Papers by Author: Rong Jun Xie

Abstract: -sialon and related compounds have been long known as structural ceramics due to their excellent thermomechanical properties. In this paper, we will present the luminescence of rare earth ions (i.e., Ce3+, Eu2+, Tb3+, Yb2+) in -sialons. The emission of Eu2+ in -sialon related compounds is also summarized. The interesting luminescent properties -sialon and related compounds enable them for use as promising down-conversion phosphors in white light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

Abstract: A commercial silicon nitride powder with sintering additives was ground by high-energy milling to reduce particle size. Nanometer sized powder was obtained. The powder was densified for short time by spark plasma sintering to prevent grain growth. Nanometer-grained Si3N4 ceramics were obtained. Plastic deformation of the Si3N4 nano-ceramics has been studied in compression over a wide range of strain rates and temperatures. The experimental results revealed that a transition in stress exponent, n, at each temperature. The n value decreased from ~ 2 to ~ 1 with increasing applied stress. Activation energy was also different for the two regions, decreasing from 858.2 kJ/mol in the n ~ 2 region to 571.8 kJ/mol in the n ~ 1 region. Effect of sintering additives on plastic deformation was also discussed.

Abstract: In previous report, we succeeded in preparing dense nano-sized ceramics with the composition of Y- α-sialon (m=1.35, n=0.675) by high-energy mechanical milling followed by spark plasma sintering. The superplastic deformation of the obtained nano-ceramics was studied in this report. A good ductility of the nano-sized ceramics has been confirmed, which arised from the nano-sized grains and large amount of transient liquid phase. The effects of deformation on the phase and microstructural evolution were also studied. The nano-sized grains promoted the formation of elongated α-sialon grains during post-annealing at 1850oC for 3 h, which would strengthen and toughen the deformed ceramics.

Abstract: Rare-earth doped Ca-α-SiAlON phosphors, with the compositions of (Ca1-3/2xREx)m/2Si12-m-nAlm+nOnN16-n (RE = Ce, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb and Dy, 0.5 ≤ m = 2n ≤ 3.0), were prepared by reaction at 1700oC for 2h under 10 atm N2. The concentration of rare earths varied from 3 to 30 at% with respect to Ca. The photoluminescence properties of the powders were investigated at room temperature. The results show that (i) strong visible emissions are observed in rare-earth doped Ca-α-SiAlONs; (ii) the emission properties can be optimized by tailoring the activator concentration and the composition of the α-SiAlON host crystal; and (iii) the yellow Eu2+-doped Ca-α-SiAlON phosphors can be used in warm white LEDs.

Abstract: Y- α-sialon (m=1.35, n=0.675) ceramics were prepared by high-energy mechanical milling followed by spark plasma sintering. The milling promoted not only liquid-phase sintering, but also phase transformation from β-Si3N4 to α-sialon. Under the same holding time of 5 min, milled powder could be completely densified at 1500oC, which is about 250oC lower than that required for as-received powder. The temperature where the phase transformation finished was 1600oC and 1750oC for milled and as-received powder, respectively. The grain size of obtained dense ceramics from milled powder was significantly decreased. Nano-sized dense ceramics have been obtained by sintering the milled powder at 1500oC for 5 min. Although 100 % α-sialon has not been achieved, the nano-sized ceramics can be used for superplastic deformation, taking advantage of small grain size and large amount of transient liquid phase.

Abstract: The fabrication of dense Si3N4 nano-ceramics via a high-energy mechanical milling process and subsequent spark plasma sintering (SPS) was reported in this paper. A thermodynamically stable β-Si3N4 powder mixed with 5-mol% Y2O3 and 2-mol% Al2O3 was used as starting powders for high-energy mechanical milling. Milling resulted in the significant decrease of crystalline size and the amorphization of the starting powders. Based on XRD measurements, the amount of the amorphous phase and the grain sizes of the remaining crystalline silicon nitride depended on the charge ratio. Milled powders could be SPSed at relatively low temperature. A homogenous dense silicon nitride ceramics with grain diameter of about 70 nm could be fabricated through SPS at a low temperature of 1600oC for 5 min. The significant decrease of grain size greatly increased the hardness of obtained ceramics.