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Feature Papers in Refractories and Ceramics: Microstructure, Properties and Applications, Volume II

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced and Functional Ceramics and Glasses".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 June 2024) | Viewed by 14830

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Dr. Zhong Huang

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The State Key Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy, Wuhan University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
Interests: functional refractory; refractory castable; powder technology; porous ceramic; nanomaterials
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Dr. Bin Li

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Guest Editor

School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China
Interests: refractory; structure ceramics; nanomaterials; high-temperature ceramic; powder technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Dear Colleagues,

Refractories, as a class of ceramics with high fusion points, are basic materials in high-temperature industries such as metallurgy, cement/glass production and thermal power. Today, “new refractory” is being developed to not only meet the high-temperature support of fine structure precise regulation but also to be designed or tailored to special functional requirements, such as the purification of liquid steel, energy conservation, low carbon emissions and pollution reduction. In terms of eco-friendliness, long life and safety, the overall performance (e.g., mechanical strength, thermal/chemical stability, corrosion/oxidation/thermal shock resistances, workability) of “new refractory” can be greatly improved with the development of new material systems, precise control of microstructures and use of intelligent manufacturing technology.

The “new refractory” is extending the frontiers of design and preparation of traditional high-temperature ceramics and allows significant improvements in high-temperature industries on economic and environmental impacts. In addition, the “structure–function” relationship of these ceramics as related to their high-temperature service performance should be known for every application.

This Special Issue focuses on the development of new refractories and novel ceramics. The potential topics concerning their microstructure, properties and applications include but are not limited to:

Functional refractory;
Novel ceramics;
Non-oxide ceramics;
High-temperature heat-insulating materials;
Green ecological refractory;
Refractory castable;
Refractory raw materials;
High-temperature behavior;
Refractory and inclusions.

Dr. Zhong Huang
Dr. Bin Li
Guest Editors

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Keywords

refractory
ceramic
non-oxide
castable
green refractory
raw material
microstucture
high-temperature process and behavior.

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Related Special Issues

Feature Papers in Refractories and Ceramics: Microstructure, Properties and Applications in Materials (20 articles)
Feature Papers in Refractories and Ceramics: Microstructure, Properties and Applications (3rd Edition) in Materials (2 articles)

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1664 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Flexible Highly Thermally Conductive PCM Film Prepared by Centrifugal Electrospinning for Wearable Thermal Management

by Jiaxin Qiao, Chonglin He, Zijiao Guo, Fankai Lin, Mingyong Liu, Xianjie Liu, Yifei Liu, Zhaohui Huang, Ruiyu Mi and Xin Min

Materials 2024, 17(20), 4963; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17204963 - 11 Oct 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 973

Abstract

Personal thermal management materials integrated with phase-change materials have significant potential to satisfy human thermal comfort needs and save energy through the efficient storage and utilization of thermal energy. However, conventional organic phase-change materials in a solid state suffer from rigidity, low thermal conductivity, and leakage, making their application challenging. In this work, polyethylene glycol (PEG) was chosen as the phase-change material to provide the energy storage density, polyethylene oxide (PEO) was chosen to provide the backbone structure of the three-dimensional polymer network and cross-linked with the PEG to provide flexibility, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were used to improve the mechanical and thermal conductivity of the material. The thermal conductivity of the composite fiber membranes was boosted by 77.1% when CNTs were added at 4 wt%. Water-resistant modification of the composite fiber membranes was successfully performed using glutaraldehyde-saturated steam. The resulting composite fiber membranes had a reasonable range of phase transition temperatures, and the CC₄PCF-55 membranes had melting and freezing latent heats of 66.71 J/g and 64.74 J/g, respectively. The results of this study prove that the green CC₄PCF-55 composite fiber membranes have excellent flexibility, with good thermal energy storage capacity and thermal conductivity and, therefore, high potential in the field of flexible wearable thermal management textiles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Refractories and Ceramics: Microstructure, Properties and Applications, Volume II)

