CERAMICS, GLASSES, AND SUPERCONDUCTORS: PROCESSING AND EQUIPMENT

Chap : 18

Ceramics, Glasses, and Superconductors: Processing and Equipment

Shaping Ceramics Forming and Shaping of Glass Techniques for Strengthening and Annealing Design Considerations Processing of Superconductors

Ceramics

Ceramics are classified as inorganic and nonmetallic materials

Depending on their method of formation, ceramics can be dense or lightweight demonstrate excellent strength and hardness properties can be formed to serve as electrically conductive materials and insulators

The two most common chemical bonds for ceramic materials are covalent and ionic

Hard, wear-resistant Brittle thermal insulators electrical insulators oxidation resistant chemically stable.

Shaping Ceramics

Depends on the type of ceramics involved and their shapes

Grinding

Mixing

additives Shaping, drying, and firing the material

Shaping Ceramics

Additives
Binder Lubricant

Wetting

agent Plasticizer Agents Deflocculent

Shaping Ceramics

Shaping Ceramics

Slip casting
Suspension

of colloidal ceramic particles in an immiscible liquid

poured into a porous mold must have sufficient fluidity and low viscosity mold absorbs some water from outer layers of suspension remaining suspension is poured out part removed from the mold is referred as a green part

a) b)

c)
d) e)

Shaping Ceramics

Shaping Ceramics

Slip Casting
ceramic

parts are still green, may be machined to produce certain features or to give dimensional accuracy to the parts

Dimensional control is poor and the production rate is low Mold and equipment costs are low Usage as an adhesive.

Shaping Ceramics

Doctor blade method

Shaping Ceramics

Plastic Forming
Anisotropic

behavior of the material Extrusion mechanism

Tooling

costs are low Production rates are high.

Shaping Ceramics

Pressing
blended

powders are pressed into various shapes

in dies obtain the required shape density, and particle-toparticle contact make the part sufficiently strong for further processing

Shaping Ceramics

Dry Pressing
moisture

content of the mixture generally is below

4% relatively simple shapes high production rates close control of dimensional tolerances High wear resistance Expensive

Shaping Ceramics

Dry Pressing
Density

variations length-to-diameter ratio 2:1

proper

design of tooling vibratory pressing and impact forming isostatic pressing.

Shaping Ceramics

Wet Pressing
Moisture

content ranges from 10 to 15% make intricate shapes Production rates are high dimensional control is difficult to achieve High tooling costs

Shaping Ceramics

Isostatic Pressing
uniform

density distribution

Jiggering
limited

dimensional accuracy

Shaping Ceramics

Injection Molding
precision

forming

Hot pressing
Denser

& stronger parts Improve shape accuracy Improve quality

Shaping Ceramics

Drying and Firing

To

give proper strength and hardness Drying

Controlled

ambient humidity temperature Shrinkage of the part by as much as 20% of original

Firing
heating

at an elevated temperature Increased strength and hardness

development of a strong bond between the complex oxide particles reduced porosity

Shaping Ceramics

Shaping Ceramics

Finishing Operations
give the ceramic part its final shape improve its surface finish and dimensional tolerances remove any surface flaws

Grinding (using a diamond wheel) Lapping and honing Ultrasonic machining Drilling (using a diamond-coated drill) Electrical-discharge machining Laser-beam machining Abrasive water-jet cutting Tumbling

Forming and Shaping of Glass

Glass is processed by melting and then shaping it Glass products categorization

Flat

sheets Rods and tubing Discrete products Glass fibers

Forming and Shaping of Glass

Flat-sheet and Plate Glass

Continuous
Float

processes

glass method Drawing Rolling it from the molten state

All glass forming and shaping processes begin with molten glass, typically in the range from 1000 to 1200C.

