5 Werkstofftechnik
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Im Vortrag werden das Messprinzip des Zentrifugen-Sedimentationsverfahrens erläutert und die Anforderungen der zugrundeliegenden Normen diskutiert. Es schließen sich umfangreiche Ausführungen zur praktischen Durchführung der Messung, insbesondere auch zu den vorbereitenden Arbeiten, sowie zur Auswertung der Rohdaten an. Gezeigt werden die Validierung sowie ein Beispiel zur regelmäßigen Verifizierung des Verfahrens. Nach Beispielen und Vergleichen zu Ergebnissen mit anderen Messverfahren, wird das Verfahren in einer Zusammenfassung bewertet.
Thermoelektrische Effekte beschreiben die direkte Verknüpfung von thermischer Energie und elektrischer Energie in Festkörpern. Durch Thermodiffusionsströme entsteht direkt, ohne beweg¬liche Teile, ein elektrisches Feld als Folge einer Temperaturdifferenz. Diese Material-eigenschaft wird durch den Seebeckkoeffizienten beschrieben. Je nach Art der Ladungs¬träger sind die indu¬zierte Spannung und der Seebeckkoeffizient positiv (p-Typ) oder negativ (n-Typ). Thermo¬elek¬trische Effekte lassen sich beispielsweise in Thermo¬elementen zur Temperatur-messung, in Pel¬tierelementen zum Kühlen oder Heizen und in thermo¬elektrischen Generatoren zur Umwandlung von thermischer Energie in elektrische Energie nutzen.
In thermoelektrischen Generatoren werden Schenkel aus p-Typ- und n-Typ-Materialien elek-trisch in Reihe und thermisch parallel verschaltet. Konventionell werden einzelne Schenkel aus Bismut¬tellurid auf ein metallisiertes Substrat gelötet. Man spricht vom π-Typ-Design. Aufgrund auf¬wendiger Fertigung und nicht optimaler Flächennutzung stellt dieses Design nicht die best-mög¬liche Lösung dar. Neben Telluriden gibt es noch andere vielversprechende thermoelektrische Material¬systeme wie die oxidischen Thermoelektrika. Im Temperatur¬bereich oberhalb von 700 °C können oxidische thermoelektrische Materialien mit nichtoxidischen konkurrieren. Zudem sind sie oxidationsbeständig und können aus weniger toxischen und besser verfügbaren Rohstoffen her¬ge¬stellt werden. Da es sich um keramische Materialien handelt, können unter Nutzung der Multi¬layer¬technologie (auch Vielschicht- oder Mehrlagentechnik) Generatoren im Multilayer¬design hergestellt werden. Keramische Multi¬layer¬generatoren sind aufgrund der höheren Leis¬tungs¬dichte, der Möglichkeit der gezielten Texturierung und des hohen möglichen Auto¬mati¬sierungs¬grades des Herstellungs¬prozesses eine viel¬versprechende Alternative zu konven¬tionellen π-Typ-Generatoren. Alle Lagen werden in einem Schritt co-gesintert. Die beiden zum jetzigen Zeit¬punkt wohl viel¬versprechendsten oxi¬dischen Thermoelektrika sind Calcium-cobaltit Ca3Co4O9 als p-Typ und Calciummanganat CaMnO3 als n-Typ. Die Sinter¬tem¬peratur von Ca3Co4O9 ist durch eine Phasenumwandlung bei 926 °C beschränkt. Texturiertes, dichtes Ca3Co4O9 mit einer hohen Festigkeit kann nur über Hei߬pressen hergestellt werden. Das Co-Sintern von Ca3Co4O9 und CaMnO3 war wegen der Tem¬pera¬tur¬differenz von 350 K zwischen den jeweiligen Sinterintervallen bisher nicht möglich. Ziel dieser Arbeit war deshalb die Ent¬wick¬lung von kompatiblen oxidkeramischen Werkstoffen und Folien für thermoelektrische Multilayer-generatoren auf der Basis von Ca3Co4O9 und CaMnO3.
Daraus resultieren vier wesentliche Arbeitspakete. Zunächst die Materialentwicklungen von Ca3Co4O9 (p-Typ) und CaMnO3 (n-Typ) für ein Co-Sintern bei 900 °C mit akzeptablen thermoelek¬trischen Eigenschaften, dann die Entwicklung der weiteren im Generator benötigten Kompo¬nenten wie der Isolationsschicht und abschließend die Fertigung und Bewertung von Demonstra¬toren im Multi¬layer¬design.
