This paper concentrates on the microstructural features of steel containing 22 wt. % Cr, coated with Cr2O3 by laser processing. It turned out that after laser coating the Cr2O3 powder has completely transformed to Fe0.3Cr2.7O4 having the tetragonal distorted spinel structure. Dispersed in the coating are metallic particles with composition FeCr and a bcc structure. The phases in the coating can be explained from the Fe-Cr-O equilibrium phase diagram with the assumption that complete phase equilibrium is reached in the liquid state but not during solidification. The two equilibrium phases, L0 and Lm, that exist in the molten state solidify as two independent liquids. Addition of Si to the ceramic material, either from the steel matrix or from the ceramic powder, results in a dendritic solidification structure of Cr3O4 dendrites and a Si-containing glassy phase. The dendrites are oriented vertically in the coating, resembling the columnar microstructure that is also observed in ZrO2 thermal barrier coatings. This structure contains fewer microcracks parallel to the interface resulting in a mechanically more stable ceramic coating.

The high-temperature oxidation of CrN films which were deposited onto stainless steel substrates using an arc ion plating apparatus was studied at temperatures ranging from 1023 to 1173 K for 0.6 to 480 ks in air. The oxidation rate obtained from mass gain as a function of time was found to fit well to a parabolic time dependence. Formed oxide layers were analyzed by XRD, SEM, and SAM. An activation energy of the oxidation of CrN was slightly lower than that of the self-diffusion coefficient of Cr ion in Cr2O3. It is concluded that the oxidation of CrN is controlled by the outward diffusion of Cr ions through the Cr2O3 layer formed on each CrN grain.

Lead- and titanium-based oxide thin films were prepared by the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition technique (MOCVD) and the relationship between the film structures and the processing parameters, such as the ratio of Pb/Ti precursors in the gas phase, substrate materials, substrate surface orientation, and growth temperature, was systematically studied. It was found that whether a single-phase stoichiometric PbTiO3 film could be obtained depended on both the Pb/Ti precursor ratio in the gas phase and the deposition temperature. Under appropriate conditions, stoichiometric PbTiO3, films could be obtained on all the substrates including silicon, MgO, α-Al2O3, SrTiO3, and LaAlO3. The PbTiO3 films grown on silicon substrates were always polycrystalline, whereas epitaxial PbTiO3 films were obtainable on all the other substrates. For epitaxial PbTiO3 films, the epitaxial relationship, crystallinity, and domain structures were found to be a function of both the substrate materials and surface orientation as well as the deposition temperature. X-ray rocking curves (ω scan) of the (100) and (001) planes of PbTiO3 epitaxial film and PbTiO3 single crystal revealed the inherent nature of the domain structures in PbTiO3.

ZnO seed grains are derived from washing ZnO-BaO sintered disks in boiling water. The grain growth of ZnO results from the energy difference across a curved grain boundary. The growth dynamics of ZnO grains and the dissolution of BaO in the boiling water are studied. The classical model shows that the growth of ZnO grains depends on grain boundary diffusion. The dissolution of BaO in boiling water can be considered as the diffusion of BaO in boiling water. The weight percent of BaO dissolved in boiling water varies linearly with the thickness of ZnO-BaO sintered disks and the reciprocal of the square root of the boiling time.

Powders of nanocrystalline aluminum nitride (AlN) and boron nitride (BN) were prepared via a chemical route. Precomposite gels, which were obtained from ammonolysis of aqueous solutions of boric acid, urea, and aluminum chloride hexahydrate, were thermally processed to produce AlN-BN nanocomposite powders with a wide range of compositions. These powders were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The structure, morphology, and crystallite size of the powders are correlated with the compositions and processing temperature. Normal and abnormal grain growth are discussed.

EPR and magnetization measurements of La2NiO4 samples prepared by two different methods are discussed. From the comparison with magnetization and EPR properties of metallic nickel it can be concluded that the sample prepared by the ceramic method is contaminated with ∼ 1% of metallic nickel whereas no evidence of contamination is found in a sample prepared by the so-called liquid-mix technique.

Hydroxyapatite ceramics have been fabricated by microwave sintering in a 500 W microwave oven. Circular-plate specimens of various green densities were sintered in the oven at 1200 and 1300 °C, for 5, 10, and 20 min, respectively. Ceramics with density up to 97% of the theoretical were obtained. Density, grain size, microstructure, and strength of the ceramics sintered by microwave and by conventional methods were compared. The results show that microwave sintering of hydroxyapatite is not only highly efficient in saving time and energy, but can also improve the microstructure and thus enhance mechanical strength of the ceramics.

Ground granulated blast-furnace slag was reacted in 5 M (pH 14.7) and 1.5 M (pH 14.2) NaOH solutions at a water/slag ratio of ∼0.4, and characterized by unconfined compressive strength testing, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction. The reacted material consisted of a dense layered matrix interspersed with unreacted glass particles and regions of reaction products with higher porosity. CSH(I) and (C, M)4AH13 were identified by x-ray diffraction. The C-S-H (calcium silicate hydrate) phase is proposed to consist mainly of structurally imperfect layers of tobermorite, interleaved with layers of (C, M)4AH13. Other cations, most significantly Na+, are incorporated into the structure. Use of the highly concentrated solution (5 M) produced a higher degree of reaction and, consequently, higher compressive strength (38 MPa after 28 days for 5 M solution vs 21 MPa for 1.5 M).

