From ceramic–matrix nanocomposites to the synthesis of carbon nanotubes

The selective reduction in H₂ of oxide solid solutions produces nanocomposite powders in which transition metal nanoparticles are dispersed inside and on the surface of the oxide matrix grains. When using a H₂/CH₄ reducing atmosphere, the metal nanoparticles that form on the surface of the oxide grains act as catalysts for the CH₄ decomposition and, because of their small size at high temperatures (>800^○C), favor the in-situ nucleation and growth of single-wall and thin multiwall carbon nanotubes. This article reviews our results on the synthesis and characterization of M-MgAl₂O₄ (M=Fe, Fe/Co, Fe/Ni) nanocomposite powders, without and with carbon nanotubes, emphasizing the information that can be derived from Mössbauer spectroscopy as a complement to other characterization techniques.     

Plastic flow and fracture of amorphous intercrystalline layers in ceramic nanocomposites

A theoretical model has been proposed for describing the plastic flow and fracture of amorphous intercrystalline layers in ceramic nanocomposites. The mechanism of plastic deformation has been considered as homogeneous nucleation and growth of liquidlike phase inclusions subjected to plastic shear. It has been demonstrated using a nanoceramic material consisting of TiN nanocrystallites and Si₃N₄ amorphous layers as an example that, when the length of the amorphous layer is reached and a considerable dislocation charge is accumulated, these inclusions induce the formation and growth of Mode I–II cracks in neighboring amorphous layers. In this case, the possibility of opening and growing the crack depends very strongly on the test temperature, the layer orientation, and the size of nanoceramic grains. An increase in the temperature and the angle of orientation and a decrease in the size of nanoceramic grains favor an increase in the crack resistance.     

Effect of solute atoms on fracture toughness in dilute magnesium alloys

The effect of alloying elements on the toughness and the fracture behaviour was investigated on seven kinds of Mg-0.3?at.% X (X?=?Ag, Al, Ca, Pb, Sn, Y and Zn) alloys with a grain size of 3–5?μm. The fracture toughness and fracture behaviour in magnesium alloys were closely related to the segregation energy. The Mg–Al and –Zn alloys that had small segregation energy showed high toughness and ductile fracture in most regions, while the Mg–Ca alloy with large segregation energy exhibited low toughness and intergranular fracture. These different tendencies resulted from solute segregation at grain boundaries (GBs). The change in the lattice parameter ratio was the influential material parameter regardless of whether the GB embrittlement was for enhancement or suppression.     

Small-scale fracture toughness of ceramic thin films: the effects of specimen geometry,ion beam notching and high temperature on chromium nitride toughness evaluation

For the implementation of thin ceramic hard coatings into intensive application environments, the fracture toughness is a particularly important material design parameter. Characterisation of the fracture toughness of small-scale specimens has been a topic of great debate, due to size effects, plasticity, residual stress effects and the influence of ion penetration from the sample fabrication process. In this work, several different small-scale fracture toughness geometries (single-beam cantilever, double-beam cantilever and micro-pillar splitting) were compared, fabricated from a thin physical vapour-deposited ceramic film using a focused ion beam source, and then the effect of the gallium-milled notch on mode I toughness quantification investigated. It was found that notching using a focused gallium source influences small-scale toughness measurements and can lead to an overestimation of the fracture toughness values for chromium nitride (CrN) thin films. The effects of gallium ion irradiation were further studied by performing the first small-scale high-temperature toughness measurements within the scanning electron microscope, with the consequence that annealing at high temperatures allows for diffusion of the gallium to grain boundaries promoting embrittlement in small-scale CrN samples. This work highlights the sensitivity of some materials to gallium ion penetration effects, and the profound effect that it can have on fracture toughness evaluation.     

Synthesis of nanocomposites based on nanotubes and silicates

In situ synthesis of nanocomposites based on carbon nanotubes and zeolite/montmorillonite was carried out in a hot filament CVD reactor where the precursors (methane and hydrogen) are activated by carbonized tungsten filaments heated up to 2200 °C. In nanocomposites formed both on zeolite and montmorillonite we observed cross-linking of the catalytic particles by nanotubes and creation of carbon nanotube bridges and three-dimensional networks. The length of nanotube bridges was in a range from several nm to nearly 10 μm. A high density of carbon nanotubes was observed in the whole volume of zeolite. The high catalytic efficiency of zeolite is most likely caused by its structure that allows anchoring of Fe³⁺ catalytic particles in the pores and prevents their migration from the sample. At the ends of the nanotubes grown on zeolite we observed particles of the catalyst. In montmorillonite, the particles catalyzing the growth of carbon nanotubes may be present not only on the external surface but also in the interlayer voids of the mineral. Its catalytic efficiency is enhanced as proved by the higher amount of CNTs and their bundles. In the course of CNTs synthesis probably also clumps of Fe³⁺ catalytic particles arise, which may be the reason for formation of bundles of nanotubes.     

