintered samples differing in phase composition and determined the density of ceramics prepared using reaction mixtures differing in composition. The effect of reaction sintering on the porosity of the ceramics has been assessed. Using stereolithographic printing and reaction sintering, was produced macroporous mixed Calcium phosphate-based ceramic implants. Their compressive strength has been determined to be 0.78 ± 0.21 MPa for two-phase samples and 1.02 ± 0.13 MPa for three-phase samples.
Additive manufacturing (AM) is developing rapidly due to itsflexibility in producing complex geometries and tailored material compositions. However, AM processes are characterized by intrinsic limitations concerning their resolution and surface finish, which are related to the layer-by-layer stacking process. Herein, a self-organization process is promoted as an approach to improve surface quality and achieve optimization of 3D minimal surface lightweight structures. The self-organization is activated after the powder bed 3D printing process via local melting, thereby allowing surface tension-driven viscous flow.The surface roughness Ra (arithmetic average of the roughness profile) could bedecreased by a factor of 1000 and transparent lenses and complex gyroid structures could be produced for demonstration. The concept of self-organization is further elaborated by incorporating external magnetic fields to intentionally manipulate magnetic particles, which are mixed with the polymer before printing and self-organization. This concept can be applied to develop programmable materials with specific microtextures responding to the external physical conditions.
Glass-ceramic composites as insulation material for thermoelectric oxide multilayer generators
(2021)
Thermoelectric generators can be used as energy harvesters for sensor applications.
Adapting the ceramic multilayer technology, their production can be
highly automated. In such multilayer thermoelectric generators, the electrical insulation material, which separates the thermoelectric legs, is crucial for the performance of the device. The insulationmaterial should be adapted to the thermoelectric regarding its averaged coefficient of thermal expansion α and its sintering temperature while maintaining a high resistivity.
In this study, starting from theoretical calculations, a glass-ceramic Composite material adapted for multilayer generators fromcalciummanganate and Calcium cobaltite is developed. The material is optimized towards an α of 11 × 10−6 K−1 (20–500◦C), a sintering temperature of 900◦C, and a high resistivity up to 800◦C.
Calculated and measured α are in good agreement. The chosen glass-ceramic composite with 45 vol.% quartz has a resistivity of 1 × 107 Ωcm and an open porosity of <3%. Sintered multilayer samples from tape-cast thermoelectric oxides and screen-printed insulation show only small reaction layers. It can be concluded that glass-ceramic composites are a well-suited material class for insulation layers as their physical properties can be tuned by varying glass composition or dispersion phases.
In additive manufacturing the powder bed based processes binder jetting and powder bed fusion are increasingly used also for the production of ceramics. Final part properties depend to a high percentage on the powder bed density. Therefore, the aim is to use the best combination of powder deposition method and powder which leads to a high packing of the particles. The influence of flowability, powder properties and deposition process on the powder bed density is discussed and the different deposition processes including slurry-based ones are reviewed.
It turns out that powder bed density reached by slurry-based layer deposition exceeds conventional powder deposition, however, layer drying and depowdering are extra steps or more time-consuming for the slurry route.
Depending on the material properties needed the most suitable process for the part has to be selected.
Frass (fine powdery refuse or fragile perforated wood produced by the activity of boring insects) of larvae of the European house borer (EHB) and of drywood termites was tested as a natural and novel feedstock for 3D-printing of wood-based materials. Small particles produced by the drywood termite Incisitermes marginipennis and the EHB Hylotrupes bajulus during feeding in construction timber, were used. Frass is a powdery material of particularly consistent quality that is essentially biologically processed wood mixed with debris of wood and faeces. The filigree-like particles flow easily permitting the build-up of woodbased structures in a layer wise fashion using the Binder Jetting printing process. The Quality of powders produced by different insect species was compared along with the processing steps and properties of the printed parts. Drywood termite frass with a Hausner Ratio HR = 1.1 with ρBulk = 0.67 g/cm3 and ρTap = 0.74 g/cm3 was perfectly suited to deposition of uniformly packed layers in 3D printing. We suggest that a variety of naturally available feedstocks could be used in environmentally responsible approaches to scientific material sciences/additive manufacturing.
This study suggests a tool for a better control on the sintering/crystallization of 3D-printed bioactive glassceramics bodies. A small cantilever in form of a bar with square cross section attached to a base and inclined 34◦ with the horizon, was used to monitor the viscous flow and sintering/crystallization headway of a glassceramic systems. 3D printing and sintering of bioactive glass-ceramics is of great interest for medical care applications.
Viscous flow ensures sufficient densification of the typically low density printed green bodies, while crystallization prevents the structure from collapsing under the gravitational load. As a model system, a bioactive glass called BP1 (48.4 SiO2, 1 B2O3, 2 P2O5, 36.6 CaO, 6.6 K2O, 5.6 Na2O (mol%)), which has a chemical composition based on that of ICIE16, was employed in this work. In addition, ICIE16 was used as a reference glass. The results show that the suggested design is a very promising tool to track the real-time deformation of 3D printed glass-ceramic specimens and gives a good indication for the onset of crystallization as well.