Forming and Shaping of Glass

Float glass method

Forming and Shaping of Glass

Drawing method

Forming and Shaping of Glass

Rolling method

Forming and Shaping of Glass

Tubing and Rods

Forming and Shaping of Glass

Discrete glass products

Blowing

Forming and Shaping of Glass

(1) gob is fed into inverted mold cavity; (2) mold is covered; (3) first blowing step; (4) partially formed piece is reoriented and transferred to second blow mold, and (5) blown to final shape

Forming and Shaping of Glass

Pressing

higher

dimensional accuracy Pressing in one-piece molds cannot be used for

shapes of products from which the plunger cannot be retracted thin-walled items

Forming and Shaping of Glass

Press
(1)

and Blow

molten gob is fed into mold cavity; (2) pressing to form a parison; (3) the partially formed parison, held in a neck ring, is transferred to the blow mold, and (4) blown into final shape

Forming and Shaping of Glass

Centrifugal

Casting

Forming and Shaping of Glass

Sagging
sheet

of glass is placed over a mold and heated glass sags by its own weight and takes the shape of the mold no pressure or vacuum is involved

Forming and Shaping of Glass

Glass Fibers
glass

fibers of small diameter (lower limit ~ 0.0025 mm) are produced by pulling strands of molten glass through small orifices in a heated plate made of a platinum alloy

Techniques for Strengthening and Annealing Glass

Thermal Tempering
Heating

to a temperature somewhat above annealing temperature into the plastic range, followed by quenching of surfaces, usually by air jets
When

the surfaces cool, they contract and harden while interior is still plastic As the internal glass cools, it contracts, putting the hard surfaces in compression Tempered glass is more resistant to scratching and breaking due to compressive stresses on its surfaces

Techniques for Strengthening and Annealing Glass

The

higher the coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass and the lower its thermal conductivity, the higher will be the level of residual stresses developed, and hence, the stronger the glass becomes.

Techniques for Strengthening and Annealing Glass

Chemical Tempering
glass

is heated in a bath of molten KNO3, KZSO4, or NaNO3, depending on the type of glass lon exchanges then take place with larger atoms replacing the smaller atoms on the surface of the glass residual compressive stresses develop on the surface More time than in thermal tempering

Techniques for Strengthening and Annealing Glass

Laminated Glass
laminate
two

strengthening

pieces of flat glass with a thin sheet of tough plastic in between when cracked, its pieces are held together by the plastic sheet wire netting (hexagonal mesh)

Techniques for Strengthening and Annealing Glass

Bulletproof Glass
consists

of glass laminated with a polymer sheet (usually polycarbonate) Capacity to stop a bullet depends on
type

and thickness of the glass size, shape, weight, and speed of the bullet the properties and thickness of the polymer sheet
index

of refraction of the glass and the polymer must be nearly identical

Techniques for Strengthening and Annealing Glass

one-way bulletproof glass

polymer

layer is on the inside surface of the glass glass absorbs some of the energy of the bullet remaining energy is dissipated in the polymer sheet

two adjacent layers over the surface of glass

outermost
high

layer dulls the tip of the bullet

weather resistance, making it suitable as the outer layer,

Stops

the blunt bullet

Finishing Operations

Annealing to relieve stresses

Few

minutes to as long as 10 months

Sharp edges and corners can be smoothed by

Grinding Fire

polishing

Notch sensitivity

Design Considerations for Ceramics and Glasses

knowledge of limitations

poor tensile strength, sensitivity to internal and external defects, and low impact toughness

Balance b/w limitations and features control of processing parameters stresses due to differences in thermal expansion

Placing rubber seals

static fatigue Maximum stress to withstand long durations

that can be applied is about one-third of the maximum stress that it can withstand during the first second of loading

Processing of Superconductors

Basic types:
Low

temperature superconductors High temperature superconductors

High energy saving potential Major reasons for processing difficulties

Brittleness Anisotropic

behaviour

Processing of Superconductors

Processing:
Preparing Forming

powder

Heat

treating

OPIT method Other methods

Coating Depositing

films Doctor blade method Chemical spraying

Processing of Superconductors

Go through case study for superconductors.