The Advanced Ceramics Research focuses on the processing and characterization of the bulk engineering ceramic materials for the properties with high functionality and reliability. We are currently doing extensive research on the sintering process of Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Boron Carbide (B4C) ceramics by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technique. SiC and B4C represent a family of covalent ceramics with a unique combination of properties promising for a wide range of technical applications. Due to extremely low self-diffusion coefficient, the densification of SiC and B4C alone is possible only at extremely high pressure and/or temperatures. Accordingly, we are applying the densification method of SiC and B4C by means of liquid phase sintering with the addition of effective sintering additives, which is of an undoubtful interest. Such an approach enables to sufficiently lower the sintering temperature and still achieve complete densification.

In view of considerable interest in the development of liquid phase sintered SiC and B4C ceramics, a comprehensive theoretical aspect on the thermodynamic calculation of the reactivity sintering additives with SiC or B4C are evaluated here, such as metal oxide, rare-earth oxide, and rare-earth nitrate additives. Based on the theoretical result, the experiments are designed to find an optimized SPS processing window for tailoring the desirable microstructure and mechanical properties of SiC or B4C. Overall, the recent findings indicate that a good basis for further systematic research of SiC or B4C –based materials has been made, and these ceramics materials will be a next candidate for profound research.

In addition to those researches, we also interest with bioceramic materials, i.e., hydroxyapatite (HAp) and calcium titanate (CaTiO3). The objective of this project is to develop those bioceramics from waste materials and low-temperature sintering using SPS to obtain dense ceramic.