Processing Methods for Ultra High Temperature Ceramics

Ultra-high-temperature ceramics (UHTCs) are a group of materials that can withstand ultra high temperatures (1600-3000 oC) which will be encountered by future hypersonic re-entry vehicles. Future re-entry vehicles will have sharp edges to improve flight performance. The sharp leading edges result in higher surface temperature than that of the actual blunt edged vehicles that could not be withstood by the conventional thermal protection system materials. To withstand the intense heat generated when these vehicles dip in and out of the upper atmosphere, UHTC materials are needed. UHTC materials are composed of borides of early transition metals. From the larger list of borides, ZrB2 and HfB2 have received the most attention as potential candidates for leading edge materials because their oxidation resistance is superior to that of other borides due to the stability of the ZrO2 and HfO2 scales that form on these materials at elevated temperatures in oxidizing environments. Processing of these materials is very difficult as these materials are very refractory in nature. In this chapter, processes available for powder synthesis, fabrication of dense bodies, and coating processes is discussed.

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Effect of Transition Metal Silicides on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics

MAX Phases and Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics for Extreme Environments ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-4066-5.ch005 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 125-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Laura Silvestroni ◽

Diletta Sciti

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

High Temperature ◽

Melting Point ◽

Leading Edge ◽

High Melting ◽

High Melting Point ◽

Ultra High Temperature Ceramics ◽

Sintering Additives ◽

Self Diffusion ◽

Ultra High Temperature

The IV and V group transition metals borides, carbides, and nitrides are widely known as ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs), owing to their high melting point above 2500°C. These ceramics possess outstanding physical and engineering properties, such as high hardness and strength, low electrical resistivity and good chemical inertness which make them suitable structural materials for applications under high heat fluxes. Potential applications include aerospace manufacturing; for example sharp leading edge parts on hypersonic atmospheric re-entry vehicles, rocket nozzles, and scramjet components, where operating temperatures can exceed 3000°C. The extremely high melting point and the low self-diffusion coefficient make these ceramics very difficult to sinter to full density: temperatures above 2000°C and the application of pressure are necessary conditions. However these processing parameters lead to coarse microstructures, with mean grain size of the order of 20 µm and trapped porosity, all features which prevent the achievement of the full potential of the thermo-mechanical properties of UHTCs. Several activities have been performed in order to decrease the severity of the processing conditions of UHTCs introducing sintering additives, such as metals, nitrides, carbides or silicides. In general the addition of such secondary phases does decrease the sintering temperature, but some additives have some drawbacks, especially during use at high temperature, owing to their softening and the following loss of integrity of the material. In this chapter, composites based on borides and carbides of Zr, Hf and Ta were produced with addition of MoSi2 or TaSi2. These silicides were selected as sintering aids owing to their high melting point (>2100°C), their ductility above 1000°C and their capability to increase the oxidation resistance. The microstructure of fully dense hot pressed UHTCs containing 15 vol% of MoSi2 or TaSi2, was characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. Based on microstructural features detected by TEM, thermodynamical calculations, and the available phase diagrams, a densification mechanism for these composites is proposed. The mechanical properties, namely hardness, fracture toughness, Young’s modulus and flexural strength at room and high temperature, were measured and compared to the properties of other ultra-high temperature ceramics produced with other sintering additives. Further, the microstructural findings were used to furnish possible explanations for the excellent high temperature performances of these composites.

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Editorial: Ultra High Temperature Ceramics for Aerospace Applications

The Open Aerospace Engineering Journal ◽

10.2174/1874146001003010009 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 9-9

Author(s):

Raffaele Savino

Keyword(s):

High Temperature ◽

High Speed ◽

Thermal Protection ◽

Space Vehicles ◽

Component Level ◽

Ultra High Temperature Ceramics ◽

Thermal Protection Systems ◽

Protection Systems ◽

The Subject ◽

Ultra High Temperature

Improved interest in ultra-high-temperature ceramics (UHTCs) is being animating the scientific community. This emerging attention is driven by the demand of developing re-usable hot structures as thermal protection systems of aerospace vehicles, able to re-enter in planetary atmospheres at relatively high speed (order of 8-11 Km/s). In contrast to traditional blunt capsules or Shuttle-like vehicles, characterised by poor gliding capabilities and complex thermal protection systems, the future use of UHTCs opens new horizons for the development of spaceplanes with slender fuselage noses and sharp wing leading edges. Advanced aerodynamic configurations reduce the vehicles drag, enhance the vehicles performances, due to a larger manoeuvrability resulting in larger down range, cross range and abort windows, and reduce electromagnetic interferences and communications black-out. Analysis has shown that materials with temperature capability approaching 2000°C and above will be required for these space vehicles, but the state of the art Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) material, currently used on the Space Shuttle, have maximum use temperatures of approximately 1650°C. The articles collected in this issue provide state-of-art scientific advancements on the subject with particular attention to the potential technological applications. The papers specifically deal with research studies on monolithic ceramic materials, composed primarily of Zirconium and Hafnium Diborides with different additives. The activities are carried out at materials level, with furnace or arc-jet testing, or include developments of UHTC-based hot structures at sub-component level. In the latter case, ultra-high temperature ceramic prototype structures have been developed and tested with embedded structural health monitoring systems. I want to thank all the article contributors for their manuscripts. I hope they will be useful for future basic and applied researches on the subject.

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Advances in ultra-high temperature ceramics, composites, and coatings

Journal of Advanced Ceramics ◽

10.1007/s40145-021-0550-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 1-56

Author(s):

Dewei Ni ◽

Yuan Cheng ◽

Jiaping Zhang ◽

Ji-Xuan Liu ◽

Ji Zou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Temperature ◽

Elevated Temperatures ◽

Future Directions ◽

Ultra High Temperature Ceramics ◽

High Temperature Materials ◽

Ablation Resistance ◽

Structural Applications ◽

Shock Resistance ◽

Engine Components ◽

Ultra High Temperature

AbstractUltra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) are generally referred to the carbides, nitrides, and borides of the transition metals, with the Group IVB compounds (Zr & Hf) and TaC as the main focus. The UHTCs are endowed with ultra-high melting points, excellent mechanical properties, and ablation resistance at elevated temperatures. These unique combinations of properties make them promising materials for extremely environmental structural applications in rocket and hypersonic vehicles, particularly nozzles, leading edges, and engine components, etc. In addition to bulk UHTCs, UHTC coatings and fiber reinforced UHTC composites are extensively developed and applied to avoid the intrinsic brittleness and poor thermal shock resistance of bulk ceramics. Recently, highentropy UHTCs are developed rapidly and attract a lot of attention as an emerging direction for ultra-high temperature materials. This review presents the state of the art of processing approaches, microstructure design and properties of UHTCs from bulk materials to composites and coatings, as well as the future directions.

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