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13 pages, 4538 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Wettability and Interfacial Reaction between the K492M Alloy and an Al₂O₃ Shell

by Guangyao Chen, Houjin Liao, Shaowen Deng, Man Zhang, Zheyu Cai, Hui Xu, Enhui Wang, Xinmei Hou and Chonghe Li

Materials 2024, 17(18), 4674; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17184674 - 23 Sep 2024

Viewed by 845

Abstract

In this study, wettability behavior and the interaction between the K492M alloy and an Al₂O₃ shell were investigated at 1430 °C for 2~5 min. The microstructural characterization of the alloy–shell interface was carried out by optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicated that the interaction could cause a sand adhesion phenomenon affecting the alloy, and the attached products were Al₂O₃ particles. In addition, the wetting angles of the alloys located on the shell were 125.2°, 109.4°, 97.0°, and 95.0°, respectively, as the contact time was increased from 2 to 5 min. Apparently, the wettability of the alloy in relation to the shell had a relationship with the contact time, where a longer contact time was beneficial to the permeation of the alloy into the shell and the interaction between the two components. No significant chemical products could be detected in the interaction layer, indicating that only the occurrence of the physical dissolution of the shell took place in the alloy melt. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Refractories and Ceramics: Microstructure, Properties and Applications, Volume II)

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12 pages, 2073 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation and Properties of Lightweight Aggregates from Discarded Al₂O₃-ZrO₂-C Refractories

by Shuli Sun, Junfeng Qu, Mengyong Sun, Xinming Ren, Cheng Gong, Xin Mu, Wenyu Zan, Zhangyan Zhou, Chengji Deng and Beiyue Ma

Materials 2024, 17(16), 3968; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17163968 - 9 Aug 2024

Viewed by 959

Abstract

Refractory materials are an important pillar for the stable development of the high-temperature industry. A large amount of waste refractories needs to be further disposed of every year, so it is of great significance to carry out research on the recycling of used refractories. In this work, lightweight composite aggregate was prepared by using discarded Al₂O₃-ZrO₂-C refractories as the main raw material, and the performance of the prepared lightweight aggregate was improved by adjusting the calcination temperature and introducing light calcined magnesia additives. The results showed that the cold compressive strength and thermal shock resistance of the lightweight aggregates were significantly improved with increasing calcination temperature. Moreover, the introduction of light calcined magnesia can effectively improve the apparent porosity, cold compressive strength, and thermal shock resistance of the prepared lightweight aggregates at the calcination temperature of 1400 °C. Consequently, this work provides a useful reference for the resource utilization of used refractories, while the prepared lightweight aggregates are expected to be applied in the field of high-temperature insulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Refractories and Ceramics: Microstructure, Properties and Applications, Volume II)

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11 pages, 3882 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mullite-Fibers-Reinforced Bagasse Cellulose Aerogels with Excellent Mechanical, Flame Retardant, and Thermal Insulation Properties

by Shuang Wang, Miao Sun, Junyi Lv, Jianming Gu, Qing Xu, Yage Li, Xin Zhang, Hongjuan Duan and Shaoping Li

Materials 2024, 17(15), 3737; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17153737 - 28 Jul 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1075

Abstract

Cellulose aerogels are considered as ideal thermal insulation materials owing to their excellent properties such as a low density, high porosity, and low thermal conductivity. However, they still suffer from poor mechanical properties and low flame retardancy. In this study, mullite-fibers-reinforced bagasse cellulose (Mubce) aerogels are designed using bagasse cellulose as the raw material, mullite fibers as the reinforcing agent, glutaraldehyde as the cross-linking agent, and chitosan as the additive. The resulted Mubce aerogels exhibit a low density of 0.085 g/cm³, a high porosity of 93.2%, a low thermal conductivity of 0.0276 W/(m∙K), superior mechanical performances, and an enhanced flame retardancy. The present work offers a novel and straightforward strategy for creating high-performance aerogels, aiming to broaden the application of cellulose aerogels in thermal insulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Refractories and Ceramics: Microstructure, Properties and Applications, Volume II)

