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DESIGN, ASSEMBLY AND CHARACTERIZATION OF COMPOSITE ...

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3. Development of aqueous colloidal composite inks for solid state sintering:<br />

i. Various aqueous colloidal Ni(m) composite inks with different BT:Ni ratios (i.e.<br />

1:4, 2:3, 3:2, and 4:1 by solid volume ratio) have been developed, as well as a<br />

pure BT ink. A solid volume fraction of φsolids=0.43 is used for all inks.<br />

ii. Rheological properties of aqueous colloidal Ni(m) gels and BT gel are<br />

characterized. The Ni(m) gels have shear elastic moduli in the range from 163 kPa<br />

to 280 kPa; and the BT gel has a shear elastic modulus of 99 kPa.<br />

iii. Sintering strain data of each composite ink in the temperature range from 1100 °C<br />

to 1350 °C are determined. Sintering strain increases as Ni volume fraction<br />

increases in the Ni(m) ink; and the BT:Ni=4:1 Ni(m) ink has least sintering<br />

shrinkage difference from pure BT.<br />

iv. Processing conditions are determined for co-sintering. Co-sintering is achieved<br />

only with the BT:Ni=4:1 Ni(m) ink for the pure BT ink in a reducing atmosphere<br />

at 1350 °C. Re-oxidation is carried out in nitrogen at 800 °C for 24 hours to<br />

diminish oxygen vacancies in the reducing-atmosphere sintered BT phase.<br />

v. Hardness and density of sintered Ni(m) specimens are examined. A linear<br />

relationship exists between the hardness of a Ni(m) specimen and its BT volume<br />

fraction. Extrapolated BT and Ni hardness are VPN99 and VPN 387 respectively.<br />

And the density of sintered Ni(m) specimens is between 91% and 96% of<br />

theoretical.<br />

209

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