Mechanical Properties and Thermal Conductivity of Ytterbium-Silicate-Mullite Composites

oleh: Jie Xiao, Wenbo Chen, Liangliang Wei, Wenting He, Hongbo Guo

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-02-01

Deskripsi

Various Ytterbium-Silicate-Mullite composites were successfully fabricated by adding Yb<sub>2</sub>SiO<sub>5</sub> into mullite ceramics and then using pressureless sintering at 1550 &#176;C. The influence of Yb<sub>2</sub>SiO<sub>5</sub> addition on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and thermal conductivity of ytterbium-silicate-mullite composites was investigated. Results show that the composites mainly consisted of a mullite matrix and some in situ formed Yb<sub>2</sub>Si<sub>2</sub>O<sub>7</sub> and Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> phases. By the addition of Yb<sub>2</sub>SiO<sub>5</sub>, the Vickers hardness of composites reached ~9.0 at an additive concentration of 5 mol %. Fracture toughness increased to ~2.7 MPa&#183;m<sup>1/2</sup> at the additive concentration of 15 mol %, owing to the trans-granular fracture and crack deflection of the pinning effect of the Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> phase in the composites. With the increase of the Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> phase in the composite, the thermal conductivity for the 15YbAM reached around 4.0 W/(m&#183;K) at 1200 &#176;C. Although the thermal conductivity increased, it is still acceptable for such composites to be used as environmental barrier coatings.