A NOVEL HIGH STRENGTH CERIA-ZIRCONIA TOUGHENED ALUMINA CERAMIC WITH SUPERIOR HIGH TEMPERATURE CORROSION AND EROSION RESISTANCE

THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A NOVEL CERAMIC MATERIAL, MADE OF A CERIA-ZIRCONIA (CEO2-ZRO2) THOUGHENED ALUMINA (AL1O3), WHICH IS EXPECTED TO EXHIBIT SUPERIOR STRENGTH AND CORROSION (ALKALI, SULPHATE) AND EROSION RESISTANCE IN HIGH TEMPERATURE ENVIRONMENTS, SUCH AS COAL-DERIVED HOT GASES. THIS MATERIAL WILL BE FABRICATED FOR CONVENIENCE IN THE SHAPE OF A RETICULATED FOAM IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ENOUGH SURFACE AREA TO ALKALI AND SULPHATE EXPOSURE AND TO COMPARE ITS PERFORMANCE WITH OTHER FOAMS WITH DIFFERENT COMPOSITIONS. THE OPEN CELL STRUCTURE WILL BE MADE BY IMPREGNATING A POLYURETHANE FOAM WITH AN AQUEOUS CERAMIC SLURRY, FOLLOWED BY DRYING AND FIRING TO BURN THE ORGANIC MATERIAL AND DENSIFY THE FOAM STRUTS AT HIGH TEMPERATURES. SAMPLES OF THE MATERIAL WILL BE EXPOSED TO ALKALI- AND SULPHUR-CONTAINING SPECIES AT HIGH TEMPERATURES, AND THE CHANGE IN PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES WILL BE MEASURED, VIS-A-VIS SELECTED REFERENCE MATERIALS.