Amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbon alloys were synthesized by C2H2 ions implantation in a silicon substrate at different fluences to obtain samples with different carbon atomic concentrations (10−50 at. %). As-implanted and subsequently annealed samples were investigated by using Rutherford backscattering, infrared, and Raman spectroscopies in order to follow the crystallization process. It was found that crystallization of stoichiometric SiC phase starts at 1000 °C both in low and high containing carbon films, while at the stoichiometric composition silicon (or carbon) was found to clusterize into homonuclear islands even at lower temperatures. The analysis of the fundamental absorption edge reveals the presence of an optical energy gap of about 1.3 eV independently on the film composition in the as-implanted samples, while after the thermal process at 1000 °C it increases to 2 eV for a carbon concentration below 0.5 and up to 1.8 eV for all those samples with a carbon excess.

We have developed a simple and rapid method for the synthesis of a precursor solution used in the production of SBT powders and thin films of the layered-perovskite phase SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT). Precursor solution preparation takes less than 30 min and involves the generation of two solutions: (a) Bi(O2CMe)3 dissolved in pyridine and (b) Ta(OCH2Me)5 added to Sr(O2CMe)2 and then solubilized by HO2CMe. After stirring separately for 10 min, these solutions are combined, stirred for an additional 10 min, and used without any further modifications. The individual solutions and ternary mixture were studied using a variety of analytical techniques. Films of the layered-perovskite phase were formed at temperatures as low as 700 °C. Ferroelectric testing of SBT films, fired at 750 °C, reveals standard hysteresis loops with no fatigue for up to 4 × 109 cycles.

A bismuth-deficient pyrochlore phase has been observed in both powder and film samples fired at 775 °C. The estimated stoichiometry of this pyrochlore (based on calculated diffraction patterns) was Sr0.2(Sr0.5Bi0.7)Ta2O6.75. This bismuth-deficient pyrochlore phase may be considered deleterious to the formation of the SrBi2Ta2O9“SBT” ferroelectric compound since a significant presence of this pyrochlore compound implies a large deviation from the desired cation ratios. Additionally, films prepared on platinized silicon substrates indicate the SBT phase formation may be encouraged by the substrate; there appears to be some 00l preferential orientation for stoichiometric SBT thin films.

Bi2Nbx V1−xO5.5 ceramics with x ranging from 0.01 to 0.5 have been prepared. The crystal system transforms from an orthorhombic to tetragonal at x 3= 0.1 and it persists until x = 0.5. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) investigations carried out on thermally etched Bi2NbxV1−xO5.5 ceramics confirm that the grain size decreases markedly (18 μm to 4 μm) with increasing x. The shift in the Curie temperature (725 K) toward lower temperatures, with increasing x, is established by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The dielectric constants as well as the loss tangent (tan δ) decrease with increasing x at room temperature.

The domain structure and dielectric properties as a function of lanthanum concentration and Zr/Ti ratio have been investigated in rhombohedral and tetragonal lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) ceramics. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that, with increasing lanthanum concentration and Zr/Ti ratio, the long-range-ordered domains (macrodomains) reduced in width, initially being fine scale (20 nm) striations, but eventually forming a “mottled” contrast (5 nm), characteristic of a relaxor. Relative permittivity measurements as a function of temperature revealed a correlation between broadening of the dielectric maxima and the onset of relaxor-type behavior with the appearance of the striations and mottled (relaxor) contrast, respectively.

The effect of A-site vacancy order-disorder states on diffuse phase transition (DPT) of tungsten bronze Pb1−xBaxNb2O6 (PBN) ferroelectrics has been investigated. The A-site vacancy disordered PBN ceramics exhibit notable variations of the Curie temperatures (i.e., the temperatures at the dielectric maximum permittivities) up to 12 °C in response to frequency changed from 0.1 KHz to 100 KHz. The largest frequency dispersion occurred at the morphotropic phase boundary of 1 − X = 0.63, along with the lowest Curie point. In contrast, the A-site vacancy ordered PBN ceramics present little frequency dispersion in the range of 2 °C from 0.1 KHz to 100 KHz. Dielectric constants of the disordered PBN ceramics were generally higher than those of the ordered ones. In comparison with the ordered PBN ceramics, the Curie points of the disordered ceramics were shifted from lower to higher temperature as the Pb2+ cation percentage was decreased; i.e., the Curie temperatures of the disordered PBN ceramics were lower than those of the ordered ones when 1 − X ≥ 0.70, but higher when 1 − X ≤ 0.65. These differences are suggested to inherently result from the A-site vacancy order-disorder states. The relationship between the A-site vacancy order-disorder states and the dielectric properties has also been confirmed with studies of thermal hysteresis.

