| Abstract Scope |
Understanding structure-properties relationship is essential for the design, development and tailoring of composite materials. In the context of ceramic-metal composites, the impact of complex bioinspired microstructures on creating lightweight, damage tolerant materials are underexplored. Promising structures are the brick-and-mortar structure and cross-lamellar structure from nacre, the bouligand structure from mantis shrimp, and functional gradients, which are known to maximize energy dissipation during fracture. Here, we use alumina and copper to prepare ceramic-metal complex hierarchical bioinspired microstructures using magnetically assisted slip casting (MASC) followed by pressureless sintering in an inert atmosphere. The microstructure obtained through MASC is preserved after sintering. Flexural and compressive strength, fracture toughness, wear resistance, hardness, and thermal & electrical conductivity are measured for the promising bioinspired microstructures and compared. This study also varies the ceramic-metal ratio to create comprehensive maps linking microstructure, composition, and properties, which can aid researchers and engineers in developing lightweight, high damage-tolerant materials. |