On the processing, structure and properties of aluminum oxide-magnesium aluminate nanocomposites

Improvement in the mechanical properties of ceramic materials is required to better integrate them into new technological applications, such as ballistic armor. While considerable attention has been given to advanced power preparation and powder processing techniques, there has been comparatively little investigation of the nanostructure of the materials. No systematic study has been performed to correlate very fine grain sizes with dynamic mechanical properties of ceramic materials.; The purpose of this study is to investigate the high-strain-rate behavior of nanocomposite ceramic materials fabricated by a cost-effective, scalable processing. The starting powders chosen were Baikowski RC-SPT DBM Al 2O3 and Malakoff S30CR MgAl2O4, both being high-purity sub-1 mum powders. The test compositions studied were Al2O3---20 vol. % MgAl2O4, Al2O3---40 vol. % MgAl2O4, and Al2O3---60 vol. % MgAl2O4. The powders were consolidated by spray drying and then melting in a direct current (DC) arc plasma and, subsequently, quenched in water. The metastable powders were comminuted, cold pressed, and densified using hot isostatic pressing. The Vickers hardness of the materials was measured as a function of indentation load, and the strength was measured using a Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar. The hardness of all three compositions was found to be unexpectedly high. This high hardness was attributed to the unique nanostructure of the materials. This nanostructure developed during decomposition of the metastable, plasma melted powder to the thermodynamically stable phases by solid state diffusion during hot isostatic pressing. With decreasing processing temperatures, the hardness of the samples improved significantly for the Al2O 3---40 vol. % MgAl2O4 and Al2O 3---60 vol. % MgAl2O4 compositions. It was further found that, within the standard deviation, there was minimal deviation between the hardness behaviors of these compositions, which was contrary to the behavior of the control samples. High-strain-rate testing indicated better than expected performance, albeit with a small sample size at a single processing temperature. The grindability of the compositions was also evaluated and found to be excellent, with some evidence of surface plasticity. The grindability of the ceramic materials varied with the MgAl2O4 content.