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10 pages, 4552 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Alumina Bubble Addition on the Properties of Corundum–Spinel Castables Containing Cr₂O₃

by Haonan Chen, Xingfu Shi, Jing Chen, Mengyang Sang, Haoxuan Ma, Xinhong Liu and Quanli Jia

Materials 2024, 17(13), 3139; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17133139 - 27 Jun 2024

Viewed by 976

Abstract

Purging plugs made of corundum–spinel castables containing Cr₂O₃ have been widely utilized in secondary refining process. However, their poor thermal shock resistance has greatly limited the improvement of their service life. Aiming to enhance their properties, we introduced alumina bubbles (ABs) to corundum–spinel castables, and the effects of the AB addition on the properties of the castables are studied in this manuscript. The results indicate that the apparent porosity, permanent linear change, cold strength, and hot strength all increased with an increasing AB amount. The thermal shock resistance of the samples with the AB addition was improved; the residual strength and residual strength ratio of the sample with 4 wt% ABs was the best. The effects of ABs on the tabular alumina aggregate distribution and relationship between the cold strength of the samples and the AB content was evaluated via the box dimension method. With the increments of AB content, the box dimension value of the tabular alumina within the samples significantly decreased, indicating that the tabular alumina aggregate distribution was related to the amount of ABs. In addition, the relationship between the box dimension and the strength was also established. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Refractories and Ceramics: Microstructure, Properties and Applications, Volume II)

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14 pages, 6961 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Oxide Scale Microstructure and Scale Growth Kinetics of the Hot-Pressed SiBCN-Ti Ceramics Oxidized at 1500 °C

by Hao Peng, Haobo Jiang, Daxin Li, Zhihua Yang, Wenjiu Duan, Dechang Jia and Yu Zhou

Materials 2024, 17(13), 3118; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17133118 - 25 Jun 2024

Viewed by 1127

Abstract

In this study, the SiBCN-Ti series ceramics with different Ti contents were fabricated, and the oxidation resistance and microstructural evolution of the ceramics at 1500 °C for different times were explored. The results show that with the increase in oxidation time, pores and bubbles are gradually formed in the oxide layer. When the oxidation time is less than or more than 4 h, the Ti(C, N) in the ceramics will maintain its initial structure or mostly transform to TiN. The introduction of Ti content can promote the formation of rutile silicate glass, thus healing the cracks and improving the oxidation resistance of the ceramics effectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Refractories and Ceramics: Microstructure, Properties and Applications, Volume II)

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9 pages, 2626 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation and Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Properties of N-Doped SiC Nanowires

by Ranran Shi, Zheng Liu, Wenxiu Liu and Jianlei Kuang

Materials 2023, 16(17), 5765; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16175765 - 23 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1274

Abstract

Enhancing the conductivity loss of SiC nanowires through doping is beneficial for improving their electromagnetic wave absorption performance. In this work, N-doped SiC nanowires were synthesized using three different methods. The results indicate that a large amount of Si₂ON will be generated during the microwave synthesis of SiC nanowires in a nitrogen atmosphere. In addition, the secondary heat-treatment of the as-synthesized SiC nanowires under nitrogen atmosphere will significantly reduce their stacking fault density. When ammonium chloride is introduced as a doped nitrogen source in the reaction raw material, the N-doped SiC nanowires with high-density stacking faults can be synthesized by microwave heating. Therefore, the polarization loss induced by faults and the conductivity loss caused by doping will synergistically enhance the dielectric and EMW absorption properties of SiC nanowires in the range of 2–18 GHz. When the filling ratio of N-doped SiC nanowires is 20 wt.%, the composite shows a minimum reflection loss of –22.2 [email protected] GHz, and an effective absorption (RL ≤ –10 dB) bandwidth of 4.24 GHz at the absorber layer thickness of 2.2 mm. Further, the N-doped SiC nanowires also exhibit enhanced high-temperature EMW absorption properties with increasing temperature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Refractories and Ceramics: Microstructure, Properties and Applications, Volume II)

