Advanced processing of ceramic-metal composites with enhanced functionalities

Reference	Presenter	Authors (Institution)	Abstract
13-042	José Florindo Bartolomé	Bartolomé, J.F.(Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas);	The winning combination of two or more different materials to create a new material with transformed properties and characteristics offers a range of advantages. Ceramic-metal composite materials enable manifold possibilities for micro- and macrostructure designs. They can be adapted for the intended use and required characteristics, drawing considerable attention from a range of industries, providing unique effects for diverse applications. From aerospace to medical devices, ceramic-metal multifaceted composites offer the potential to improve the nature of many components, devices and coatings. In the present work new multifunctional materials containing chemically inert nature, wear resistance and hardness ceramics (3Y-TZP, Al2O3) reinforced by non-toxic and non-magnetic metal (Tantalum, Niobium) were fabricated by different routes of ceramic powders mixture preparation (wet processing and laser vaporization) and sintering (without and with applied pressure). Microstructural design from nano to micro-macro levels has been used as main tool in order to control the different-size components morphology and distribution. As a result, we can bring together disagreeing properties, introduce new ones and establish synergistic relationships between them. These metal reinforced ceramic matrix composites that present enhanced biological, machining and tribological properties, and with an unprecedented combination of high toughness, strength, damage tolerance and fatigue resistance, are expected to become an important category of hybrid materials that show potential for industrial applications.
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