| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T24: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
2024 Undergraduate Student Poster Contest
|
| Presentation Title |
SPU-15: Improving Density and Toughness of Ceria-Based Oxygen Ion Conductors |
| Author(s) |
Connor Davison |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Connor Davison |
| Abstract Scope |
This poster will focus on the redox-active perovskite CeAlO3. The goal of this project is to synthesize a material that will have the oxygen ion conducting capabilities of CeO2 with enhanced toughness due to the presence of nano-sized grains of Al2O3 in the microstructure. We use non-conventional processing techniques, like spark plasma sintering (SPS), and highly reducing environments to control the stoichiometry and microstructure of this material. SPS is a sintering process that operates much faster than conventional sintering while also applying pressure to the sample. We reoxidize the SPS sintered and reduced samples of CeAlO3 which causes the cerium aluminate to decompose into nano-sized grains of ceria and alumina. Microscopy is used to observe the resulting microstructure to confirm the presence, phase, and size of these grains. This research will provide novel insights into methods to improve the mechanical properties of ceramics using redox-driven processes. |