Chemical preparation of zirconium-aluminum-magnesium oxide composites

Abstract: A composite ceramic material having improved prop­ erties is disclosed as well as several processes for preparing the same. The composite powder is substantially comprised of zirconia and spinel phases, produced by precipitation and calcination of the precipitate of the oxide forming precursor salts. A preferred process for introducing the zirconium is as a soluble and/or decomposable salt during precipitation of the spinel forming hydroxyl or halo hydroxyl spinel forming salts. The zirconium salt decomposes to zirconia during calcining and/or sintering of the powder resulting from the precipitation. A preferred composite is that obtained from magnesium and aluminum salts, resulting in a MgAlO₄ spinel and intimately admixed ZrO₂ which may contain a stabilizing agent.

Description: The present invention concerns a precursor powder convertible to zirconia - spinel composites, the formed composites and the processes therefor. Zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂) is one of the more widely studied ceramic materials. It is known that zirconium dioxide can exist in a stable or metastable state as one or more of four phases: the monoclinic, orthorhombic, tetragonal, or cubic crystal structures. The phases present, their amount, size, and distribution can have a profound influence on a whole range of material properties in a composite with another ceramic. A significant level of interest in zirconia (ZrO₂) - based ceramics has surfaced in recent years in an attempt to understand and engineer the microstructure of these composites. An engineered microstructure can result in improvements in strength, thermal shock resistance, and fracture toughness values over those of the ceramic without the zirconia addition. In this case zirconia is an effective 'toughening agent' because of a phase transformation in which a volume expansion can occur. Several toughening mechanisms have been theorized and all are process dependent. References by the following various authors ( F. F. Lange, J. Material Science , 17 (1-4), 225-255, 1982; A. G. Evans, and R. M. McMeeking, "Mechanics of Transformation Toughening in Brittle Materials," J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 65 [5] 242, 1982; N. Claussen and M. Ruhle, "Design of Transformation Toughened Ceramics", p. 137, Advances in Ceramics Vol. 3, Science and Technology of Zirconia, 1981; and A. G. Evans and A. H. Heuer, "Transformation Toughening in Ceramics: Martensitic Transformations in Cracktip Stress Fields", J. Amer. Ceram. Soc. , 63 [5-6] 241-48, 1981) - give full explanations of this phenomenon. Processing of these materials has focussed along three routes, all having the same result of obtaining a dispersion of ZrO₂ particles in some ceramic matrix. A conventional approach involves mechanically blending or mixing two (or more) components or their precursor powders together, adding organic lubricants and binders, pressing into a shape, and sintering at a temperature high enough to promote densification. However, zirconium dioxide requires a relatively high sintering temperature (>1700°C) to attain the densities required for these toughening mechanisms to operate. The acceptance of improved mixing technologies to ensure uniform homogeneity of the zirconia phase, along with technological improvements in pressing and sintering (e.g. isostatic pressing, hot pressing, hot isostatic pressing), have effectively lowered the sintering temperature necessary for densification to more practical levels (∼1450 - 1700°C). A lower sintering temperature is advantageous because it also minimizes excessive grain growth of the zirconia particles which consequently improves metastable phase retention levels and strengths. Tough zirconia ceramics have been fabricated from spinel (of fused cast origins), silicon carbide, and mullite. (All show improvements in fracture toughness, strengths, and in some cases, thermal shock resistance.) However, the most widely studied system is the aluminum oxide-zirconium oxide (Al₂O₃-ZrO₂) system, where particles of stabilized or unstabilized zirconia are added to Al₂O₃, mixed, and densified. Another method for making toughened zirconia ceramics involves a conventional powder oxide (or precursor) mechanical mixing approach using zirconium oxide and a stabilizer. Conventional high temperature sintering is done with subsequent heat treatments at lower temperatures to produce a "composite" of two or more of the zirconia phases. The shape, size, and homogeneity of this phase (phases) is determined by the heat treatment employed which in turn, determines the final properties of the ceramic article. The amount of stabilizer added also influences the type and amount of minor phase precipitates formed. Conventional processes are used either in the powder preparation and/or the powder mixing step. A third method of obtaining a dispersion of ZrO₂ particles in a ceramic matrix involves a chemical reaction to produce these particles and matrix in situ from completely