Design and manufacture of ultra-high temperature ceramics with oriented strengthening and toughening phases

The Horizontal Dip-Spin Casting (HDSC) Process, a newly designed method for the fabrication of ceramic composites, affords alignment of a reinforcing high aspect ratio phase while attaining curvature in the specimen. In this process, highly loaded aqueous ceramic suspensions (>50 vol. %) are produced with a minimum amount of polymer (∼1-5 vol. %). During forming, cylindrical foam molds are dipped in the suspension and rotated uniaxially to produce the alignment of the reinforcing phase. Rheological studies using suspensions containing alumina powder and alumina powder/carbon-whiskers, the model material systems for the process design, revealed that suspensions containing Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a viscosity modifier follow a yield-pseudoplastic flow behavior. Green bodies have been fabricated with C-whiskers content <30 vol. % and considerable alignment of the strengthening phase has been achieved. Monolithic alumina green bodies fabricated from suspensions containing 2.6 and 5.1 vol. % polymer carrier can be machined and sintered. The same principals of fabrication have been applied to ZrB2 ultrahigh-temperature ceramic composites (UHTCCs). ZrB2 green bodies were produced after careful selection of polymer, dispersant and mold material to demonstrate the applicability of HDSC to UHTCCs.