• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.668-676
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• 1997

Al2O3/SiC nanocomposites are fabricated through intensive ball milling to mix fine SiC particles uniformly with the Al2O3 powder. Another role of milling is to reduce particle sizes by crushing particles as well as agglomerates. However, balls are worn during ball milling and the sample powder mixtures pick up to weight loss of the balls. In this study, pressureless sintering was performed to obtain Al2O3/SiC nanocomposites. It was found that the wear rate of zirconia balls during milling was considerable, and the zirconia addition after even a few hours of ball milling could increase the sintering rates of the nanocomposites significantly. Thus, addition of ZrO2 changed the sintering behaviors as well as mechanical properties of Al2O3/SiC nanocomposites.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.13 no.1 s.54
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• pp.33-38
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• 2006

The effect of Cu content on microstructure and mechanical properties of nano-sized Cu dispersed $Al_2O_3(Al_2O_3/Cu)$ nanocomposites was investigated. The nanocomposites with Cu content of 2.5 to 10 vol% were prepared by reduction and hot-pressing of $Al_2O_3/CuO$ powder mixtures. The nanocomposites with Cu content of 2.5 and 5vol% exhibited the maximum fracture strength of 820MPa and enhanced toughness compared with monolithic $Al_2O_3$. The strengthening was mainly attributed to the refinement of $Al_2O_3$ matrix grains. The toughening mechanism was discussed by the observed microstructural feature based on crack bridging.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.503-507
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• 2005

Microstructure and wear behavior of A1203-based nanocomposites with Cu and Ni-Co dispersions were investigated. $Al_2O_3/Cu$ and $Al_2O_3/Ni-Co$ nanocomposites were fabricated by hydrogen reduction and sintering method using metal oxide and metal nitrates. The nanocomposites showed increased mechanical properties compared with monolithic $Al_2O_3$. In particular, high toughness and hardness were measured for the $Al_2O_3/Ni-Co$ nanocomposite consolidated by spark plasma sintering. A minimum value of wear coefficient comparable to the monolithic $Al_2O_3$ was obtained for $Al_2O_3/Ni-Co$ nanocomposite. Wear behavior is discussed in terms of microstructure and mechanical properties of nanocomposites

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.80-86
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• 2002

$Al_{2}O_{3}/SiC$ nanocomposites were made by infiltrating partially sintered alumina bodies with polycarbosilane (PCS) solutions, which is a SiC polymer precursor, with pressureless sintering. The SiC content, densification, phases, strength, and microstructure were investigated with the processing parameters such as PCS solution concentration and heat treatment condition for PCS pyrolysis and sintering. The results were compared with those for pure alumina and nanocomposite samples made by the existing polymer precursor route (i.e. the PCS addition process). The SiC contents of up to 1.5 vol% were obtained by the PCS infiltration. PCS pyrolysis, followed by air heat treatment, was needed before sintering to avoid a cracking problem and to attain a densification as high as 98 % of theoretical. The nanocomposites exhibited significantly higher strength than pure alumina and those prepared by the PCS addition process despite larger grain size. Besides $\alpha-Al_{2}O_{3}/SiC$ and $\beta-SiC$ phases, mullite was present a little in the nanocomposites, which resulted from the reaction of $SiO_{2}$ in the pyrolysis product of PCS with the $Al_{2}O_{3}$ matrix during sintering. The nanocomposites had intagranular particles believed to be SiC, which is a typical feature of $Al_{2}O_{3}/SiC$ nanocomposites.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.157-162
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• 2001

An optimum route to fabricate the ferrous alloy dispersed $Al_2O_3$ nanocomposites such as $Al_2O_3$/Fe-Ni and $Al_2O_3$/Fe-Co with sound microstructure and desired properties was investigated. The composites were fabricated by the sintering of powder mixtures of $Al_2O_3$ and nano-sized ferrous alloy, in which the alloy was prepared by solution-chemistry routes using metal nitrates powders and a subsequent hydorgen reduction process. Microstructural observation of reduced powder mixture revealed that the Fe-Ni or Fe-Co alloy particles of about 20 nm in size homogeneously surrounded $Al_2O_3$, forming nanocomposite powder. The sintered $Al_2O_3$/Fe-Ni composite showed the formation of Fe$Al_2O_4$ phase, while the reaction phases were not observed in $Al_2O_3$/Fe-Co composite. Hot-pressed $Al_2O_3$/Fe-Ni composite showed improved mechanical properties and magnetic response. The properties are discussed in terms of microstructural characteristics such as the distribution and size of alloy particles.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.280-284
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• 2009