Planar microstructure, 90° domain configurations, and cross-sectional perovskite grain morphology were characterized for a series of Pb(Zr, Ti)O3//RuO2 thin film capacitors. Perovskite grain size increased substantially with increasing Zr concentration of the Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 (PZT) films, being on the order of 0.15 μm for PZT 20/80 films and 2.5 μm for PZT 50/50 films. While PZT 20/80 and PZT 30/70 films were single phase perovskite, the PZT 40/60 and 50/50 films contained a second phase with fluorite structure. The second phase matrix consisted of two nanophases, one having fluorite structure while the other was amorphous. Both the amorphous nanophase and the fluorite nanophase were Pb deficient compared to the perovskite phase. Differences in cross-sectional perovskite grain morphology were substantial for these materials, with the PZT 40/60 film being almost entirely columnar and the PZT 20/80 film exhibiting almost entirely granular morphology. Differences in 90° domain wall density were essentially negligible among the films, suggesting that if 90° domains were responsible for the differences in electrical properties, it is not due to 90° domain population.

Weakly agglomerated nanoparticles of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) were synthesized by a novel process which involved the decomposition of metal nitrates that had been coated on ultrafine carbon black powder, after which the carbon black was gasified. The use of ultrafine, high-surface-area carbon black powder apparently allowed the nanocrystalline oxide particles to form and remain separate from each other, after which the carbon black was gasified at a somewhat higher temperature. As a result, the degree of agglomeration was shown to be relatively low. The average crystallite size and the specific surface area of the as-synthesized YSZ nanoparticles were 5−6 nm and 130 m2/g, respectively, for powder synthesized at 650 °C. The as-synthesized YSZ nanoparticles had a light brown color and were translucent, which differs distinctly from conventional YSZ particles which are typically white and opaque. The mechanism of the synthesis process was investigated, and indicated that the gasification temperature had a direct effect on the crystallite size of the as-synthesized YSZ nanoparticles. High-density and ultrafine-grained YSZ ceramic articles were prepared by fast-firing, using a dwell temperature of 1250 °C and a dwell time of two minutes or less.

The influence of microstructure on the abrasive machining and indentation response for a series of dental glass-ceramics was characterized. The experimental materials prepared for this study contained crystalline mica platelets that ranged in diameter from about 1 to 15 μm, while the volume fraction of mica remained essentially constant. Damage formation and material removal behavior were studied as a function of mica platelet size using Vickers indentation, Berkovich instrumented indentation, and abrasive machining. In the instrumented indentation experiments, the energy absorbed in indentation decreased with increasing platelet size when indentations of equal penetration depth are made in each material. To characterize the grinding response, the normal and tangential forces for each material were measured as a function of the depth of cut in surface grinding. The grinding forces and the specific grinding energy at fixed depths of cut decreased with increasing the mica platelet size following the same trend observed in the fixed displacement indentation tests. Since the same microfracture process was observed to occur in both indentation and grinding, the absorbed indentation energy is proposed as a quantity for predicting the machining response of these glass-ceramics.

The processing of microporous glassy carbon derived from furfuryl alcohol and ethylene glycol mixtures has been studied, with emphasis on understanding and controlling microstructure development. It is shown that this system exhibits a polymerization-dependent miscibility gap, and that the carbon microstructure is determined by phase separation in the liquid state. Variations in carbon microstructure with composition and thermal history can be understood in terms of the time-dependent immiscibility and resulting phase separation.

