New Technology for Increasing Through-Life Reliability of Ceramics Components Using Self-Crack-Healing Ability

Abstract

Structural ceramics are superior to metallic materials in terms of their high-temperature strengths and critical heat proof temperatures. However, compared to metallic materials, ceramics exhibit lower fracture toughness, so they are more sensitive to flaws such as pores and cracks. The shortness considerably decreases the component reliability. To overcome the shortness, in this study, special attention is paid to structural ceramics with self-crack-healing ability. There are several advantages for using a material with self-crack-healing ability. (1) After an efficient machine operation, the materials are able to self-heal the cracks introduced by the machining. (2) The materials are able to self-heal the cracks introduced during service and recover the strength completely at healing temperature. However, ways of organizing the available knowledge to increase the through-life reliability of ceramics components have not been extensively studied. The authors propose a new concept and the corresponding flowchart. This new concept is a promising technique for increasing the through-life reliability of ceramics components with excellent self-crack-healing ability.

A review of some of experimental and numerical studies of self‐crack‐healing in ceramics

“…69 Ando and Nakao applied the concept of self-healing ability to ensure the reliability of ceramic materials through the service life of a component. 70 Nakao et al studied the self-healing ability of mullite/SiC whisker/SiC particles multi-composites. In their paper, they reported the oxidation process of SiC admixture as a healing mechanism.…”

“…Their study showed a full recovery of the strength and conductivity; filling the cracks by the formation of the solid oxides, such as Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 and Cr 2 O 3 was identified as the main mechanism for healing surface cracks 69 . Ando and Nakao applied the concept of self‐healing ability to ensure the reliability of ceramic materials through the service life of a component 70 . Nakao et al studied the self‐healing ability of mullite/SiC whisker/SiC particles multi‐composites.…”

Phase field crystal simulation of gap healing at nanoscale

“…At present, many studies have been carried out on microcrack healing experiments. For example, in macro crack healing experiments, relevant studies include heating ceramics [2,3], polymers [4,5] and metal materials [6] to heal cracks through atomic diffusion mechanism. For example, Kumar and Paul [7] used pulsed electric current to heal fatigue cracks in steel; Geng et al [8] used a potential method to realize SiC crack healing by vacuum heat treatment with Ag through dissolution precipitation mechanism; Zhang et al [9] achieved the strengthening porous TiB 2 -SiC ceramics through pre-oxidation and crack healing; Chu [10] studied the mechanical properties of low carbon steel crack healing based on cyclic phase transformation heat treatment; Chen et al [11] prepared Al 2 O 3 /TiC/TiB 2 ceramic tool materials by vacuum hot pressing healing sintering technology.…”