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Correlation Between Pressureless Sintering, Microstructure, and Properties of ZrB2-SiC-Y2O3 Composites

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Abstract

The influence of Y2O3 addition on densification, physical, mechanical, thermal, and oxidation properties of ZrB2-20 vol.%SiC- (0-15 vol.%Y2O3) composites was investigated in the present study. Powders of ZrB2-SiC-Y2O3 were cold compacted uniaxially, and green compacts were densified by pressure-less sintering. Results indicate that Y2O3 addition improves the sinterability and mechanical properties, whereas it diminishes the electrical and thermal conductivities of the investigated composites. Removal of surface oxides by the additives and segregation of Y2O3 particles at the triple junction of the ZrB2 grains enhances densification. Reduction in porosity (9.5-4.2%) through Y2O3 addition (0-15 vol.%) improves hardness (up to 52%), relative elastic modulus (up to 9%), and fracture toughness (up to 26%) of the investigated composites. The electrical conductivity has been observed to vary in the range of 2.67-1.92 106 S/m, and thermal diffusivity values decrease with an increase in Y2O3 content and temperature. Oxidation studies indicate that the ZrB2-SiC composite shows better oxidation resistance than other investigated composites. Characterization of oxidized scales confirms the formation of a thicker oxide layer over the samples containing Y2O3.

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Acknowledgments

The project's financial support [DST, SERB, CRG/2019/004057] is gratefully acknowledged. The authors would like to express their appreciation to Dr. Lokesh C. Pathak, Chief Scientist, CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, for permitting us to use their laboratory facilities. The authors acknowledge Dr. Gayatri Paul of Department of Production and Industrial Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India for providing experimental facility for the thermal diffusivity measurement of the composites. The Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (Zeiss-SIGMA) facility at NIT Durgapur's Centre of Excellence in Advanced Materials has been recognized. The authors would also like to thank Mr. Shambhu Sarkar of COE NIT Durgapur for gathering FESEM and EDX data. We'd also like to thank Mr. Hiranmay Bairagya, of the XRD lab, for the XRD studies.

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    S. Sarkar, M. K. Mondal & M. Mallik

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This article is an invited submission to the Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance selected from presentations at the 4th International Conference on Processing & Characterization of Materials (ICPCM 2022) held December 9–11, 2022, at the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha, India. It has been expanded from the original presentation. The issue was organized by Prof. Joao Pedro Oliveira, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal; Prof. B. Venkata Manoj Kumar, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India; Dr. D. Arvindha Babu, DMRL, DRDO, Hyderabad, India; Prof. Kumud Kant Mehta and Prof. Anshuman Patra, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Odisha, India; and Prof. Manab Mallik, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, India.

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Sarkar, S., Mondal, M.K. & Mallik, M. Correlation Between Pressureless Sintering, Microstructure, and Properties of ZrB2-SiC-Y2O3 Composites. J. of Materi Eng and Perform (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-024-09417-3

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