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14 pages, 3533 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis and Structural and Strength Properties of xLi₂ZrO₃-(1-x)MgO Ceramics—Materials for Blankets

by Dmitriy I. Shlimas, Daryn B. Borgekov, Artem L. Kozlovskiy and Maxim V. Zdorovets

Materials 2023, 16(14), 5176; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16145176 - 23 Jul 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 966

Abstract

The article considers the effect of doping with magnesium oxide (MgO) on changes in the properties of lithium-containing ceramics based on lithium metazirconate (Li₂ZrO₃). There is interest in this type of ceramics on account of their prospects for application in tritium production in thermonuclear power engineering, as well as several other applications related to alternative energy sources. During the investigations undertaken, it was found that variation in the MgO dopant concentration above 0.10–0.15 mol resulted in the formation of impurity inclusions in the ceramic structure in the form of a MgLi₂ZrO₄ phase, the presence of which resulted in a rise in the density of the ceramics, along with elevation in resistance to external influences. Moreover, during experimental work on the study of the thermal stability of the ceramics to external influences, it was found that the formation of two-phase ceramics resulted in growth in the preservation of stable strength properties during high-temperature cyclic tests. The decrease in strength characteristics was observed to be less than 1%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Refractories and Ceramics: Microstructure, Properties and Applications, Volume II)

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12 pages, 4289 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study of the Aid Effect of CuO-TiO₂-Nb₂O₅ on the Dielectric and Structural Properties of Alumina Ceramics

by Rafael I. Shakirzyanov, Natalia O. Volodina, Kayrat K. Kadyrzhanov, Artem L. Kozlovskiy, Dmitriy I. Shlimas, Gulzada A. Baimbetova, Daryn B. Borgekov and Maxim V. Zdorovets

Materials 2023, 16(14), 5018; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16145018 - 15 Jul 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1069

Abstract

The aim of this work is to study the structural, dielectric, and mechanical properties of aluminum oxide ceramics with the triple sintering additive 4CuO-TiO₂-2Nb₂O₅. With an increase in sintering temperature from 1050 to 1500 °C, the average grain size and the microhardness value at a load of 100 N (HV0.1) increased with increasing density. It has been shown that at a sintering temperature of 1300 °C, the addition of a 4CuO-TiO₂-2Nb₂O₅ additive increases the low-frequency permittivity (2–500 Hz) in alumina ceramic by more than an order of magnitude due to the presence of a quadruple perovskite phase. At the same time, the density of such ceramics reached 89% of the theoretical density of α-Al₂O₃, and the microhardness value HV0.1 was 1344. It was observed that the introduction of 5 wt.% 4CuO-TiO₂-2Nb₂O₅ in the raw mixture remarkably increases values of shrinkage and density of sintered ceramics. Overall, the results of this work confirmed that introducing the 4CuO-TiO₂-2Nb₂O₅ sintering additive in the standard solid-phase ceramics route can significantly reduce the processing temperature of alumina ceramics, even when micron-sized powders are used as a starting material. The obtained samples demonstrated the potential of α-Al₂O₃ with the triple additive in such applications as electronics, microwave technology, and nuclear power engineering. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Refractories and Ceramics: Microstructure, Properties and Applications, Volume II)

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15 pages, 12203 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Zr₂Al₄C₅ Content on the Mechanical Properties and Oxidation Behavior of ZrB₂-SiC-Zr₂Al₄C₅ Ceramics

by Qilong Guo, Liang Hua, Hao Ying, Ronghao Liu, Mei Lin, Leilei Li and Jing Wang

Materials 2023, 16(12), 4495; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16124495 - 20 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1447

