Design, fabrication and characterization of ceramic-metal composites: an overview

Abstract

Composites are used for many different products in numerous industries applications. They satisfy the demand for new materials which combine dissimilar materials and represent properties which are not achievable by separate material. Among of them are ceramic matrix composites, especially with metal phase. Different systems have been developing. During the last years the composites with Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 ceramic matrix and metals as Ni, Mo, Cu, W, Co have been intensively studied. Metallic particles embedded into ceramic matrix improved mechanical properties such as the toughness, the hardness and the wear resistance. Moreover, other properties as magnetic or electrical of ceramic-metal composites can be significantly changed. Because of that, ceramic-metal composites are considered as structural and functional materials. The final properties of ceramic-metal composites depend on their microstructure, which should be optimize by the design of metal size and distribution into ceramic matrix and selection of the fabrication method. This paper attempts to review the microstructures of ceramic-metal composites based on own experimental results. The following issues will be discussed: design the metal particles distribution into ceramic matrix, opportunities of processing in creating microstructures and fabrication of composites with complex shape and high dimensions, interactions in ceramic/metal interfaces, toughening mechanisms and properties of composites. Keywords: ceramic-metal composite, ceramic matrix composite, microstucture, fabrication of composites, functional materials, metal particles distribution, properties of composites Streszczenie: Z kompozytów wykonywane są elementy wykorzystywane do różnych zastosowań przemysłowych. Wynika to z możliwości uzyskania w nich właściwości nie spełnianych przez pojedynczy materiał. Wśród kompozytów o osnowie ceramicznej intensywne prace prowadzone są nad kompozytami z wprowadzoną faza metaliczną. Do częściej badanych układów zalicza się ceramikę Al 2 O 3 oraz ZrO 2 w połączeniu z metalami