Premium
Synthesis, densification, microstructure, and mechanical properties of samarium hexaboride ceramic
Author(s) -
Feng Lun,
Fahrenholtz William G.,
Hilmas Gregory E.,
Hor Yew S.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/jace.15991
Subject(s) - materials science , microstructure , ceramic , samarium , fracture toughness , carbothermic reaction , composite material , particle size , grain size , vickers hardness test , flexural strength , chemical engineering , chemistry , inorganic chemistry , carbide , engineering
Samarium hexaboride (SmB 6 ) powders were synthesized by boro/carbothermal reduction of Sm 2 O 3 with B 4 C. Nominally pure SmB 6 powder had a mean particle size of about 400 nm and an oxygen content of 0.12 wt%. Sm BO 3 formed as an intermediate phase during the synthesis. The synthesized powder was hot pressed at 1950°C to produce SmB 6 ceramics with relative densities >99.6% and a mean grain size of 4.4 μm. Vickers’ hardness was 20.1 ± 0.7 GPa. Young's modulus measured by bending and ultrasonic methods was 271 and 244 GPa, respectively. The flexure strength was 253 ± 79 MPa and fracture toughness was 2.1 ± 0.1 MPa m 1/2 . These are the first reported results of the microstructure and bulk mechanical behavior of SmB 6 ceramics.