The pressureless sintering behavior of $Al_2O_3$/Cu powder mixtures, prepared from $Al_2O_3$/CuO and $Al_2O_3$/Cu-nitrate, has been investigated. Microstructural observation revealed that $Al_2O_3$ powders with nano-sized Cu particles could be synthesized by hydrogen reduction method. The specimens, pressureless-sintered at $1400^{\circ}C$ for 4 min using infrared heating furnace with the heating rate of $200^{\circ}C$/min, showed the relative density of above 90%. Maximum hardness of 16.1 GPa was obtained in $Al_2O_3$/MgO/Cu nanocomposites. The nanocomposites exhibited the enhanced fracture toughness of 4.3-5.7 $MPa{\cdot}m^{1/2}$, compared with monolithic $Al_2O_3$. The mechanical properties were discussed in terms of microstructural characteristics.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.769-774
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• 2002

The powder mixture in which Fe-Ni alloy particles of 20 nm were homogeneously dispersed on $Al_2O_3$ particle surfaces was prepared by hydrogen reduction of $Al_2O_3$ and metal oxide powders. $Al_2O_3$/Fe-Ni nanocomposites fabricated by pressureless sintering were only composed of $Al_2O_3$ and ${gamma}$-Fe-Ni phases and achieved over 98% of the theoretical density at the sintering temperature above $1350^{\circ}C$. The highest strength and toughness of the composites were 574 MPa and 3.9 MP$a{\cdot}m1/2$, respectively. These values were about 20% higher than these of monolithic $Al_2O_3$ sintered at the same conditions. Nanocomposites showed ferromagnetic properties and coercive force was increased with decrease of the average particle size of dispersions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09b
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• pp.1087-1088
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• 2006

The microstructure and electrical conductivity of CNTs dispersed $Al_2O_3$ nanocomposites depending on the powder processing and CNTs content were demonstrated. The composite powders with homogeneous dispersion of CNTs could be synthesized by a catalytic route for direct formation of CNTs on nano-sized Fe dispersed $Al_2O_3$ powders. The sintered nanocomposite using the composite powder with directly synthesized CNTs showed homogeneous microstructure and enhanced elelctrical conductivity. The influence of powder processing on the properties of sintered nanocomposites was discussed by the observed microstructural features.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.327-328
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• 2006

We have demonstrated that textured $Al_2O_3-mullite-SiC$ nanocomposites can be fabricated by slip casting followed by partial oxidation - reaction sintering of mixed suspensions of $Al_2O_3$ and SiC powders in a high magnetic field. The sintered density was changed by the degree of oxidation at 1200C and 1300C. The degree of orientation of alumina in the nanocomposite was examined on the basis of the X-ray diffraction patterns and scanning electron micrographs. It is confirmed that alumina-oriented nanocomposites were fabricated. The three-point bending strength at room temperature was observed for the nanocomposites.

• Proceedings of the Korean Powder Metallurgy Institute Conference
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• 2006.09a
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• pp.455-456
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• 2006

We have demonstrated that textured $Al_2O_3-mullite-SiC$ nanocomposites can be fabricated by slip casting followed by partial oxidation. reaction sintering of mixed suspensions of $Al_2O_3$ and SiC powders in a high magnetic field. The sintered density was changed by the degree of oxidation at 1200C and 1300C. The degree of orientation of alumina in the nanocomposite was examined on the basis of the X-ray diffraction patterns and scanning electron micrographs. It is confirmed that aluminaoriented nanocomposites were fabricated. The three-point bending strength at room temperature was observed for the nanocomposites.