The effect of fiber coating on the creep behavior and damage mechanisms of unnotched SCS-6 fiber-reinforced Ti3Al matrix composites under longitudinal and transverse loading was investigated at 700 °C. Stresses ranging from 700 to 900 MPa and 200 to 400 MPa were used for longitudinal and transverse loading, respectively. An Ag/Ta duplex layer was coated onto the SCS-6 fiber prior to consolidation via physical vapor deposition. The microstructure of the crept composites was examined to determine the creep deformation mechanisms. The creep cracking behavior of the notched composites was also studied at initial stress intensity factors, Ki, ranging from 15 to 20 MPa-m1/2. Microstructural observation revealed that multiple fiber fracture (at low to medium stress levels), microcracking along the reaction zone/matrix interface (at medium stress levels), and matrix cracking extending from the broken fiber ends (at high stress levels) were the major damage mechanisms during quasi-steady state creep under longitudinal loading. The results show that the Ag/Ta duplex coating significantly improved the creep resistance and flexural strength of the composite under transverse loading. The Ag/Ta duplex coating was also shown to significantly prolong the creep rupture life of SiC fiber-reinforced Ti3Al composites.

The anisotropies and mechanical properties of hot-pressed Al2O3 and SiC-whisker/Al2O3 composites were investigated. The c-axis of Al2O3 crystals in monolithic Al2O3 was oriented in the direction of hot-pressing. The same tendency was observed in Al2O3 matrices of composites, but orientation of Al2O3 crystals was smaller than that of monolithic Al2O3. SiC-whiskers obstructed plastic deformation and mass transfer of Al2O3 matrices. The twist mode crack deflection was remarkable on fractured surfaces of polycrystalline Al2O3 in which the main crack propagated perpendicular to hot-pressing direction. This was caused by the orientation of Al2O3 crystals. This anisotropy resulted in a small difference in fracture toughness; however, other mechanicl properties didn't change. The fracture mode of SiC-whisker/Al2O3 composites was obviously changed, depending on the direction of crack extension as compared with the changes observed in monolithic Al2O3. However, there was no difference in mechanical properties among the composites. Macroscopic fracture mode seemed to have less effect than microscopic fracture mechanism, such as whisker bridging and pull-out.

Precursor glass and glass-ceramics with molar composition 2Na2O · ICaO · 3SiO2 are studied by infrared, conventional, and microprobe Raman techniques. The Gaussian deconvoluted Raman spectrum of the glass presents bands at 625 and 660 cm−1, attributed to bending vibrations of Si-O-Si bonds, and at 860, 920, 975, and 1030 cm−1, attributed to symmetric stretching vibrations of SiO4 tetrahedra with 4, 3, 2, and 1 nonbridging oxygens, respectively. The Raman microprobe spectrum of a highly crystallized sample presents two narrow and intense bands at about 590 and 980 cm−1, associated with vibrations of SiO4 tetrahedra with two nonbridging oxygens, in agreement with the predicted chain-like structure of crystalline metasilicates. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the crystals distributed in partially crystallized samples have a spherical shape, built up by radially oriented needle-like single crystals. The Raman microprobe spectra of these spherulites show that they still contain residual amorphous material. A comparison of Raman and infrared spectra of amorphous and highly crystallized samples is presented.

Diffusion barriers of silica were deposited on soda-lime glass using a sol-gel technique. The migration of sodium from the glass through these layers and into a spray-pyrolyzed layer of fluorine-doped tin oxide was studied by SIMS depth profiling. The silica layer reduced sodium in the tin oxide overlayer by two orders of magnitude.

Fe-Cr/Al2O3 metal-ceramic composites prepared by hydrogen reduction at different temperatures and for different periods have been investigated by a combined use of Mössbauer spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy in order to obtain information on the nature of the metallic species formed. Total reduction of Fe3+ does not occur by increasing the reduction time at 1320 K from 1 to 30 h, and the amount of superparamagnetic metallic species is essentially constant (about 10%). Temperatures higher than 1470 K are needed to achieve nearly total reduction of substitutional Fe3+. Interestingly, iron favors the reduction of chromium. The composition of the Fe-Cr particles is strongly dependent on their size, the Cr content being higher in particles smaller than 10 nm.

Films of PbO/MoS2, grown by pulsed laser deposition, exhibit a significant improvement in tribological performance compared to MoS2 films grown by the same process. The microstructure and crystallography of PbO/MoS2 composite films were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to identify the features responsible for this tribological improvement. Self-supporting samples were prepared from pulsed laser deposited, PbO/MoS2 thin films grown on single crystal sodium chloride substrates. Films deposited at room temperature exhibited a two-phase microstructure with one of the phases being amorphous. X-ray microanalysis results showed that the crystalline phase had significantly higher concentration ratios of Mo/Pb, Mo/S, and Pb/S than did the amorphous phase. Films grown at 300 °C were polycrystalline, with a grain size of about 20 nm, and had a NaCl type structure which was isomorphous to PbS. The grains had rectangular shape, and exhibited preferred orientation with the sodium chloride substrate. The concentration of S for these films was approximately 80% of the S concentration for films grown at room temperature. Both the high temperature and room temperature films had S concentrations which were higher than expected from the MoS2 in the target; this was attributed to gettering of the S in the vacuum chamber by Pb. The electron diffraction results, together with previously published results, suggest that the crystal structure of the phases in these films is not responsible for the improvement in tribological properties. However, the microstructural components formed during film growth do determine the wear-induced chemical reaction pathways.

In this study, we have investigated the microwave dielectric behavior of a composite formed by embedding nickel-coated graphite fibers in an epoxy matrix. Permittivities of composites in the X-band frequency range as a function of fiber concentration, fiber length, and the degree of fiber aggregation were studied. Fiber aggregation was reduced significantly by the addition of silica particles to the composite mixture before epoxy curing. Predictions from the mean field theory fit the experimental data well at dilute fiber concentrations.