Guy Antou

Spark plasma sintering of zirconium carbide and oxycarbide: Finite element modeling of current density, temperature, and stress distributions

A combined experimental/numerical approach was developed to determine the distribution of current density, temperature, and stress arising within the sample during spark plasma sintering (SPS) treatment of zirconium carbide (ZrCx) or oxycarbide (ZrCxOy). Stress distribution was calculated by using a numerical thermomechanical model, assuming that a slip without mechanical friction exists at the interfaces between the sample and the graphite elements. Heating up to 1950 � C at 100 � Cm in � 1 and a constant applied pressure of 100 MPa were retained as process conditions. Simulated temperature distributions were found to be in excellent agreement with those measured experimentally. The numerical model confirms that, during the zirconium oxycarbide sintering, the temperature measured by the pyrometer on the die surface largely underestimates the actual temperature of the sample. This real temperature is in fact near the optimized sintering temperature for hotpressed zirconium oxycarbide specimens. It is also shown that high stress gradients existing within the sample are much higher than the thermal ones. The amplitude of the stress gradients was found to be correlated with those of temperature even if they are also influenced by the macroscopic sample properties (coefficient of thermal expansion and elastic modulus). At high temperature, the radial and angular stresses, which are much higher than the vertical applied stress, provide the more significant contribution to the stress-related driving force for densification during the SPS treatment. The heat lost by radiation toward the wall chambers controlled both the thermal and stress gradients.

A Two-Dimensional Heat Transfer Model for Thermal Barrier Coating Average Thermal Conductivity Computation

ABSTRACT The present article is devoted to quantifying the contribution of pores and cracks in the decrease of the effective thermal conductivity of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). A finite-difference-based model is used for the computation of heat transfer through a porous structure. Each pixel of a binary picture describing the pore network is interpreted as a cell of integration of the heat conduction equation. A thermal gradient is applied and a large system of linear Equations is subsequently derived. Since it has a strong influence on the required CPU time, particular attention is given to the solving procedure.

Exploring thermal spray gray alumina coating pore network architecture by combining stereological protocols and impedance electrochemical spectroscopy

Complex multiscale pore network architecture characterized by multimodal pore size distribution and connectivity develops during the manufacture of ceramic thermal spray coatings from intra- and interlamellar cracks generated when each lamella spreads and solidifies to globular pores resulting from lamella stacking defects. This network significantly affects the coating properties and their in-service behaviors. De Hoff stereological analysis permits quantification of the three-dimensional (3D) distribution of spheroids (i.e., pores) from the determination of their two-dimensional (2D) distribution estimated by image analysis when analyzing the coating structure from a polished plane. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy electrochemically examines a material surface by frequency variable current and potential and analyzes the complex impedance. When a coating covers the material surface, the electrolyte percolates through the more or less connected pore network to locally passivate the substrate. The resistive and capacitive characteristics of the equivalent electrical circuit will depend upon the connected pore network architecture. Both protocols were implemented to quantify thermal spray coating structures. Al2O3-13TiO2 coatings were atmospherically plasma sprayed using several sets of power parameters, are current intensity, plasma gas total flow rate, and plasma gas composition in order to determine their effects on pore network architecture. Particle characteristics upon impact, especially their related dimensionless numbers, such as Reynolds, Weber, and Sommerfeld criteria, were also determined. Analyses permitted identification of (a) the major effects of power parameters upon pore architecture and (b) the related formation mechanisms.