different starting constituents. For example, a well documented reaction involves that of zircon and alumina to form zirconia in a mullite matrix as follows: 2 ZrSiO₄ + 3 Al₂O₃→ 2 ZrO₂ + 3 Al₂O₃·SiO₂ Again, this reaction involves the mixing of two already formed oxide materials, physically blending them to ensure homogeneity, and hot-pressing them to carry out the reaction at a lower temperature. Some references cite examples where one or more of the zirconia composite constituents were chemically produced and physically mixed to form the composite powder. But, to the best of our knowledge, no information is available on processes where the constituents of the zirconia toughened ceramic have been simultaneously precipitated as in the present invention. One of the constituent materials can be the stabilizer precursor salt for the zirconia phase. One advantage to this process is the homogeneity achieved with the constituent precursors. This can eliminate the need to further mechanically blend the powders in subsequent processing. Another advantage lies with the chemical precipitation process itself. This process produces finely divided, pure precipitates which, when processed and dried properly, yield highly active, sinterable powders. This can alleviate the need for expensive pressing operations (i.e. hot-pressing) to achieve lower sintering temperatures for densification into a fine-grained ceramic unit. In accordance with the present invention, a precursor powder convertible to zirconia-spinel ceramic composites are provided which have spinel forming metal compounds intimately admixed with a zirconium compound, said powder derived from continuously and simultaneously adding in a liquid medium: 1) a water soluble aluminate 2) at least one decomposable salt of metal or suitable for forming a spinel crystal structure on calcination; 3) a salt capable of being converted on heating to zirconium oxide, or a fine zirconium oxide powder, in order to form an intimate admixture which is co-precipitated, and the solids recovered, said Al and Mg being present in mole ratios to form the spinel structure which optionally may contain a segregated MgO or Al₂O₃ phase when converted to the ceramic composite. The spinel forming metals Mg and Al in the soluble form are preferably precipitated in a reaction medium of pH 4 to 12. The resulting precipitate (a precursor) is washed, dried, and calcined to produce a powder suitable for pressing into shaped objects and fired (sintered) into a dense refractory and/or a ceramic body. Addition of the zirconium material to the spinel material can produce a composite ceramic body which has improved properties (e.g. thermal shock resistance) when compared to either material alone. Improved properties depend on the amount of zirconium containing material added and the conditions under which it is dried, calcined, and sintered. The zirconium compound is added with the spinel precursor-forming compounds such that the precipitation of the oxide forming metals occurs. The most preferred zirconium compounds are fine powders, preferably with crystallite particle sizes of less than 1 µm. Thus, the invention also comprises a process for preparing a sinterable ceramic material which comprises: a) continuously and simultaneously adding in a liquid medium: 1) a water soluble aluminate; 2) at least one salt of Mg suitable for forming a MgO Al₂O₃ spinel crystal; 3) a zirconium salt capable of being converted to zirconium oxide on heating or a fine zirconium oxide powder; b) precipitating said salt or salts at a pH wherein the soluble salt or salts precipitate; c) recovering said precipitate substantially free of medium in which the precipitation occurred; d) calcining said precipitate at least to a temperature where the spinel structure forms and zirconium oxide is present; wherein said spinel forming metals are present in mole ratios of form the spinel structure as the major composite powder component. In general it is most desirable if the zirconium compound has either a particle size less than one micrometer or is added in a manner to produce a particle size in that range. It is to be understood that in some applications the zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) must be stabilized to some degree depending on the conditions under which the ceramic will be subjected during fabrication and use. Stabilizing oxides are well known, and include MgO, CaO, Y₂O₃, and the rare earth oxides. These may be used per se or formed from heat decomposable salts of these metals. This stabilization is often necessary in ceramic bodies containing ZrO₂ because certain disruptive phase transformations may occur during fabrication or use. Also stress accommodating agents such as Al₂O₃ are also useful to stabilize ZrO₂. It is to be further understood that one can also prepare a precursor material in which one of the spinel-forming metal salts is present in an amount excessive to the formation of a stoichiometric spinel. This material on heating decomposes to its oxide form, and, if it satisfies the requirements necessary to