The drive to cost-effective structural ceramics

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:6895403

Schulz, R B ^[1]; Johnson, D R ^[2]

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1. USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

The Ceramic Technology Program, initiated to develop high-reliability ceramics for applications in advanced automotive heat engines, has broadened its emphasis to cost-effective ceramics for midterm engines as well as long-term advanced engines. The new direction in the program has resulted from the recognition that the high cost of ceramic components is limiting commercial development, even though the reliability of ceramics has been improved significantly. A comprehensive program has been undertaken to reduce the cost of ceramic components by reducing the costs associated with powders, forming, densification, and machining processes. Program highlights include a new effort to develop a low-cost source of high-quality silicon nitride powder, recent progress in a program to improve the reliability of silicon nitride ceramics; a novel forming method called gelcasting; microwave-processed sintered reaction bonded silicon nitride; a low-cost, high-performance silicon carbide; and development of a continuous belt furnace for low-cost densification of silicon nitride.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6895403
• Report Number(s): CONF-9211101-6; ON: DE93009722
• Resource Relation: Conference: Annual automotive development technology contractors' coordination meeting, Dearborn, MI (United States), 2-5 Nov 1992
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
CERAMICS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
HEAT ENGINES
MATERIALS
SILICON NITRIDES
FABRICATION
COMMERCIALIZATION
COST
ECONOMICS
MANUFACTURING
SILICON CARBIDES
US DOE
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
ENGINES
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NITRIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PNICTIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
US ORGANIZATIONS
360201* - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Preparation & Fabrication
290500 - Energy Planning & Policy- Research
Development
Demonstration
& Commercialization
330603 - Vehicle Design Factors- Engine System