Foliengießen und druckunterstütztes Sintern ermöglichen die Herstellung von dichtem, tex-turier¬tem Ca3Co4O9 mit hoher Festigkeit und hohem Leistungsfaktor. Letzterer ist das Produkt der elek¬trischen Leitfähigkeit und dem Quadrat des Seebeckkoeffizienten. Für die elektrische Leit¬fähigkeit zeigte sich in dieser Arbeit ein kombinierter Einfluss von Sinterdichte und Textur. Die thermo¬elektrischen Eigen¬schaften lassen sich somit über die Einstellung der Mikrostruktur gezielt steuern.
Durch die Optimierung der Pulversynthese, die Einführung des Sinteradditives CuO und die Kombi¬nation mit dem druckunterstützten Sintern (7,5 MPa) konnte die Sintertemperatur des CaMnO3 bei gleichbleibendem Leistungsfaktor von 1250 °C auf 950 °C gesenkt werden. Druck-unter¬stütztes Sintern von CaMnO3 ist bei 900 °C möglich, führt aber zu einem Werkstoff mit geringerem Leistungsfaktor, geringerer Dichte und ungenügender Festigkeit.
Zur elektrischen Isolation der beiden thermoelektrischen Materialien wurde ein Glas-Keramik-Kompo¬sit mit hohem Volumenwiderstand und angepasstem Wärmeausdehnungs¬koef¬fizienten ent¬wickelt.
Aus den zu Folien vergossenen thermoelektrischen Materialien, der siebgedruckten Iso¬lations-schicht und der siebgedruckten Metallisierung wurden mittels Multilayertech¬nologie De¬mons-tratoren hergestellt. Neben dem pn-Generator aus Ca3Co4O9 und CaMnO3 wurden auch Unileg-generatoren aus Ca3Co4O9 gefertigt. Bei Unileggeneratoren wird die Komplexität des Aufbaus durch die Verwendung von nur einem thermoelektrischen Material verringert. Die Simulation der Demonstratoren zeigte, dass der pn-Generator aus Ca3Co4O9 und CaMnO3 keine höheren Leis-tungsdichten erbringt als der aus nur Ca3Co4O9 bestehende Unileg¬generator. Auf¬grund des ge-ringen Leistungsfaktors und der geringen Festigkeit des bei 900 °C gesinterten CaMnO3 er¬scheint die Fertigung von pn-Multilayer¬generatoren aus Ca3Co4O9 und CaMnO3 derzeit nicht sinn¬voll. Die Unileg¬generatoren aus Ca3Co4O9 erreichen mit sehr hoher Reproduzier¬barkeit 2 mW/cm² bei einer Temperaturdifferenz von 230 K, dies entspricht 80 % der simulierten elektrischen Leistung. Es handelt sich hierbei um den ersten Machbarkeits¬nachweis zur Herstellung von Multilayer-generatoren auf Basis von texturiertem Ca3Co4O9 mit hohem thermoelektrischem Leistungsfaktor, hoher Dichte und hoher Festigkeit.
Solch thermoelektrische Multilayergeneratoren könnten zukünftig Systeme mit geringen elek-trischen Leistungsanforderungen wie Sensoren autark und nachhaltig mit elektrischer Energie ver¬sorgen.
Aufgrund ihres spezifischen Eigenschaftsprofils sind keramische Federn attraktiv für Spezialanwendungen in Maschinenanlagen, Metrologie und Sensortechnik. Durch Hartbearbeitung keramischer Hohlzylinder können Spiralfedern mit rechteckigem Windungsquerschnitt präzise gefertigt werden. Dabei kann durch gezielte Auslegung der Federgeometrie die Federkonstante über mehrere Größenordnungen variiert werden. Der Vortrag gibt einen Überblick über den Herstellungsprozess, verschiedene Eigenschaften keramischer Federn und Anwendungsbeispiele.