Grain growth controlled by triple junctions: Effect of number of topological elements

In addition to driving forces due to curvature of grain boundaries there are driving forces acting on triple junctions which also contribute to grain growth. Equations are derived for the rate of change, due to the triple junction forces, of the average area or average volume of 2D and 3D grains, respectively, with a fixed number of topological elements (edges in 2D and faces in 3D). The equations derived are compared with the von Neumann-Mullins equation for 2D curvature driven grain growth and to the extension of that equation to 3D grain growth. In triple junction controlled grain growth, the effect ofn orF is qualitatively the same as in curvature driven growth, with a threshold atn or –F between shrinkage and growth. However, the rates are in general not linear onn orF, and there is a size effect which has a repercursion on the overall growth kinetics.     

Effect of an electric field on the fracture of ferroelectric ceramic materials

This paper reports on the experimental results of measuring the time elapsed between the loading and the fracture of ferroelectric ceramic specimens under the action of a static electric field and mechanical stresses that differ in magnitude. The dependence of the durability of the specimens on the applied stress is determined for electric fields in the range from 0 to 5 MV/m. It is shown that, in the time range 1–10³ s, the durability of the ferroelectric ceramic material substantially increases in weak electric fields (the hardening effect) and significantly decreases in strong electric fields. The results obtained can be explained in terms of the fact that the load and the electric field affect the same defects (fracture nuclei) in the ferroelectric ceramics.     

Enhanced interlaminar fracture toughness of unidirectional carbon fiber/epoxy composites modified with sprayed multi-walled carbon nanotubes

A recently reported solvent spraying technique was used herein for incorporation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on unidirectional carbon fiber/epoxy prepregs. The role of the agglomerates reduction of oxidized MWCNTs on Mode-I interlaminar fracture toughness (G_IC) of laminated composites was investigated using double cantilever beam tests. Multiscale laminate composites were fabricated using MWCNTs without and with an acid oxidation, agglomerates reduction (AR) and a sequential treatment based on oxidation and AR. For comparison, specimens without MWCNTs were also prepared and tested. Fourier transform infrared analysis shows evidence of an important amount of oxygenated functional groups on the surface of as-received and oxidized MWCNTs. The results also show Mode-I fracture toughness improvements for all the laminated composites compared to reference samples. A substantial 52% increase in the average G_IC initiation was achieved for laminated composites reinforced with oxidized AR-MWCNTs prepared with only 0.05 wt.% MWCNTs.     

金属玻璃的断裂机理与其断裂韧度的关系

本文选取了三种不同断裂韧度值的金属玻璃Zr41.25Ti13.75Ni10Cu12.5Be22.5,Ce68Al10Cu20Co2和Fe41Co7Cr15Mo14Y2C15B6,通过压缩实验测量了它们的应力-应变关系;样品断裂以后观察了其断口形貌,发现这三种金属玻璃具有不同的断裂模式.经过对这三种金属玻璃做缺口三点弯曲实验,利用数字散斑技术研究了缺口前端应变集中方向弹性应变场的演化过程.根据金属玻璃的屈服准则,阐述了不同断裂韧度值的金属玻璃的断裂机理.     

Features of migration of triple junctions of different configuration

The stationary motion of individual triple junctions of different crystal geometry has been experimentally investigated. It is shown that triple junctions are characterized by intrinsic finite mobilities and drag parameters. The difference in the temperature dependences of the drag parameters of triple junctions may lead to the formation of an inhomogeneous polycrystalline microstructure during isothermal annealings.     

Structural properties of junctions between two carbon nanotubes

Received: 9 November 1998 / Accepted: 25 November 1998     

Unstable behavior of the dynamic fracture toughness

It is shown that the dynamic fracture toughness of materials substantially depends on the history of loading; this determines instability in the behaviour of this quantity under shock-wave loading. It is found that the minimal value of the dynamic fracture toughness can amount to 50% of the corresponding static value. In engineering practice, this quantity can be regarded as the initial critical parameter, which must be taken into account while choosing materials working under pulsed loading.     

Study of the motion of individual triple junctions in aluminum

The mobility of individual triple junctions in aluminum is studied. Triple junctions with 〈111〉, 〈100〉, and 〈110〉 tilt boundaries are studied. The data obtained show that, at low temperatures, the mobility of the system of grain boundaries with a triple junction is controlled by the mobility of the triple junction (the junction kinetics). At high temperatures, the system mobility is determined by the mobility of the grain boundaries (the boundary kinetics). There is a temperature at which the transition from the junction kinetics to the boundary kinetics occurs; this temperature is determined by the crystallographic parameters of the sample.     

