INTERCER2

Modelling and optimal design of ceramic structures with defects and imperfect interfaces

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Ceramic industry is broadly developed in Europe and the current investment is estimated at € 26 billion. With its € 9,2 billion segment, Italy is a leader country in the production of traditional ceramics, while France, UK and Germany are driving countries for advanced ceramics, growing at 21% per year. Advanced ceramics are crucial for new technologies and nano-tech applications addressed to thermo-mechanical and bio-medical applications, while traditional ceramics have a worldwide market and have been suggested as materials minimizing the impact on the environment (when compared to other finishing materials). It may seem surprising that the strong industrial production of ceramic components is still based on empirically engineered processes, often poorly understood and difficult to control (Ewsuk, 1997). Consequently, there is a relatively large production of rejects and still broad margins for further process optimization. To this purpose, in-depth scientific understanding of the production processing is required, in order to reduce costs of ceramic component design and manufacturing and to produce ceramic components more reproducibly with improved performance and reliability. In particular, forming by powder compaction, binder burnout and sintering are the most sensible processes (Reed, 1995; Rahaman, 2006). The main aim of the research project is to develop novel advanced ceramic products in close collaboration between academic and industrial partners which will be directly oriented to industrial and social needs. The goal will be achieved by (i) improvement of the powder compaction and ceramic production process; (ii) development of novel advanced ceramic multifunctional materials and structures.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Advanced ceramics are increasingly employed in many new technologies and devices. EU-funded scientists are developing previously lacking models of material behaviours during processing for optimisation and enhanced industrial competitiveness.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Despite the high level of maturity of the ceramics sector in Europe, industrial production still relies heavily on empirically determined processes that are often poorly understood and difficult to control.

Not only does this affect product quality and functionality, it results in excess energy consumption and waste production.Constitutive modelling describing how specific materials respond to external loads is one of the most intensely researched fields in solid mechanics as it is critical to knowledge-based solution of practical engineering problems.

EU-funded scientists initiated the project 'Modelling and optimal design of ceramic structures with defects and imperfect interfaces' (http://intercer2.unitn.it/ (INTERCER2)) to describe the formation of ceramic green bodies (unsintered ceramics) from powders.

The models will have important impact on process optimisation and industrial competitiveness.To date, the team has investigated three different constitutive models.

One previously proposed by partners was extended, calibrated and tested against experimental data.

A new elastoplastic model was developed by overcoming previous mathematical bottlenecks to guarantee convergence and implement for the first time a large-strain version of the model.

Finally, scientists developed improved models of cold compaction (shaping of powders in a die).

This critical step in processing when plasticity phenomena and frictional forces can induce inhomogeneous stresses affects the final structure during sintering.Enhanced understanding of materials and processes is enabling simplification of the complex computer algorithms that describe the behaviours of the materials under loading.

The novel algorithms are facilitating correlation of macroscopic properties with ceramic microstructure and changes in it.

In the end, the team will be able to optimise processing for enhanced product quality with reduced energy consumption and material waste.Models have already been applied to novel metamaterials with remarkable properties such as negative refraction.

In addition, promising preliminary results have been obtained using ceramic fillers with piezoelectric properties for energy harvesting.INTERCER2's critical yet previously missing constitutive models of ceramics will have profound impact on the future of the EU ceramics industry.

In turn, a strong industrial position with optimised and sustainable processing will have important ramifications for the EU and its economy as a whole.