Papers by Author: S. Kurama

Abstract: In the present study the oxidation behavior of β-SiAlON ceramics, which were produced from conventional and high energy mechanical milled powders, was investigated. High energy mechanically milled powders have lower particle sizes ( 130 nm) than those of conventional powders (216 nm) and fully densified at lower temperatures with less amount of additives. The amount of additive is an important parameter to improve the high temperature oxidation resistance of SiAlON ceramics. The cyclic and isothermal oxidation tests were carried out at 1300 and 1400°C in dry air environment. The weight gain of oxidized samples was measured during the oxidation process. The alteration of oxide layer was analyzed by XRD and SEM. The results indicate that oxidation resistance of the samples produced from mechanically milled powders with less amount of additive is higher than that of conventional one. Therefore, β-SiAlON ceramics which were sintered at 100°C lower temperatures with less amount of additive (3.5 wt. % Y2O3), showed a better oxidation resistance.

Abstract: Nd-doped α-SiAlON starting composition (Nd0.33Si9.38Al2.62O1.62N14.38) was prepared by gas pressure sintering at 1825°C for 3 hrs. In order to explore the effect of post heat treatment on the developments of elongated α-SiAlON grains, sample was heat treated at 1800°C for 4-12 hrs. It was found that post heat treatments promoted formation of the elongated α-SiAlON grains. The controlling mechanism of grain growth was determined via plotting on a graph the growth in width/length versus time graphics using Image Analysis method. Different growth rates were found between the length and width direction of the α-SiAlON crystals, resulting in anisotropic grain growth in the microstructural development.

Abstract: At temperature above 1200°C, the thermal stability of α-SiAlON phases has been debated since 1992; however, it has been discussed if any α-SiAlON phase can be formed in Ce, La, Eu and Sr-doped SiAlON systems. In our previous studies it was shown that the use of Mg-Ce and Mg-Sr elements as dopants SiAlON compositions, in which all elements just have very low or no stability in the α-SiAlON structure, would promote the stability of Mg-Ce elements in the α- SiAlON phase [1, 2]. However, in Mg-Sr systems, it was obtained that Mg2+ is predominantly incorporated in α-SiAlON structure whereas Sr2+ mainly remains in the grain boundaries [2]. In this study, by applying spark plasma sintering (SPS) (at 1400-1700°C) and post-sintering thermal heat treatment (at 1500°C for 5 hrs and 1700°C for 2hrs) Mg or Mg-Sr doped SiAlON (50:50 mole ratios) ceramics were prepared. The results were compared with GPS sintered samples data. The effect of sintering temperature on densification process, phase transformation, microstructure and mechanical properties of samples were investigated. The results showed that by using SPS, Sr-Mg doped samples can be sintered at lower temperature (at 1600°C) than at GPS (at 1800°C) and it has no Sr-doped grain boundary phases.