Buckling of hybrid nanocomposites with embedded graphene and carbon nanotubes

With the aid of atomistic multiscale modelling and analytical approaches, buckling strength has been determined for carbon nanofibres/epoxy composite systems. Various nanofibres configurations considered are single walled carbon nano tube (SWCNT) and single layer graphene sheet (SLGS) and SLGS/SWCNT hybrid systems. Computationally, both eigen-value and non-linear large deformation-based methods have been employed to calculate the buckling strength. The non-linear computational model generated here takes into account of complex features such as debonding between polymer and filler (delamination under compression), nonlinearity in the polymer, strain-based damage criteria for the matrix, contact between fillers and interlocking of distorted filler surfaces with polymer. The effect of bridging nanofibres with an interlinking compound on the buckling strength of nano-composites has also been presented here. Computed enhancement in buckling strength of the polymer system due to nano reinforcement is found to be in the range of experimental and molecular dynamics based results available in open literature. The findings of this work indicate that carbon based nanofillers enhance the buckling strength of host polymers through various local failure mechanisms.     

Influence of grain boundary sliding on fracture toughness of nanocrystalline ceramics

A theoretical model is proposed describing a new physical microscopic mechanism of increased fracture toughness of nanocrystalline ceramics. According to this model, when a ceramic with a microcrack is deformed, intensive grain boundary sliding occurs near the crack tip under certain conditions. This sliding is accompanied by the formation of an array of disclination dipoles (rotational defects) producing elastic stresses. These stresses partially compensate the high local stresses concentrated near the microcrack tip and thereby hamper the microcrack growth. The proposed model is used to theoretically estimate the increase in the critical microcrack length (the length above which the catastrophic growth of microcracks occurs) caused by the formation of disclination dipoles during grain boundary sliding in nanoceramics. The increase in the critical microcrack length is a quantitative characteristic of the increased fracture toughness of nanoceramics.     

Electronic transport properties of junctions between carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoribbons

Using the tight-binding model and Green’s function method, we studied the electronic transport of four kinds of nanotube-graphene junctions. The results show the transport properties depend on both types of the carbon nanotube and graphene nanoribbon, metal or semiconducting. Moreover, the defect at the nanotube-graphene interface did not affect the conductance of the whole system at the Fermi level. In the double junction of nanotube/nanoribbon/nanotube, quasibound states are found, which cause antiresonance and result in conductance dips.     

Effect of electric field,stress and environment on delayed fracture of a PZT-5 ferroelectric ceramic

The combined effect of electric and mechanical loading on fracture of a PZT-5 ferroelectric ceramic in silicone oil has been investigated using a single edge notched specimen. The results show that the fracture toughness and the threshold stress intensity factor of delayed fracture in silicone oil, i.e. stress corrosion cracking, decrease linearly with the increasing applied electric field, either positive or negative. For the PZT-5 ferroelectric ceramics, delayed fracture in silicone oil under sustained positive or negative field can occur, and the threshold field for delayed fracture under sustained positive or negative field decreases linearly with applied stress intensity factor. The combined effect of electric and mechanical loading on delayed fracture in silicone oil includes field-enhancing delayed fracture under sustained load and stress-enhancing delayed fracture in silicone oil under sustained field.     

The stability of triple junctions during the grain boundary diffusion process

The grain boundary diffusion in a system with triple junctions is considered in such a geometry, in which the flows of diffusing atoms meet at the triple line. The solutions of the diffusion equation is given in the frameworks of Fisher's model and under the assumption of quasi-stationary distribution of the diffusing atoms along the grain boundaries. The change of the mechanical equilibrium at the triple junction due to the increase of the concentration of solute atoms is considered. It is shown that under some circumstances the triple junction looses its stability with respect to migration in the direction to the diffusion source. The stability diagrams in the segregation-diffusivity parameter space are plotted.     

Effect of local curvature of the coating-substrate interface on deformation and fracture of ceramic coatings under uniaxial tension

Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy have been applied to study the fracture of SiAlN coatings on Cu substrates under uniaxial tension. It is shown that coating spalling occurs in the zones of local curvature of the SiAlN-Cu interface which form due to dislocation glide in the substrate. Preliminary ion bombardment of the substrate suppresses dislocation-induced kinking at the coating-substrate interface and increases the adhesive strength of the coatings, thus preventing their edge delamination. At the same time, the wavy coatingsubstrate interface resulting from ion bombardment gives rise to normal stresses that lead to the buckling and spalling of the coatings in the zones of positive local curvature of the interface.