Abstract of the event: 'The area of New Space is a vastly growing and dynamic field with a high innovative potential and many exciting ideas. After decades where activities in space were dominated and funded mainly by governmental agencies, a new industry is forming and new business models are being developed around ideas like satellite-based internet, space travel, space mining, geo-monitoring etc. For space applications, lightweight design is crucial to keep the costs at a minimum. This Innovation Day will introduce the field of New Space and present the variety of exciting opportunities that arise for composites based on their excellent lightweight potential.' Another research area is now arising in the field of 3D printing or additive manufacturing of fiber composite materials in space. At the event, we presented on the opportunities and our experiences of using a powder based additive manufacturing process for in-space manufacturing applications.
Roughening of zirconia dental implants is a common clinical practice to improve ingrowth behavior. It depends on the manufacturer of the implant at which stage of the manufacturing process and by which method the surface is roughened. Systematic studies on this topic are rarely found in the literature. Therefore, the influence of surface treatment on the strength of a dental zirconia was investigated as part of a research project on the development of ceramic implants. The material under test was a commercial zirconia consisting of a Y-TZP matrix and Ce-TZP inclusions in the sintered state. This material is characterized by a slightly higher fracture toughness and slightly reduced strength compared to typical 3Y-TZP. Sets of samples were sandblasted in the white-fired or sintered condition. The ball-on-three-ball-strength of these samples was measured and compared to the strength of as-fired samples and polished samples. The complete study was performed two times for validation of the results. It is found that the average strength of TZP ceramics differs by almost 500 MPa depending on the surface treatment. Conventionally sintered specimens with as-fired surface exhibit a strength of 880 MPa. Sandblasting in the white fired state reduces the strength to 690 MPa. Both polishing and sandblasting in the sintered condition result in an increase in strength to about 1180 MPa. Comparative microstructural investigations, roughness measurements and X-ray phase analyses were carried out to determine the causes of these huge differences in strength. These findings may challenge the practice of white body surface treatment and give reason for further investigations on other commercial dental TZP materials.
In-space manufacturing (ISM) provides the opportunity to manufacture and repair critical components on future human spaceflight missions. For explorations to Mars and beyond, ISM is a key strategy not only due to the long travel distances and high costs of supply from earth but also to be able to safely work in space for years. Human spaceflight is still dependent on shipments from earth that can fail for several reasons. ISM is a valuable alternative to ensure the timely and safe resupply of space missions.
With additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, components are built directly from a 3D computer-aided-design (CAD) model which offers the advantages of freedom of design and the production of complex and ready-to-use parts. A virtual tool box with 3D models in space or the supply of information instead of components from earth to space can strongly benefit future missions. For industrial use, most research has focused on laser based additive manufacturing processes such as laser beam melting (LBM) where metallic powder particles are spread into a uniform powder bed and melted by a laser to the desired shape.
In the absence of gravity, the handling of metal powders, which is essential for the process, is challenging. We present an evolution of an AM system, where a gas flow throughout the powder bed is applied to stabilize the powder bed. This is needed to compensate for the missing gravitational forces in microgravity experiments on parabolic flight campaigns. The system consists of a porous building platform acting as a filter for the fixation of metal particles in a gas flow. It is driven by reduced pressure established by a vacuum pump underneath the platform. The system creates a drag force that directs the particles towards the porous building platform, similar to the effect of the gravitational force.
The AM system with its gas-flow-assisted powder deposition has been tested in several parabolic flight campaigns, and stainless-steel powder has successfully been processed during microgravity conditions. Different powder recoating mechanisms have been investigated to assess the homogeneous distribution of the powder as well as the attachment of the next layer to the powder bed. These mechanisms included different container designs with parallel double blades and with a V-shape at the bottom, and a roller recoating system. The samples presented are the first metal parts ever manufactured using LBM in μ-gravity. In addition to manufacturing in a μ-gravity environment, the experiments have shown the feasibility to manufacture components at different accelerations during the parabolic flight: hyper gravity (1.8 g), μ-gravity (< 0.01 g) and 1 g. Recent results will also be presented describing the application of this LBM setup in a parabolic flight campaign with mixed lunar, martian and µ-gravity acceleration, during which the processing of a lunar regolith simulant powder was tested.
For ISM, the development and testing of the proposed AM system demonstrates that LBM can be considered a viable technology for the manufacturing of metal and ceramic parts in a μ-gravity or reduced-gravity environment.
