Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
10.6.3 Hydrothermal Processing of Advanced Ceramics
From 1990s onwards, the science of ceramics has undergone a revolution almost as
dramatic as the more familiar ones in electronics. Novel approaches in preparing
and processing ceramic solids have been developed, ingenious ways of circumvent-
ing the age-old problem of brittleness have been introduced, and new markets have
opened up in such areas as: electronics, sensors, photonics, orthopedics, catalysis
mixed ionic and electronic conducting ceramics, advanced nitride ceramics,
advanced cements, mineralizers, heat engines, functional ceramics related to energy
conservation environmental issues and so on
[88,89]
.
Recently advanced ceramics represent developments well beyond the imagina-
tion of even the few far-sighted scientists of 30 years ago who first perceived the
remarkable potential of ceramic solids and established “ductile” engineering cera-
mics as a suitable objective for material researchers to pursue.
Figure 10.16
shows
the interactions of ceramics science with other technical fields
[88]
. Since 1980,
much attention has been paid to hydrothermal processing of fine zirconia, ceria,
and titania powders. Several methods were used to prepare fine zirconia hafnia,
titania, ceria, and PZT particles (powders) under hydrothermal conditions.
Applications of hydrothermal reactions in ceramics include the following
aspects: phase equilibria, ultrafine single crystals, ultrafine amorphous, single crys-
tal growth, hydrothermal reaction sintering, hydrothermal sintering, hydrothermal
crystallization, dissolving, corrosion, etching, composites (inorganic
organic,
1
inorganic
inorganic), testing, thin films, radioactive waste management, hydro-
thermal oxidation, hydrothermal decomposition, hydrothermal anodic oxidation,
1
Figure 10.16 Interactions of
ceramics science with other
technical fields
[88]
.
Source: Courtesy of National
Academy Press, Washington,
DC.