Abstract

ZrB₂-SiC-Zr₂Al₄C₅ multi-phase ceramics with uniform structure and high density were successfully prepared through the introduction of in situ synthesized Zr₂Al₄C₅ into ZrB₂-SiC ceramic via SPS at 1800 °C. A systematic analysis and discussion of the experimental results and proposed mechanisms were carried out to demonstrate the composition-dependent sintering properties, mechanical properties and oxidation behavior. The results showed that the in situ synthesized Zr₂Al₄C₅ could be evenly distributed in the ZrB₂-SiC ceramic matrix and inhibited the growth of ZrB₂ grains, which played a positive role in the sintering densification of the composite ceramics. With increasing Zr₂Al₄C₅ content, the Vickers hardness and Young’s modulus of composite ceramics gradually decreased. The fracture toughness showed a trend that first increased and then decreased, and was increased by about 30% compared with ZrB₂-SiC ceramics. The major phases resulting from the oxidation of samples were ZrO₂, ZrSiO₄, aluminosilicate and SiO₂ glass. With increasing Zr₂Al₄C₅ content, the oxidative weight showed a trend that first increased then decreased; the composite ceramic with 30 vol.% Zr₂Al₄C₅ showed the smallest oxidative weight gain. We believe that the presence of Zr₂Al₄C₅ results in the formation of Al₂O₃ during the oxidation process, subsequently resulting in a lowering of the viscosity of the glassy silica scale, which in turn intensifies the oxidation of the composite ceramics. This would also increase oxygen permeation through the scale, adversely affecting the oxidation resistance of the composites with high Zr₂Al₄C₅ content. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Refractories and Ceramics: Microstructure, Properties and Applications, Volume II)

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11 pages, 7177 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Low-Temperature Fabrication of Plate-like α-Al₂O₃ with Less NH₄F Additive

by Haiyang Chen, Bin Li, Meng Liu, Xue Yang, Jie Liu, Tingwei Qin, Zejian Xue, Yun Xing and Junhong Chen

Materials 2023, 16(12), 4415; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16124415 - 15 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1545

Abstract

Fluorinated compounds are effective mineralization agents for the fabrication of plate-like α-Al₂O₃. However, in the preparation of plate-like α-Al₂O₃, it is still an extremely challenging task to reduce the content of fluoride while ensuring a low synthesis temperature. Herein, oxalic acid and NH₄F are proposed for the first time as additives in the preparation of plate-like α-Al₂O₃. The results showed that plate-like α-Al₂O₃ can be synthesized at a low temperature of 850 °C with the synergistic effect of oxalic acid and 1 wt.% NH₄F. Additionally, the synergistic effect of oxalic acid and NH₄F not only can reduce the conversion temperature of α-Al₂O₃ but also can change the phase transition sequence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Refractories and Ceramics: Microstructure, Properties and Applications, Volume II)

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Review

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Principles and Methods for Improving the Thermoelectric Performance of SiC: A Potential High-Temperature Thermoelectric Material

by Yun Xing, Bo Ren, Bin Li, Junhong Chen, Shu Yin, Huan Lin, Jie Liu and Haiyang Chen

Materials 2024, 17(15), 3636; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17153636 - 23 Jul 2024

Viewed by 1785

Abstract

Thermoelectric materials that can convert thermal energy to electrical energy are stable and long-lasting and do not emit greenhouse gases; these properties render them useful in novel power generation devices that can conserve and utilize lost heat. SiC exhibits good mechanical properties, excellent corrosion resistance, high-temperature stability, non-toxicity, and environmental friendliness. It can withstand elevated temperatures and thermal shock and is well suited for thermoelectric conversions in high-temperature and harsh environments, such as supersonic vehicles and rockets. This paper reviews the potential of SiC as a high-temperature thermoelectric and third-generation wide-bandgap semiconductor material. Recent research on SiC thermoelectric materials is reviewed, and the principles and methods for optimizing the thermoelectric properties of SiC are discussed. Thus, this paper may contribute to increasing the application potential of SiC for thermoelectric energy conversion at high temperatures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Refractories and Ceramics: Microstructure, Properties and Applications, Volume II)

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