be a zirconia stabilizer, may do so. This material may be present in quantities to partially or fully stabilize the zirconium containing phase or be present in its oxide form as a discrete phase within the composite. The zirconium compound is present in sufficient quantity to provide from greater than 0 to less than 100 percent, preferably from greater than 0 to less than 50 percent, more preferably from 5 to 20 percent by inclusive weight of the total weight of the composite. The following examples are provided to illustrate the present invention. Example 1 7.3% ZrO₂ - 92.7% MgAl₂O₄ Composite - Simultaneous precipitation of a Mg-Al precursor using a zirconyl nitrate salt Sodium aluminate (NaAlO₂), 297.53 g dissolved in 7494 cm³ of water was added to a vessel at the rate of 43 cm³ per minute while simultaneously adding to the same vessel 344.75 g of magnesium chloride (MgCl₂), and 176.5 g of zirconium oxy nitrate in 3491 cm³ of water at a rate of 19.4 cm³ per minute. The contents of the vessel were continuously stirred. The temperature of the contents of the vessel was maintained at about 50°C. The initial pH of the contents of the vessel was 9.1 but rose within ten minutes to 10.77 whereupon hydrochloric acid was added to adjust the pH. The pH slowly dropped throughout the reaction to 10.66. Thirty seven minutes after the initial reactants were admixed, 1000 cm³ of the sodium aluminate solution was slowly added over a four minute period while maintaining the steady addition of sodium aluminate and the magnesium chloride/zirconium nitrate. A fine precipitate formed almost immediately and was maintained in suspension by continuous stirring. A similar amount of sodium aluminate, 1000 cm³, was added at fifty-nine minutes after the initial mixing of the reactants. A final addition of 1494 g of sodium aluminate was slowly added one hour and thirty five minutes after the initial mixing of the reactants. The precipitate which was formed was maintained in the reaction solvent at 50°C for an additional forty-two minutes following addition of the last aliquot of sodium aluminate. The final pH of the solution was 10.07. The precipitate was washed by the addition of deionized water to the reaction vessel and filtered to recover the precipitate. The filter cake was washed with several aliquots of deionized water and dried. Analysis of the resulting powder showed the powder contained 7.3 weight percent zirconium. Following drying, the powder was calcined at 1000°C for 4 hours. Example 2 - 10% ZrO₂ - 90% MgAl₂O₄ Composite - Simultaneous precipitation of a Mg-Al precursor with a zirconium oxychloride precursor salt Two feed solutions, one consisting of 3000 cm³ of a 13.5 percent sodium aluminate (NaAlO₂) solution (pH 13.0) and another consisting of the liquid mixture of 2664 cm³ of a 9.5 percent solution of magnesium chloride, 240 cm³ of a commercially available zirconium oxychloride (20 percent ZrO₂ content by precipitated weight), and 96 cm³ of deionized water (mixture pH 0.9) were simultaneously added to a reaction vessel containing 2000 cm³ of deionised water at a constant rate of 27 cm³/minute. The contents of the vessel were continuously stirred. The temperature of the contents of the vessel was maintained at room temperature (21°C). The initial pH of the deionized water contents of the vessel was 6.0 but rose immediately upon the addition of both feed mixtures to 10.3. A ten percent (10 percent) hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution was added, as needed, to adjust the pH to 9.7. The pH was kept stable at 9.6-9.7 throughout the reaction by adding HCl as needed. A total of 810 cm³ of HCl solution was added over the 110 minute duration of the run. A fine precipitate formed almost immediately and was maintained in suspension by continuous stirring. The precipitate was aged in the mother liquor for one hour and fifteen minutes prior to filtration. The final pH of the reactor contents was 9.7. The precipitate slurry was filtered in 600 cm³ aliquots. This produced a wet cake thickness of approximately one inch (2.5 cm) in a vacuum filter of 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. The wet cake was consecutively washed with six bed depths (filtered slurry) of deionized water. The wet cake was stored in a sealed plastic container for 24 hours prior to drying. The wet cake was first dried at 150°C overnight and then calcined at 1000°C for 4 hours. Example 3 - 10% ZrO₂ - 90% MgAl₂O₄ Composite; Precipitation of a Mg-Al precursor with a slurried zirconium oxide powder in the reactor Two feed solutions, one consisting of 3000 cm³ of a 13.5 percent sodium aluminate (NaAlO₂) solution (pH 12.9) and another consisting of the liquid mixture of 2664 cm³ of a 9.6 percent solution of magnesium chloride (MgCl₂) and 336 cm³ of deionized water and 45 g of a commercially available zirconium oxide (pH mixture - 6.3) were added Simultaneously to a reaction vessel containing 2000 cm³ of deionized water or an initial rate of 27 cm³/minute. The contents of the magnesium chloride/water/zirconium oxide solution were