Low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) are used to fabricate multilayer circuits which are robust in harsh environments. Thick-film technology is well established for the metallization of circuit boards and microsystems. For specific sensor applications, the combination of LTCC and thin-film technology is advantageous to reach higher structure resolutions. Due to the high roughness of as-fired LTCC surfaces compared with silicon-wafers, the deposition of low-defect- films with narrowly specified properties is challenging. There is spare literature about thin films on commercial LTCC comparing different material systems or sintering techniques. For developing thin film sensors on multilayer circuits it is crucial to identify thin-film-compatible commercial LTCC material as well as the crucial surface properties. In this work we evaluate the thin-film capability of different LTCC surfaces.
The as-fired surfaces of free-sintered, constrained-sintered (sacrificial tape), and pressure-assisted sintered commercial LTCCs (DP951, CT708, CT800), as well as respective polished surfaces, were analyzed by tactile and optical roughness measurements and scanning electron microscopy. The thin-film capability of the LTCC surfaces was assessed by sheet resistance and temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of deposited Ni thin-film layers. Contrary to the expectations, no correlation between roughness and thin-film capability was found. Ni thin films on constrained sintered DP951 show the lowest sheet resistance and highest TCR within the experimental framework of the as-fired surfaces. The influence of surface morphology on the film properties is discussed.
Tour de table - BAM
(2021)
Reliable characterization of materials at the nanoscale regarding their physio-chemical properties is a challenging task, which is important when utilizing and designing nanoscale materials. Nanoscale materials pose a potential toxicological hazard to the environment and the human body. For this reason, the European Commission amended the REACH Regulation in 2018 to govern the classification of nanomaterials, relying on number-based distribution of the particle size.
Suitable methods exist for the granulometric characterization of monodisperse and ideally shaped nanoparticles. However, the evaluation of commercially available nanoscale powders is problematic. These powders tend to agglomerate, show a wide particle size distribution and are of irregular particle shape.
Zinc oxide, aluminum oxide and cerium oxide with particle sizes less than 100 nm were selected for the studies and different preparation methods were used comparatively.
First, the nanoparticles were dispersed in different dispersants and prepared on TEM-supported copper grids. Furthermore, individual powders were deposited on carbon-based self-adhesive pads. In addition, the samples were embedded by hot mounting and then ground and polished.
The prepared samples were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (including the transmission mode STEM-in-SEM) and Dynamic Light scattering. The software package ImageJ was used to segment the SEM images and obtain the particle sizes and shapes and finally the number-based particles size distribution with size expressed as various descriptors.
Thermoelectric generators can be used as energy harvesters for sensor applications. Multilayer thermoelectric generators (ML-TEGs) are a promising alternative to conventional π-type generators due to their high filling factor, high capability of automated production and the texturing potential during the production process. Calcium cobaltite is a promising thermoelectric oxide (p-type) with highly anisotropic properties. The following study shows the development of a textured unileg ML-TEG using ceramic multilayer technology.
Tape-casting and pressure assisted sintering are applied to fabricate textured calcium cobaltite. Compared to conventional sintering, pressure assisted sintering increases the strength by the factor 10. Thermoelectric properties can be tuned either towards maximum power factor or towards maximum figure of merit depending on the pressure level.
As electrical insulation material, a screen-printable glass-ceramic with high resistivity and adapted coefficient of thermal expansion is developed. From various commercial pastes a metallization with low contact resistance is chosen. The unileg ML-TEG is co-fired in one single step. The demonstrators reach 80% of the simulated output power and the power output is highly reproducible between the different demonstrators (99%). These results provide the first proof-of-concept for fabricating co-fired multilayer generators based on textured calcium cobaltite with high power factor, high density, and high strength.
Ceramic multilayer technology is an attractive approach for the cost-effective fabrication of thermoelectric generators. Therefore, efforts are being made to co-sinter two promising thermoelectric oxides, namely calcium cobaltite and calcium manganate. In this study, calcium cobaltite, calcium manganate and release tapes were pressure assisted sintered. A major challenge here is the cracking of calcium manganate during cooling. A relationship between the properties of the release tape used in pressure-assisted sintering and the cracking behavior was observed experimentally.
