Densification of thoria through flash sintering

W. Straka; S. Amoah; J. Schwartz

doi:10.1557/mrc.2017.70

Densification of thoria through flash sintering

W. Straka, S. Amoah, J. Schwartz

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Scopus citations

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)
Pages (from-to)	677-682
Number of pages	6
Journal	MRS Communications
Volume	7
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2017.70
State	Published - Sep 1 2017

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Materials Science(all)

Access to Document

10.1557/mrc.2017.70

Cite this

@article{7f71672b6f304b32948a8eaacf25df6c,

title = "Densification of thoria through flash sintering",

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.",

author = "W. Straka and S. Amoah and J. Schwartz",

note = "Funding Information: The authors thank Roger Russell and Toby Tung for their help with the experimental setup, the Clemson University Electron Microscopy Laboratory for allowing us to utilize their SEMs, and Brian Powell for his assistance in acquiring the electron images. In addition, we acknowledge NSF support for the REU on Advanced Materials for Environmental Sustainability under grant EEC 1156762 which funded one of the authors (S. A.). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 Materials Research Society.",

year = "2017",

month = sep,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1557/mrc.2017.70",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "7",

pages = "677--682",

journal = "MRS Communications",

issn = "2159-6859",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Densification of thoria through flash sintering

AU - Straka, W.

AU - Amoah, S.

AU - Schwartz, J.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank Roger Russell and Toby Tung for their help with the experimental setup, the Clemson University Electron Microscopy Laboratory for allowing us to utilize their SEMs, and Brian Powell for his assistance in acquiring the electron images. In addition, we acknowledge NSF support for the REU on Advanced Materials for Environmental Sustainability under grant EEC 1156762 which funded one of the authors (S. A.). Publisher Copyright: © 2017 Materials Research Society.

PY - 2017/9/1

Y1 - 2017/9/1

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85032572357&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85032572357&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1557/mrc.2017.70

DO - 10.1557/mrc.2017.70

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85032572357

SN - 2159-6859

VL - 7

SP - 677

EP - 682

JO - MRS Communications

JF - MRS Communications

IS - 3

ER -

Densification of thoria through flash sintering

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this