continuously stirred to keep the ZrO₂ from settling. The contents of the reaction vessel were stirred as well. The temperature of the contents of the reaction vessel was maintained at room temperature. The initial pH of the deionized water contents of the vessel was 6.5 but rose immediately upon the addition of both feed mixtures to 10.0. A ten percent hydrochloric acid (HCl) or a ten percent sodium hydroxide (NaOH) Solution was added as needed to adjust the pH to approximately 9.8. At two minutes into the reaction the pH was 9.7 and stabilized there for the duration of the 110 minute run. A fine precipitate formed almost immediately and was mixed with the zirconium oxide addition continuously. The precipitates were kept in solution 17 hours prior to filtration. No noticeable changes in pH occurred during this time. The precipitate slurry was filtered in 600 cm³ aliquots, producing a wet cake thickness of approximately 1.25 cm inches (3 cm) in a vacuum filter of four inches (10 cm) in diameter. The wet cake was consecutively washed with six bed depths (filtered slurry) of deionized water. The wet cake was then dried at 150°C overnight and then calcined at 1000°C for four hours. Example 4 - 40% ZrO₂ - 60% MgAl₂O₄ composite Pilot Plant scale-up; continuous operation to coprecipitate via zirconium oxychloride route A zirconium/magnesium/aluminum precursor salt was made in a pilot plant facility by first equilibrating the flow rates in the plant to make the Mg-Al precursor of a given 1.94 ratio and then adding a third stream of zirconium oxychloride in a calculated ratio to arrive at the desired 40 percent ZrO₂ - 60 percent MgAl₂O₄ ratio in the final sintered product. Two feed solutions, one consisting of an 11.63 percent magnesium chloride (MgCl₂) and another consisting of an 11.0 percent sodium aluminate (NaAlO₂) solutions were prepared and coprecipitated to form a Mg-Al hydroxide chloride slurry at flowrates of 1.27 gallons per minute (gpm) (8 x 10⁻⁵ m³/s) for MgCl and 2.05 gpm (13 x 10⁻⁵ m³/s for the NaAlO₂. The pilot plant conditions equilibrated 68 minutes into the run at 50°C (pH 9.4) to make a consistent Mg-Al precursor with a 1.94 Al/Mg molar ratio. At this time a third feed of 20 percent zirconium oxychloride solution (ZrOCl₂) was added at a rate of 0.6 gpm (4 x 10⁻⁵ m³/s). Four minutes later (72 minutes into the run) 10 percent sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was added, as needed, for a pH control of 9.4. Material caught during the next 38 minutes was discarded as being low in Zr content (i.e. from 68 to 116 minutes into the run). At 116 minutes into the run, 48 minutes after the introduction of zirconium oxychloride, the slurry became too thick to adequately mix. The contents of the reactor were then pumped to holding drums as the flows of all three lines continued. The final pH of the reaction was 9.4. A total of 60 gallons (0.3 m³) of MgCl₂, 97 gallons (0.44 m³) of NaAlO₂, and 28.2 gallons (0.13 m³) of ZrOCl₂ were used to produce the composite precursor. Five barrels of reactor slurry were caught. These were systematically decanted, washed with deionized water, allowed to settle. This procedure was repeated four times to adequately wash any residual reactor salts from the slurry. The clears from the suspension were analyzed and showed no leaching of Zr, Mg, or Al from the slurry. Sodium salt levels decreased from 8.0 to 0.6 percent. After the final decanting operation, the cake slurry was re-slurried and pumped to a belt filter where it was filtered and stored in polyethylene drums. Wet cake samples were dried at 150°C and calcined to 1000°C for four hours. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis shows that the dried 40 percent ZrO₂-MgAl₂O₄ precursor sample is composed of gibbsite, Al(OH)₃, some bayerite and a poorly crystallized magnesium aluminate. No crystalline zirconium compounds are seen by XRD. However, peaks for Zr are seen in the Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectra, along with major peaks for Cl, Mg, and Al. Scanning Electron Microscopy of the dried precursor composites show the discrete particles of Al(OH)₃, and the layered Mg-Al hydroxide particles cemented together in the form of approximately 10 micron agglomerates. A spot EDX of the binder phase material shows it to be rich in zirconium. This zirconium containing phase appears to have uniformly coated the precipitated magnesium·aluminum hydroxide precursor. This powder on calcination to 1000°C shows a well crystallized magnesium aluminate spinel phase and a mixture of cubic and monoclinic zirconium oxide phases. The surface area of the precursor hydroxychloride composite of Example 4 is 83 m²/gm. This value is comparable to those of the Mg-Al hydroxychlorides prepared as described in U.S. Patent 4,400,431. On calcination to 1000°C, this value is reduced to 27 m²/gm. Of course, upon further calcination at temperatures greater than 1000°C, the product can be further densified. This high activity level is necessary for densification at temperatures lower than traditional sintering temperatures. Methods