To understand the origin of failure, formed reaction layers in the multilayer were analyzed by EDX and grazing incident XRD. Based on this analysis, bulk samples were prepared, and thermal expansion and Young's modulus and were determined thereon, if they were not known from the literature. The biaxial strength of the thermoelectric oxides was determined by the ball on three ball method.
The thermal stresses during cooling of different multilayer designs were estimated by finite element simulations. The stresses caused by the reaction layers turned out to be negligible. The FEM study indicated further, and a validation experiment proved, that the thickness of the release tape has the main effect on thermal stresses during cooling in single material. For best performance, the design of a thermoelectric multilayer generator needs to consider thermoelectric performance and thermal stresses during cooling.
Thermoelektrische Generatoren können zum „Energy harvesting“ für den autarken Betrieb von bspw. Sensoren eingesetzt werden. Eine interessante Alternative zu den herkömmlichen π-Typ Generatoren sind auf Grund der höheren Leistungsdichte und der guten Automatisierbarkeit thermoelektrische Multilayergeneratoren. Calciumcobaltit ist ein vielsprechendes oxidisches Thermoelektrika (p-Typ) mit stark anisotropen Eigenschaften. Die hier vorgestellte Studie zeigt die Entwicklung von texturierten Unileg-Multilayer-Generatoren mittels keramischer Multilayertechnologie.
Calciumcobaltit wird durch Foliengießen und druckunterstützte Sinterung texturiert. Im Vergleich zur konventionellen Sinterung verbessert sich die Festigkeit um den Faktor 10. Die thermoelektrischen Eigenschaften können je nach verwendetem Druckniveau hinsichtlich maximalem Power Factor oder hinsichtlich maximalem Gütefaktor optimiert werden.
Ein Glaskeramikkomposit wird als Isolationsmaterial mit hohem Volumenwiderstand und angepasstem Wärmeausdehnungskoeffizienten entwickelt. Der Unileg-Multilayer-Generator wird in einem Schritt co-gesintert. Die hergestellten Demonstratoren erreichen 80% der simulierten Output-Leistung. Diese Ergebnisse stellen den ersten Machbarkeitsnachweis für die Herstellung von co-gesinterten Multilayer-Generatoren aus texturiertem Calciumcobaltit mit hohem Power Factor und hoher Festigkeit dar.
Monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles as reference material candidate for particle size measurements
(2020)
In order to utilize and rationally design materials at the nanoscale the reliable characterization of their physico-chemical properties is highly important, especially with respect to the assessment of their environmental or biological impact. Furthermore, the European Commission’s REACH Regulations require the registration of nanomaterials traded in quantities of at least 1 ton. Powders or dispersions where 50% (number distribution) of the constituent particles have sizes ≤ 100 nm in at least one dimension are defined as nanomaterials. This creates a need for industrial manufacturers and research or analytical service facilities to reliably characterize potential nanomaterials. Currently, BAM is developing reference nanoparticles, which shall expand the scarce list of worldwide available nano reference materials certified for particle size distribution and will also target other key parameters like shape, structure, porosity or functional properties. In this respect, materials like iron oxide or titanium dioxide are considered as candidates to complement the already available silica, Au, Ag, and polystyrene reference nanoparticles.
The thermal decomposition of iron oleate precursors in high boiling organic solvents can provide large quantities of iron oxide nanoparticles that can be varied in size and shape.[1, 2] The presence of oleic acid or other hydrophobic ligands as capping agents ensures stable dispersion in nonpolar solvents. Such monodisperse, spherical particles were synthesized at BAM and pre-characterized by electron microscopy (TEM, SEM including the transmission mode STEM-in-SEM) and dynamic light scattering comparing cumulants analysis and frequency power spectrum.
1. REACH regulations and nanosafety concerns create a strong need for nano reference materials with diverse properties.
2. Iron oxide nanoparticles are under development as new candidate reference material at BAM.
3. Narrow particle size distribution confirmed by light scattering and electron microscopy.
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.
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.
