Papers by Author: Yoshio Sakka

Abstract: Textured PbTiO3 (PT) ceramics were fabricated by slip casting in a high magnetic field of 12 T. The sample obtained from the powder calcined at 1100 °C was (100), (010), and (001)-oriented, and the orientation factor was 90 %. On the other hand, the sample obtained from the powder calcined at 900 °C was not oriented. Aggregability and crystallinity of powder are an important factor when textured ceramics are fabricated by slip casting in a high magnetic field.

Abstract: The mechanical properties of ceramics materials can be tailored by designing their microstructures. Residual stress is one of the important factors for controlling the crack propagation and consequently improving the mechanical properties. On the other hand, development of the crystallographic orientation even in a diamagnetic ceramic can be controlled by colloidal processing in a strong magnetic field. In this study, alumina/alumina laminar composites with different crystalline-oriented layers were fabricated by EPD in a strong magnetic field in order to control the residual stress using the difference in the thermal expansion of each layer.

Abstract: We report the fabrication of p- and n-type thermoelectric oxide thick films laminated by insulating alumina using electrophoretic deposition and their thermoelectric performance. From the experimental studies performed for optimization of the thermoelectric performance in the p- and n-type mono-layers, the control of sintering temperature for densification and the usage of fine powder were effective for reducing the electrical resistivity of thermoelectric layers. These findings could be applicable also to the triple-layered thick films. When one assumes that two triple-layered films of p- and n-type thermoelectric materials are combined as unicouple of thermoelectric module, an estimated maximum output power was 20 times higher than a measured maximum output power of a previously reported multi-layered thermoelectric module. It was found that precise control of the microstructure in the thermoelectric layers is indispensable for development of the thermoelectric modules based on the electrophoretic deposition.

Abstract: Crystal-oriented and crack-free thin TiO2 films with a good interfacial adhesion on indium-tin oxide (ITO) glass substrates for photoelectrodes were fabricated by the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method in a 12 T strong magnetic field. A binder-free suspension for the EPD was prepared by dispersing TiO2 in the mixture of 2-propanol and 2,4-pentanedione. The electrophoretic mobility and the sedimentation rate were measured at various ratios of the mixed solution. The optimized state of the suspension exhibiting the highest surface charge potential and producing deposits with the highest green density was obtained at the 50:50 mixing ratio. The TiO2 films were characterized by XRD and SEM analyses. The photo-current measurement was also conducted to investigate the relation between the photo-anode characteristics of a dye-sensitized solar cell and the plane orientation of the TiO2 films

Abstract: Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) from aqueous suspension generally forms deposit containing incorporated bubbles because of evolution of gases at electrodes due to electrolysis of water. We have demonstrated here that application of pulsed voltage /current instead of continuous DC enables controlling the amount of bubble incorporation and obtain bubble-free deposits during EPD of aqueous suspension. The yield and bubble incorporation decreased progressively with decrease in size of the applied pulse. A characteristic band of deposition window was found in the plot of voltage/current vs. pulse width within which smooth and bubble-free deposits are obtained. The window is wider at low applied voltages/currents than at higher voltages/currents implying that it is more easier to control the pulsed EPD at lower applied voltages and/currents. No deposition occurred below the window whereas deposits with incorporated bubbles formed above the window. Suppression of bubbles with decreasing pulse size was attributed to decrease in the amount of hydrogen evolved per pulse and verified by monitoring the gain in weight of palladium (Pd) electrode used as cathode during electrolysis of water.

Abstract: This paper reports the texture development in Si3N4 by strong magnetic field alignment (SMFA), using slip casting of α-Si3N4 raw powder (SN-E10) and pressureless sintering. The texture of β-Si3N4 in the green and sintered bodies was characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The a, b-axis and c-axis aligned β-Si3N4 has been obtained by the static and rotating magnetic field of 12 T, respectively. The β-seed addition and prolonged sintering both enhance the texture, but the former is more efficient. This work suggests an efficient SMFA strategy of producing highly textured β-Si3N4, particularly the unidirectionally c-axis aligned β-Si3N4 by seeding the α-raw powder using the less-agglomerated β-phase particles.

Abstract: Cathodic electrophoretic deposition of bimodal alumina suspension was performed using conductive polypyrrole (Ppy) film as an electrode. The coating of the Ppy on nonconductive ceramic substrates was performed by polymerization of pyrrole (Py) in an aqueous solution. The relative green density of the deposits measured by Archimedes’ method was 68 %. Alumina ceramics were obtained by sintering the deposits together with the Ppy coated ceramic substrates in air.

Abstract: We have reported that development of texture can be controlled by colloidal processing in a strong magnetic field followed by heating even for diamagnetic ceramics such as alumina, titania and so on. We demonstrate in this study that alumina/alumina laminar composites with different crystalline-oriented layer are produced by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) in a strong magnetic field. This composite was fabricated by alternately changing the angle between the directions of the magnetic and electric fields layer by layer during EPD in 12T. The grains in alternate layers are aligned differently.

Abstract: Recently to improve properties, highly microstructure controlled ceramics such as fine-grained, textured and laminated structures are required. We have demonstrated a new processing of textured ceramics with a feeble magnetic susceptibility by colloidal processing in a high magnetic field and subsequent heating. As colloidal processing, slip casting and electrophoretic deposition (EPD) have been conducted successfully. Colloidal processing is known to be a powerful method for consolidating fine particles with a high density and homogeneous microstructure. The degree of orientation strongly depends on the particle dispersion and some processing factors, such as particle size, applied magnetic field, concentration of the suspension, sintering temperature, etc. Crystalline-textured controlled laminated composites can be fabricated using EPD by varying the angle between the vectors of electric field and magnetic field. Also textured ceramics with complicated structure can be fabricated by reaction sintering. The colloidal processing in a high magnetic field confers several advantages and it is possible for this type of processing to be applied to non-cubic ceramics, such as alumina, titania, zinc oxide, tin oxide, hydroxy apatite, aluminium nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, etc. The textured ceramics showed anisotropic properties depending on the crystal plane.

Abstract: An average particle size of d ≈ 300 nm can be reduced to a nanocrystalline size of about 10 nm or less after 400 h HEBM process. Amorphous-like phase is also observed among the nanocrystalline particles. Using SPS, the nanocrystalline powder can successfully be consolidated into a dense nanocrystalline ZrO2-spinel composite of d ≈ 90 nm. As compared with the data for submicro-grain composite with d = 350 nm, nano-crystalization increased the strain rate by one order of magnitude or lowered the deforming temperature by about 100 K.