A COMPOSITE CERAMIC MATERIAL FOR LOW HEAT REJECTION DIESEL ENGINES

CERAMICS HAVE BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO BE VIABLE ALTERNATIVES IN CONVENTIONAL AND ADIABATIC DIESEL ENGINES WITH THE POTENTIAL OF 30% FUEL SAVINGS. THERE IS AN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION TO DEVELOP CERAMICS IN GENERAL AND SPECIFICALLY FOR DIESEL ENGINES. IN AMBITIOUS DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN PROGRAMS TO UTILIZE CERAMICS IN DIESELS, THE LIMITATION OF CURRENTLY AVAILABLE CERAMICS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED. IN METAL STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS, ELABORATE ALLOYS ARE DEVELOPED TO MEET THE MECHANICAL/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE APPLICATION. ON THE OTHER HAND, CERAMICS ARE GENERAL PURE (E.G. AL[2]O[3], SIC, SI[3]N[4])OR THERMODYNAMICALLY STABLE COMPOUNTS (E.G. MULLITE, 3AL[2]O[3] -2SIO[2]); AND NO EFFORTS HAVE PURSUED THE DEVELOPMENT OF CERAMIC ALLOYS TO ACHIEVE UNIQUE PROPERTY MATERIALS AS HAS OCCURRED WITH METALS. THIS PROGRAM PROPOSES UTILIZING A STATISTICAL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN TO DEVELOP A COMPOSITE CERAMIC ALLOY COMPOSITION THAT WILL BE OPTIMIZED FOR USE IN THE HARSH DIESEL ENVIRONMENT. THE CERAMIC ALLOY WILL BE A ZIRCONIA BASE CONTAINING ONE OR MORE NITRIDE MATERIALS, ONE OR MORE TITANIA MATERIALS AND SIC WHISKERS. A PROVEN SOL-GEL PRECURSOR APPROACH WILL BE UTILIZED WHICH SOULD INSURE THE U.S. AS A WINNER IN CERAMIC MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT FOR DIESEL ENGINE APPLICATIONS.