As an alternative shaping method to the traditionally used processes, additive manufacturing (AM) can produce economical ceramic components in small lot sizes and/or with complex geometries. Powder-based additive manufacturing processes like binder jetting are popular in the field of metal AM. One reason is the increased productivity compared to other AM technologies. For ceramic materials, powder-based AM technologies result in porous ceramic parts, provided they are not infiltrated. CerAMing GmbH unites the advantages of powder-based processes with the production of dense ceramic by means of the Layerwise Slurry Deposition. By using a suspension, a high packing density of the powder bed is achieved which leads to high green body densities. Due to this advantage the approach overcomes the problems of other powder-based AM technologies. Furthermore, a very economical debinding time allows the production of parts with high wall thicknesses.
Additive manufacturing is well established for plastics and metals, and it gets more and more implemented in a variety of industrial processes. Beside these well-established material platforms, additive manufacturing processes are highly interesting for ceramics, especially regarding resource conservation and for the production of complex three-dimensional shapes and structures with specific feature sizes in the µm and mm range with high accuracy. The usage of ceramics in 3D printing is, however, just at the beginning of a technical implementation in a continuously and fast rising field of research and development. The flexible fabrication of highly complex and precise 3D structures by means of light-induced photopolymerization that are difficult to realize using traditional ceramic fabrication methods such as casting and machining is of high importance. Generally, slurry-based ceramic 3D printing technologies involve liquid or semi-liquid polymeric systems dispersed with ceramic particles as feedstock (inks or pastes), depending on the solid loading and viscosity of the system. This paper includes all types of photo-curable polymer-ceramic-mixtures (feedstock), while demonstrating our own work on 3D printed alumina toughened zirconia based ceramic slurries with light induced polymerization on the basis of two-photon absorption (TPA) for the first time. As a proven exemplary on cuboids with varying edge length and double pyramids in the µm-range we state that real 3D micro-stereolithographic fabrication of ceramic products will be generally possible in the near future by means of TPA. This technology enables the fabrication of 3D structures with high accuracy in comparison to ceramic technologies that apply single-photon excitation. In sum, our work is intended to contribute to the fundamental development of this technology for the representation of oxide-ceramic components (proof-of-principle) and helps to exploit the high potential of additive processes in the field of bio-ceramics in the medium to long-term future.
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%.
The flow behavior of powders has an essential role in many industrial processes, including powder bed additive manufacturing. The characterization of the flow behavior is challenging, as different methods are available, and their suitability for an application in additive manufacturing is still controversial. In this study, six standardized methods (measurement of bulk density by ISO 60 and by ASTM B329, angle of repose by ISO 4324, discharge time by ISO 6186 and by ASTM B964-16, and Hausner Ratio by ASTM 7481 – 18), the rotating drum method (by GranuDrum) and powder rheometry (Anton Paar powder cell), were applied to five size fractions of a crushed quartz sand powder and compared. A statistical approach is proposed and discussed to correlate the obtained flowability indexes with the packing density of powder beds deposited layer-by-layer, and these correlations are compared between methods. Overall, the measurement of bulk density by ASTM B329 that showed the best correlation with the powder bed density. Advanced methods such as the rotating drum method and powder rheometry did not demonstrate particularly good correlations, however they provided complementary information which can be useful to assess the dynamic behavior of powders.
The use of increasingly finer starting powders up to nanopowders can also be observed in the field of ceramics. Their advantages consist, for example, in their lower activation energy, an increase in strength or unique optical properties. However, handling and characterization of the powders are much more difficult. The main reason for this is the very high adhesive forces between the particles and between particles and other surfaces, too. Therefore, submicron and even more so nanoparticles tend to agglomerate and their separation into primary particles during sample preparation prior to particle sizing is of particular challenge. A representative measurement sample is only obtained when it no longer contains agglomerates. The evaluation of the dispersion process and a decision on whether it was successful thus increases in importance for the reliability of the measurement results of particle sizing.
The presentation uses examples to show possible approaches and provides information on possible sources of error.
It is shown that successful granulometric characterisation of fine powders requires both an improved dispersion technique and very often an effective combination of two or more measurement methods.
Recently, additive manufacturing of ceramics has achieved the maturity to be transferred from scientific laboratories to industrial applications. At the same time, research is progressing to expand the boundaries of this field into the territory of novel materials and applications. This feature issue addresses current progress in all aspects of additive manufacturing of ceramics, from parts design to feedstock selection, from technological development to characterization of printed components.
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.
The need for new solutions for electrical insulation is growing due to the increased electrification in numerous industrial sectors, opening the door for innovation. Plasma spraying is a fast and efficient way to deposit various ceramics as electrical insulators, which are used in conditions where polymers are not suitable. Alumina (Al2O3) is among the most employed ceramics in the coating industry since it exhibits good dielectric properties, high hardness, and high melting point, while still being cost-effective. Various parameters (e.g., feedstock type, spray distance, plasma power) significantly influence the resulting coating in terms of microstructure, porosity, and metastable phase formation. Consequently, these parameters need to be investigated to estimate the impact on the dielectric properties of plasma-sprayed alumina coatings. In this work, alumina coatings with different spray distances have been prepared via atmospheric plasma spray (APS) on copper substrates. The microstructure, porosity, and corresponding phase formation have been analyzed with optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Moreover, we present an in-depth analysis of the fundamental dielectric properties e.g., direct current (DC) resistance, breakdown strength, dielectric loss tangent, and permittivity. Our results show that decreasing spray distance reduces the resistivity from 6.31 × 109 Ωm (130 mm) to 6.33 × 108 Ωm (70 mm), while at the same time enhances the formation of the metastable δ-Al2O3 phase. Furthermore, space charge polarization is determined as the main polarization mechanism at low frequencies.