Liquid-phase reactive infiltration is a rapid and net-shape method of synthesizing silicon carbide composites. We use reactive infiltration of carbon with Si–A1 and Si–Cu melts to prepare composites consisting of interpenetrating networks of β–SiC and a secondary phase assemblage containing ductile metal (A1–Si) or a metal silicide (Si–Cu). The mechanisms of phase formation have been characterized. It is shown that a rapid initial reaction upon infiltration forms a largely stationary SiC network, within which the secondary phase constitution evolves due to solute rejection and liquid phase diffusion processes. Both homogeneous composites and those with controlled composition gradients have been synthesized.

An analytical model of hardness has been developed. Four major indentation tests, namely indentation by cones, wedges, spheres, and flat-ended, axisymmetric cylinders have been analyzed based on the model. Analytical relationships among hardness, yield stress, elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio, and indenter geometries have been found. These results enable hardness to be calculated in terms of uniaxial material properties and indenter geometries for a wide variety of elastic and plastic materials. These relationships can also be used for evaluating other mechanical properties through hardness measurements and for converting hardness from one type of hardness test into those of a different test. Comparison with experimental data and numerical calculations is excellent.

Polymeric carbon artifacts are particularly difficult to make in thick section. Heating rate, temperature, and sample thickness determine the outcome of carbonization of resin leading to a glassy polymeric carbon ware. Using wedge-shaped samples, we found the maximum thickness for various heating rates during gelling (300 K–360 K), curing (360 K–400 K), postcuring (400 K–500 K), and precarbonization (500 K–875 K). Excessive heating rate causes failure. In postcuring the critical heating rate varies inversely as the fifth power of thickness; in precarbonization this varies inversely as the third power of thickness. From thermogravimetric evidence we attribute such failure to low rates of diffusion of gaseous products of reactions occurring within the solid during pyrolysis. Mass spectrometry shows the main gaseous product is water vapor; some carboniferous gases are also evolved during precarbonization. We discuss a diffusion model applicable to any heat-treatment process in which volatile products are removed from solid bodies.

The crystallization of amorphous oxides synthesized by pyrolytic decomposition of mixed Li and Ta 2-ethylhexanoates and alkoxides has been investigated. The study was motivated by thermodynamic considerations that, in the light of experience in other systems, suggest the potential for metastable extension of the LiTaO3 homogeneity range. Materials investigated are described by the general stoichiometry Li1–5xTa1+xO3 and include Li2O contents from 0 to 70 mol% (20.18 ≤ x ≤ 0.2). The samples were prepyrolyzed at 400 °C and subsequently crystallized by heat treatments in air at 550–700 °C for 0.1–100 h. The first product of crystallization for compositions from 30 to 65% Li2O is always the LiTaO3 phase. Extensive characterization by x-ray and neutron diffraction, as well as 7Li-NMR spectroscopy, revealed that this phase evolves with a structure and stoichiometry close to equilibrium. For Li+-deficient compositions, excess Ta5+ is rejected to the amorphous constituent during crystallization and eventually gives rise to the evolution of Ta2O5, with the LiTa3O8 phase suppressed in all cases. Similar observations were made for the Li+-rich compositions, but the evolving second phase is the equilibrium Li3TaO4. The absence of solubility extension in LiTaO3, which appears feasible from a thermodynamic viewpoint, is ascribed to the large differences in mobilities of the Li and Ta species in the parent amorphous oxide resulting from pyrolysis.

Coexistent amorphous and nanoscale bcc-Mg7Li3 phases were found in slowly quenched alloys of the Mg65–xLixCu25Y10 system containing 3 to 15 at. % Li. The crystallization behavior of these alloys has been studied. The grain size of the nanocrystalline bcc phase which is formed ranges from 2 to 20 nm. The volume fraction of nanocrystalline phases as well as the grain size of the nanocrystals increase as the Li composition increases. Transmission electron microscopy studies suggest that the alloy exhibits phase separation in the undercooled liquid state and that the nucleation and growth of the bcc-nanocrystals is related to the phase separation. Some characteristic thermal properties of the glassy phase are presented, and the composition dependence of Tg and Tx is discussed. It is concluded that the addition of a small amount of Li is essential for the production of a bcc nanocrystalline phase in the Mg–Li–Cu–Y system.