and Evaluation of Pressed and Sintered Ceramic Oxides Pellet studies of pressed and sintered disks made from these powders were performed in the following manner. The calcined powders were sieved through a 100 mesh screen and pressed into at least four 1.25 inch (3 cm) pellets of varying thicknesses. No binders were used. Pressing pressures did not exceed 68.9 MPa (10,000 psi). These disks were dried at 60°C for four hours to remove any residual moisture. Sintering occurred at 1530°C for a 10 hour hold following a slow (8 hours) temperature rise from room temperature to the hold temperature. Pellet measurements were taken prior to and after sintering and densities and Shrinkages were calculated using the ASTM C-20 method. Flexure strength measurements, where cited, were performed in accordance to ASTM F 394-78. These studies are summarized in Table 1. The green density measurements of 35-40 percent of theoretical density indicate moderate strengths. When binders are used, the green density can be improved to a more desirable industrial standard of 40 percent of theoretical density. Optimal densification occurred in the 10 percent ZrO₂-MgAl₂O₄ prepared via the zirconium oxychloride coprecipitation route. A less preferred route, Showing poor densification, occurred when a slurry of zirconium oxide, formed previously from a fusion route, was added during the coprecipitation of the Mg-Al precursor phase. The observed shrinkages for all the powders are typical for powders derived via chemical routes and can be tailored by changes in the calcination temperatures. Strengths were measured on the 10% ZrO₂ composite prepared via the zirconyl nitrate route. The observed strengths of 178 MPa (25,800 psi) is within the usable range for refractory or ceramic applications. Strengths in this system are a function of densification, amount of zirconia phase present, and the crystal structure of the zirconia.

Claims: A precursor powder convertible to a zirconia-spinel ceramic composite which comprises spinel forming metal compounds intimately admixed with a zirconium compound, said powder having been derived from continuously and simultaneously adding in a liquid medium: 1) a water soluble aluminate; 2) at least one salt of Mg suitable for forming a MgO Al₂O₃ spinel crystal structure on calcination; 3) a salt capable of being converted on heating to zirconium oxide, or a fine zirconium oxide powder; in order to form an intimate admixture which is coprecipitated, and the solids recovered, said Mg and Al salts being present in mole ratios to form the spinel structure which optionally may contain a segregated MgO or Al₂O₃ phase when converted to the ceramic composite. The powder of Claim 1, wherein the precursor powder has been heated to a temperature sufficient to substantially convert the precursor components to a composite of the spinel and zirconium oxide with or without other oxide stabilizers, and with or without forming into an object. A composite as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the zirconia is present in an amount of from greater than zero to less than 50 percent of the total weight of the composition. A composite as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the zirconia is present in an amount of from 5 to 20 weight percent of the composition. A composite as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a spinel matrix and a zirconium oxide segregated phase intimately dispersed therein. The composite as claimed in Claim 5, wherein said zirconium oxide particle size is less than one micrometer A process for preparing a sinterable ceramic material which comprises: a) continuously and simultaneously adding in a liquid medium: 1) a water soluble aluminate; 2) at least one salt of Mg suitable for forming a MgO Al₂O₃ spinel crystal structures on calcination; 3) a zirconium salt capable of being converted to zirconium oxide on heating or a fine zirconium oxide powder; b) precipitating said salt or salts at a pH wherein the soluble salt or salts precipitate; c) recovering said precipitate substantially free of medium in which the precipitation occurred; d) calcining said precipitate at least to a temperature where the spinel structure forms and zirconium oxide is present; wherein said spinel forming metals are present in mole ratios of form the spinel structure as the major composite powder component. A process as claimed in Claim 7, wherein said pH of precipitation is from 4 to 12. A process as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8, wherein a stabilized zirconium oxide is added to or formed in situ with said spinel forming metal salts. A process as claimed in any one of Claims 7 to 9, wherein a stabiliser, which is one or more oxides or heat decomposable salts of magnesium, calcium, yttrium, or aluminium compounds, is included.

Inventors: HENSLEE WALTER W, WITKOWSKI THOMAS S, HENSLEE, WALTER W., WITKOWSKI, THOMAS S.
Applicants: DOW CHEMICAL CO, THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY
Application year: 1987
Main classification: C04B35
IPC codes: C04B35, C01G25