Development of an Experimental Set-Up for Producing Metal and Ceramic Functionally Graded Materials

Abstract

Functionally graded materials are a class of advanced composites with graded properties that bring a new concept in material design and are widely used in the aerospace and automotive industry. These materials have continuously varying microstructure and properties. They are known to have little residual and thermal stress. This concept imparts improved adhesive bonding strength between metals and ceramics. Multifunctional metal-ceramic structures are well suited for applications where toughness and hardness are two essential requirements. Metal-ceramic functionally graded materials can also be designed to take advantage of the mechanical strength of metals and corrosion resistance properties of ceramics in applications such as thermal or chemical barriers. In the fabrication of these materials, powder processing begins with pure Nickel and Alumina powder along with titanium oxide as a sintering aid. The amount of powder required is automated using Arduino. Then it is blended in a mixing chamber after passing through a nozzle. Quick return mechanism is used to spray blended powder into mould layers. The powdered layers are compacted. The compacted material is sent to the sintering chamber and sintered for required duration. The specimen is subjected to different mechanical tests, and analytical results are compared with experimental results