Abstract
Thorium dioxide (thoria, ThO2) is used in refractory applications and as nuclear fuel. Its melting temperature, the highest of any binary oxide, makes it a difficult system to process. Here we report on the effects of flash sintering on the densification of thoria. We found 95% of theoretical density is obtained at ∼950 °C (∼30% of the melting temperature) with an electric field of 800 V/cm. Variation in power density had a minimal effect on the densification. Scanning electron microscopy images show the effects of flash sintering on grain size as a function of electric field.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 677-682 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | MRS Communications |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 1 2017 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Materials Science