| Ultra-high temperature ceramics are being investigated for future use in aerospace applications due to their superior thermo-mechanical properties, as well as oxidation resistance, at temperatures above 2000°C. However, their brittle properties make them susceptible to thermal shock failure. Components fabricated as functionally graded materials (FGMs) can combine the superior properties of ceramics with the toughness of an underlying refractory metal by fabricating graded composites. This paper discusses the grading of two materials through the use of a Freeze-form Extrusion Fabrication (FEF) system to build FGMs parts consisting of zirconium carbide (ZrC) and tungsten (W). Aqueous-based colloidal suspensions of ZrC and W were developed and utilized in the FEF process to fabricate test bars graded from 100%ZrC to 50%W-50%ZrC (volume percent). Following FEF processing the test bars were co-sintered at 2300°C and characterized to determine their resulting density and micro-structure. Four-point bending tests were performed to assess the strength of test bars made using the FEF process, compared to test bars prepared using conventional powder processing and isostatic pressing techniques, for five distinct ZrC-W compositions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to verify the inner structure of composite parts built using the FEF process. |
