Evaluation of macroscopic mechanical properties from 3-D visualization of microstructure in sintering

The characterization of the processing-induced defects is a significant step for developing defect-free processing, which is important to the assurance of the mechanical reliability of brittle ceramics. Recent advances in multiscale X-ray computed tomography which consists of micro-CT and nano-CT enables us to observe the three-dimensional (3D) internal structure non-destructively. Micro-CT reveals the distribution of defects in the entire body of a sample, while nano-CT reveals the shape of the identified defect. This powerful imaging tool was used to reveal the complicated 3D morphology of defects evolved during sintering of alumina. The hierarchical packing structure of granules was the origin of several types of strength-limiting defects, which could not be eliminated due to the differential sintering of heterogeneous microstructures. This imaging technique of internal defects provides a link between the processing and the fracture strength for the development of structural materials. (author)