Ceramics and Composite Materials

Biography

Biography: Lewis J Print

Abstract

Organic-inorganic hybrid materials are becoming increasingly more useful in industry for combining polymers with ceramics. The resulting material offers a variety of characteristics of significant value to industry, including high mechanical strength and thermal resistivity. Using these hybrid materials, ceramics can adhere together effectively. Currently, an organic adhesive resin system is used to join silicon carbide (SiC) rods together. However, due to their toxicity there is a necessity to remove these from the application. Comparing the organic resins, as a joining agent, with pre-ceramic silicon based polymer resulted in a large difference in the quality of the joints produced from SiC rods. The rods mechanical strength and resistivity across the weld were compared as factors. A four-point flexural test and a four-point terminal resistivity test were used for this analysis. These polymer materials were analysed using Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to determine the curing reactions occurring in both systems. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was also performed to determine polymer retention at 800°C. Additionally, these welds were compared under an optical microscope to investigate the difference in the integrity of the welds produced. X-ray powder diffraction (XPD) was also used to analyse the polymer: ceramic conversion undergone at high temperatures for the silicon based polymer.The new silicon polymer rods showed much better strength and resistance values compared to the organic resin joined rods. Their integrity and retention at high temperatures also showed improvements over the current system used. It can be determined from this that they can be successfully used in this system as a replacement for the organic organic resin. This makes the materials much safer and much more effective as a joining adhesive for the SiC rods.