Papers by Author: Kee Sung Lee

Abstract: A study is made of the damage resistance and strength degradation of nitrided pressureless sintered (NPS) silicon nitride ceramics. The silicon nitride is prepared by cost-effective NPS process combining by nitridation and consecutive pressureless sintering. Contact testing with spherical indenters is used to characterize the damage response. Examination of the indentation sites indicates a quasi-plastic damage modes are observed. Bend tests on specimens containing quasi-plastic contact damages reveal those materials to be not susceptible to strength degradation.

Abstract: As an alternative to degassing pipe and rotor blade using in molten aluminum industry, we investigate the mechanical properties of silicon nitride ceramic components prepared by nitrided pressureless sintered (NPS) process, which process is the continuous process of nitridation reaction process combined with pressureless sintering. Mechanical properties of silicon nitride prepared by NPS process with sintering additives of 5wt% Y2O3, 5wt% Al2O3 and 20wt% Si show high strength, >500 MPa, high hardness, 12.6 GPa, and superior damage tolerances with high fracture toughness, 9.8 MPam1/2.

Abstract: New gadolinium-yttrium zirconate thermal barrier coating(TBC) material is deposited by electron beam PVD method, as an alternative to YSZ TBC layer for gas turbine blade applications. XRD analysis reveals that the new TBC material consists of thermally stable pyrochlore structure. Hertzian and nanoindentation evaluations reveal that gadolinium zirconate materials show superior properties as a TBC candidate material with high mechanical properties. The Y2O3 doping improved hardness and elastic modulus of TBC layers. The indentation stress-strain curves by Hertzian indentation and the load-penetration depth curves by nanoindentation indicate that the new TBC layer has higher damage resistance combined with superior thermal insulation properties rather than commercial YSZ coatings.

Abstract: The low thermal expansion (α25-1100oC = 0.05 ~ 1.6 × 10–6/K) of Al2TiO5 ceramics are apparently due to a combination of grain boundary micro cracking caused by the large thermal expansion anisotropy of the crystal axes of the Al2TiO5 phase. During the reheating run, the individual crystallites expanded at low temperature; thus, the solid volume of the specimen expanded into the micro cracks, where as the macroscopic dimensions remained almost unchanged. As a result, the material expanded very little. The micro cracks closed at higher temperatures. This result is closely related to relatively steeper thermal expansion curves.

Abstract: A glass layer with high hardness and fatigue resistance is coated on the aluminum titanate (Al2TiO5) – mullite (3Al2O3⋅2SiO2) composites to improve wear and fatigue resistances. Mullite is added to aluminum titanate to constraint the decomposition of aluminum titanate and exhibit high mechanical strength as well as high elastic modulus. The aluminum titanate composites with various quasi-ductilities through controlling the contents of mullite in the substrate layers are prepared in this study. The results of the load-displacement curves and the resulting contact damages on the surface of glass coating layer by spherical indentation indicate that mullite addition and the glass coating is effective.

Abstract: As the oxygen permeation flux of La0.7Sr0.3Ga0.6Fe0.4O3-δ (LSGF) membranes is lower than commercial membranes, we coated the nano porous La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-δ (LSC) particles to enhance the oxygen permeation flux. The nano porous LSC particles were synthesized in an advanced process to increase the volume fraction of nano pores by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis. The synthesized LSC particles consisted of nano sized primary particles and pores. They also had remarkably high surface area (22 m2/g). It was found that the LSGF membrane coated by the nano porous LSC resulted in significant improvement in the oxygen permeability.

Abstract: Silicon nitride ceramics were prepared by new nitrided pressureless sintering (NPS) process in this study. The microstructures, strengths and thermal properties of the NPS silicon nitride ceramics containing three types of Al2O3 and Y2O3 sintering additives were investigated. Additionally, we have investigated the effect of silicon metal contents changing with 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt% in each composition. The silicon nitride was successfully densified using NPS process, particularly at the starting composition of 5 wt.% Al2O3, 5 wt.% Y2O3, and 5 wt.% Si addition. The maximum flexural strengths and relative densities of these specimens were 500 MPa and 98%, respectively. The flexural strength of sintered specimens after the thermal shock test between 30oC and 1300oC for 20,000 cycles was maintained with the original laboratory strength of 500MPa by low thermal expansion coefficient, 2.9 × 10-6/oC, and high thermal conductivity, 28 W/m⋅oC.

Abstract: Hardness and wear resistant characteristics of reaction-bonded silicon carbides with boron carbide additions are evaluated relative to those of reaction bonded silicon carbide (RBSC). The reaction-bonded SiC-B4C composites exhibit a distinctive improvement of hardness and wear resistance, indicative of high resistance against wear environment. Removal rates for the wear tests are decisively reduced by the addition of boron carbide in the composites. Controlling the amount of carbon content in the starting composition more enhances the hardness of the reaction-bonded composites. Implications concerning the partial decomposition of B4C during reaction process are considered.

Abstract: A layer consisting of La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-d particles with inner nano-pores is coated on the La0.7Sr0.3Ga0.6Fe0.4O3-d oxide to improve the surface reaction resulting in high oxygen permeability. The La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-d particles with inner nano-pores are synthesized by an ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method. The permeated oxygen contents from air to helium gas were measured using gas chromatography after the synthesized particles were coated on the La0.7Sr0.3Ga0.6Fe0.4O3-d oxide by the conventional screen-printing. The results demonstrated that the reactive free surfaces of the nano-pores are an important factor in determining the oxygen permeation for application such as gas separation membrane and ceramic fuel cell.