FEASIBILITY STUDY OF REFRACTORY OXIDE FIBER PRODUCTION THROUGH THE MELT SPINNING TECHNIQUE

A MELT SPINNIG PROCESS IS PROPOSED TO PRODUCE THE ALUMINA-YAG FIBERS. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROPOSED PROGRAM ARE TO STUDY: 1) THE FEASIBILITY OF PRODUCING A12O3-Y3A15O12 (YAG) FIBERS THROUGH THE MELT SPINNING TECHNIQUE, 2) THE MORPHOLOGIES AND DIAMETERS OF THE FIBERS AS A FUNCTION OF VARIOUS PROCESSING PARAMETERS (E.G., MELT VISCOSITY, TEMPERATURE, COMPOSITION, GROWTH RATE, ETC.), 3) THE VARIATIONS OF CRYSTALLINITY, MICROSTRUCTURE AND ROOM TEMPERATURE STRENGTH OF THE FIBERS AS A FUNCTION OF PROCESSING PARAMETERS, AND 4) THE MICROSTRUCTURE/MECHANICAL PROPERTY RELATIONSHIPS OF THE FIBERS. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH PROJECT WILL PROCEED AS FOLLOWS: 1) MELT CHARGE MATERIAL PREPARATION, 2) ALUMINA-YAG FIBER GROWTH BY THE MELT SPINNING TECHNIQUE, 3) MACRO AND MICROSTRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION, AND 4) MECHNICAL PROPERTY MEASUREMENTS OF THE FIBERS. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS: THROUGH THE UTILIZATION OF THE MELF SPINNING TECHNIQUE, SMALL DIAMETER ALUMINA-YAG FIBERS WILL BE PRODUCED. BASED UPON THE RESULTS FROM THE PROPOSED R&D PROGRAM, EFFICIENT PROCESSING CONDITIONS TO PRODUCE ALUMINA-YAG FIBERS WILL BE DETERMINED. THE CANDIDACY OF THESE FIBERS AS REINFORCEMENTS IN CERAMIC MATRIX AND INTERMETALLIC MATRIX COMPOSITES WILL BE ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE INVESTIGATION OF PROCESSING- MICROSTRUCTURE-PROPERTY RELATIONS.