Thermal shock behavior of ZrB₂--SiC ceramics with different quenching media

Abstract

The thermal shock behavior of ZrB₂--SiC ceramics was studied with water, air and methyl silicone oil as quenching media, respectively. The temperature of all coolants was room temperature (25°C) and the residual strength of the ceramics after quenching was tested. The strength of the ceramics after water quenching had an obvious drop when the temperature difference, ΔT, was about 275°C, while the residual strength of the specimens quenched by air and silicone oil only varied a little and even increased slightly when the temperature difference was higher than 800°C. The different thermal conductive coefficient of the coolants and surface heat transfer coefficient resulted in the differences in the thermal shock behavior. The formation of oxidation layer was beneficial for improving the residual strength of the ceramics after quenching.

Keywords

ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC) / zirconium diboride (ZrB₂) / silicon carbide (SiC) / thermal shock resistance / mechanical property

References

[1] Fahrenholtz W G, Hilmas G E, Talmy I G, . Refractory diborides of zirconium and hafnium. Journal of the American Ceramic Society , 2007, 90(5): 1347-1364
[2] Wang H L, Wang C A, Chen D L, . Preparation and characterization of ZrB₂-SiC ultra-high temperature ceramics by microwave sintering. Frontiers of Materials Science in China , 2010, 4(3): 276-280
[3] Opeka M M, Talmy I G, Wuchina E J, . Mechanical, thermal, and oxidation properties of refractory hafnium and zirconium compounds. Journal of the European Ceramic Society , 1999, 19(13-14): 2405-2414
[4] Opeka M M, Talmy I G, Zaykoski J A. Oxidation-based materials selection for 2000°C+ hypersonic aerosurfaces: theoretical considerations and historical experience. Journal of Materials Science , 2004, 39(19): 5887-5904
[5] Monteverde F, Guicciardi S, Melandri C, . Densification, microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of ultrafine SiC particle-dispersed ZrB₂ matrix composites, . In: Orlovskaya N,Lugovy M, eds. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series B: Physics and Biophysics. Boron Rich Solids: Sensors, Ultra High Temperature Ceramics, Thermoelectrics, Armor . Springer, 2011, 261 -272
[6] Monteverde F. The addition of SiC particles into a MoSi₂-doped ZrB₂ matrix: Effects on densification, microstructure and thermo-physical properties. Materials Chemistry and Physics , 2009, 113(2-3): 626-633
[7] Zhang Z P, Shao Y F, Song F. Characteristics of crack patterns controlling the retained strength of ceramics after thermal shock. Frontiers of Materials Science in China , 2010, 4(3): 251-254
[8] Zimmermann J W, Hilmas G E, Fahrenholtz W G. Thermal shock resistance of ZrB₂ and ZrB₂-30% SiC. Materials Chemistry and Physics , 2008, 112(1): 140-145
[9] Meng S H, Liu G Q, Guo Y, . Mechanisms of thermal shock failure for ultra-high temperature ceramic. Materials & Design , 2009, 30(6): 2108-2112
[10] Hugot F, Glandus J C. Thermal shock of alumina by compressed air cooling. Journal of the European Ceramic Society , 2007, 27(4): 1919-1925
[11] Osterstock F, Monot I, Desgardin G, . Influence of grain size on the toughness and thermal shock resistance of polycrystalline YBa₂Cu₃O₇-_δ. Journal of the European Ceramic Society , 1996, 16(7): 687-694
[12] Absi J, Glandus J C. Improved method for severe thermal shocks testing of ceramics by water quenching. Journal of the European Ceramic Society , 2004, 24(9): 2835-2838
[13] Tao W S. An Introduction to Heat Transfer. Beijing: Higher Education Press, 2002 (in Chinese)
[14] Monteverde F, Scatteia L. Resistance to thermal shock and to oxidation of metal diborides-SiC ceramics for aerospace application. Journal of the American Ceramic Society , 2007, 90(4): 1130-1138
[15] Kingery W D, Bowen H K, Uhlmann D R. Introduction to Ceramics (2nd edition). New York: John Wiley & Sons Publisher, 1975
[16] Hu P, Wang Z, Sun X. Effect of surface oxidation on thermal shock resistance of ZrB₂-SiC-G composite. International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials , 2010, 28(2): 280-285