Al2O3 coatings are often used as protective layers on steels against electrochemical and high-temperature corrosion because they are chemically inert and stable at elevated temperatures. This study presents preliminary work on the possibilities of using Al2O3 sol-gel coatings for corrosion protection of martensitic stainless steels in geothermal environments. Al2O3 sol-gel coatings were applied on UNS S42000, which is known to be susceptible to uniform and localized corrosion. The coated steel specimens were then tested in two types of artificial geothermal water, which simulate the geothermal fluids found in Sibayak (SBY), Indonesia, and North German Basin (NGB), Germany, respectively. SBY has pH 4 and 1.5 g/L of chloride ions, whereas NGB has a pH of 6 and 166 g/L of chloride ions. All experiments were carried out in autoclaves at 150 °C and 1 MPa under the deaerated condition. Evaluations were performed by investigating the surface profiles of both uncoated and coated steels before and after the corrosion test using a Laser Scanning Microscope (LSM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Finally, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) was performed to compare the corrosion resistance of Al2O3 coated steels in SBY and NGB solutions. It was observed from the corrosion test that Al2O3 coatings are more suitable for use in the geothermal water with a higher pH.
Texturing of calcium cobaltite for thermoelectric applications by pressure assisted sintering
(2021)
Thermoelectric materials can convert waste heat directly into electrical power by using the Seebeck effect. Calcium cobaltite (CCO) is considered as a promising thermoelectric p-type oxide for energy harvesting applications at temperatures above 500 °C. The properties and morphology of single-crystal CCO are strongly anisotropic because of its crystal structure of alternating layers of CoO2 and Ca2CoO3. By aligning the plate-like grains, the anisotropic properties of the grains can be assigned to the poly-crystalline parts.
In this study, the combination of tape casting and pressure-assisted sintering is used to texture and densify large scale components (50 cm²). Thereby, the influence of powder preparation and applied pressure during sintering on texturing and thermoelectric properties is investigated.
The analysis of XRD pole figures revealed that tape casting already leads to highly textured CCO. By pressure variation during sintering, the microstructure of CCO can be tailored either toward maximum power factor as required for energy harvesting or toward maximum figure of merit as required for energy recovery. Low pressure lead to a porous microstructure and maximum figure of merit and higher pressure to full densification and maximum power factor. The electrical and thermal conductivity of CCO seem depending on both texture and sinter density.
Multilayered designs are an attractive approach towards cost-effective manufacturing of thermoelectric generators. Therefore, efforts are being made to co-fire two promising thermoelectric oxides, namely calcium cobaltite and calcium manganate. In this study, ceramic tapes, multilayer technology, and pressure-assisted sintering (PAS) were used. A major challenge for the PAS of low-sintered calcium manganate was cracking during cooling. A relationship between the properties of the release tape used during PAS and the cracking behavior was experimentally observed.
To understand the origin of failure, reaction layers in the multilayer were analyzed and thermal stresses during cooling were estimated by finite element (FE) simulations. Thermal expansion, elastic properties, and biaxial strength of the thermoelectric oxides and selected reaction layers were determined on separately prepared bulk samples. The analysis showed that the reaction layers were not the cause for cracking of calcium manganate.
Using the FE model, thermal stresses in different manganate multilayer designs with varying properties of the release tape were studied. The FEM study indicated, and a validation experiment proved that the thickness of the release tape has the main effect on thermal stresses during cooling in separately sintered calcium manganate.
Thermoelectric generators can be used for energy harvesting by directly transforming a temperature gradient into a voltage. Multilayer generators based on low-temperature co-fired ceramics technology (LTCC) are an interesting alternative to conventional π-type generators. They exhibit several advantages like high filling factor, possibility of texturing, co-firing of all materials in one single-step, and reduction of production costs due to the high possible degree of automation. Pressure-assisted sintering enables the theoretical possibility of co-firing two promising oxide thermoelectric materials: Ca3Co4O9 (p-type) and CaMnO3 (n-type). Due to the large difference in sintering temperature (300 K) the process is very challenging.
In this work we show the material development of Ca3Co4O9, CaMnO3, insulation and metallization for multilayer generators co-fired under pressure at 900 °C. The materials are tailored regarding their sintering behavior, electrical performance and coefficients of thermal expansion. Different generator designs (unileg and pn-type) were fabricated and analyzed regarding crack formation, interaction layers and thermoelectric performance. Simulated stresses during cooling in the multilayers are compared with actual crack formation for different sintering conditions. This study shows that a lower pressure level and a lower level of complexity are beneficial for co-firing and performance.
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.