Niobium Oxide-Metal Based Seals for High Temperature Applications

Reimanis, Ivar

Colorado School of Mines

关键词: Phase Studies;    36 Materials Science;    Niobium Oxides;    Materials Testing;    Sealing Materials;   

DOI  :  10.2172/914532
RP-ID  :  None
RP-ID  :  FG26-05NT42537
RP-ID  :  914532

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

The present final report describes technical progress made in regards to evaluating niobium oxide/alumina as a high temperature seal material. Fabrication and characterization of specimens comprising niobium oxide and alumina composites of various compositions was performed. The goal was to identify regions where a glass formed. There were no experimental conditions where a glassy phase was unequivocally identified. However, the results led to the formation of an interesting class of fibrous composites which may have applications where high compliance and high toughness are needed. It is clear that vapor phase sintering is an active mass transport mechanism in Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} composites (Figure 1), and it may be possible to design porous materials by utilizing vapor phase sintering. The compositions evaluated in the present work are 52, 60, 73, 82 and 95 mol. % Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5} with the remainder Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. These were chosen so that some eutectic composition was present during cooling, in an attempt to encourage glass formation. However, the presence of large, elongated crystals, both in the slow cool and the quench experiments indicates that the driving force for crystallization is very high. Several joints were formed between high purity alumina with two compositions (60 and 82 mol. %) forming the joint. These were created by grinding and polishing alumina surfaces and stacking them end-to-end with the powdered Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} material in between. Joining was accomplished in air at temperatures between 1400 C and 1450 C. The joints failed during subsequent machining for strength bars, indicating low strength. It may be possible to use the compositions evaluated here as a joint material, but it seems unlikely that a glassy phase could be produced while joining.