PRODUCTION OF CONTROLLED MICROSTRUCTURE NANOPHASE CERAMIC POWDERS

THE FABRICATION OF ADVANCED CERAMIC MATERIALS FROM ULTRAFINE, NANOMETER-SIZE GRAINS, "NANOPHASE MATERIALS," HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE CERAMIC PROPERTIES. MECHANICAL PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS, SUCH AS HIGH TEMPERATURE DUCTILITY AND INCREASED FRACTURE TOUGHNESS, AND ENERGY SAVINGS THROUGH SINTERING TEMPERATURE REDUCTIONS IN MATERIALS PROCESSING ARE ALL POSSIBLE WITH NANOPHASE MATERIALS. LARGE SCALE PRODUCTION OF ADVANCED CERAMIC NANOPHASE MATERIALS, HOWEVER, FIRST REQUIRES THE DEVELOPMENT OF NANOPHASE POWDERS THAT CAN MEET STRINGENT TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS. REQUIREMENTS OF 1 TO 100 NANOMETER (NM) GRAINS, LIMITED DEGREE OF AGGLOMERATION, NARROW SIZE DISTRIBUTION, FLEXIBILITY IN CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, CHEMICAL PURITY, AND PHASE PURITY ARE DIFFICULT TO MEET WITH CURRENT INDUSTRIAL AND RESEARCH PROCESSES. THIS STUDY INVESTIGATES A NOVEL AEROSOL PROCESS FOR THE GENERAL PRODUCTION OF MULTICOMPONENT, UNAGGLOMERATED CERAMIC OXIDE POWDERS. YTTRIA-STABILIZED ZIRCONIA WITH 10 TO 40 NM GRAINS WILL BE PRODUCED IN PHASE I TO DEMONSTRATE PROCESS FEASIBILITY. SINTERING TESTS ON A PELLET PRODUCED FROM THIS POWDER WILL THEN BE CONDUCTED TO ASSESS ENERGY SAVINGS (REDUCTIONS IN SINTERING TEMPERATURE) RESULTING FROM THE NANOMETER-SCALE GRAIN STRUCTURE.