NATIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAMMES FOR HIGH TECH CERAMICS IN THE NETHERLANDS

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1 Printed High Tech Ceramics, edited by P. Vincenzini 3063 Elsevier Science Publishers By., Amsterdam, 1987 in The Netherlands NATIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAMMES FOR HIGH TECH CERAMICS IN THE NETHERLANDS R. METSELAAR Eindhoven University of Technology, Laboratory for Physical Chemistry, Centre for Technical Ceramics, P.O.Box 513, 5600 MB EINDHOVEN (The Netherlands) SUMMARY A survey is given of the current research programmes at universities and technological institutes. A1so discussed is a recently started government sponsored innovative programme on technical ceramics. PAST SITUATION In the past the activities in high tech ceramics in the Netheriaridse were nearly exclusively concentrated on electro- and rnagnetoceramics, and more recently also on ceramics with optical functions. This is due to the dominating position of the Philips companies in this field and to the lack of strong industries involved in the production of heat engines or gasturbines. in surrounding countries especially the car manufacturing industries have stimulated research and development of structural ceramic materials. As a result there is an unmistakable arrears in this area. At this moment there is a growing interest for engineering ceramics, undoubtedly stimulated by the rapid developments all over the world. Especially producers and consumers of refrac tory materials and large chemical industries start activities. It should be mentioned that a better situation exists in the field of ceramic coatings. Several firms hold good positions in the production of coatings for different applications like gasturbines, drilling and cutting tools, etc., using plasma spraying, PVD or CVD techniques. At this moment the research capacity in the Netherlands for ceramic materials is estimated at about 170 menyear/year scientific personnel. About 2/3 of these are employed in industries and 1/3 at universities or technological institutes. PRESENT SITUATION Within the general policy of the Ministry of Economic Affairs to stimulate innovative technology projects, special attention is paid to engineering materials. On the one hand direct support is available for industries to stimulate specific technological developments, on the other hand international cooperation is encouraged.

2 certain areas, innovation directed research programmes (lops) have been ceramics. the Dutch industry is increased in the application and production of technical infrastructure for R and D such that on middle-long term the competitiveness of logy, polymers and most recently technical ceramics. of areas where lop s have been started are biotechnology, membranes, IC-techno at these institutes by enlarging the market directed research efforts. Examples created. These lops are meant to supplement the fundamental research programmes To enlarge the research effort at universities and technological institutes in The lop-technical Ceramics started in 1985 with the aim to improve the in the different groups. Further proposals are expected in the next three years. technologies; analysis and measurement of complicated mechanical properties to million Dfl. Table 1 gives a survey of the different projects initiated by the comprise 70 menyear personnel (=50%) and investments to the value of about 1 have been approved in March of These projects will last 4 years and tance are toughened ceramics; non-oxidic materials; coatings; advanced shaping support design and construction with ceramic materials. The first 14 proposals different aspects and the relations between them. Topics of particular impor Preference was expressed for integral projects i.e. projects studying B.3 Non destructive testing of ceramics B.4 Design and construction techniques B.1 Ceramic coatings B.2 Joining technology A.3 Ceramics for special applications A.1 Powder technology and powder processing A.2 Production methods nel the programme will lead to a doubling of the present research effort. financial support of 50% can be obtained from the lop funds. In terms of person gical institutes can make proposals for research projects for which a maximum investments and personnel for an 8 years programme. Universities and technolo For this purpose 29.6 x io6 Dfl (about 12 x 106 US$) are available for 3064 The main topics of this programme are: A. Production B. Application lop. Due to the 50/50 rule all projects form part of larger research programmes

3 3065 Table 1. Projects approved in the first year of the LOP-Technical Ceramics. Nr. Project description Institute 1 Corrosion resistance of advanced ceramic CTK, Eindhoven materials 2 Production and properties of oxy-nitrides CTK, Eindhoven 3 Shaping and sintering of (oxy) nitrides CTK, Eindhoven 4 Laser production of Si 3N4 powders Deift Univ. of Technology 5 Toughened ceramics based on tetragorial Twente Univ. of zirconia Technology 6 Shaping methods for porous ceramics ECN, Petten 7 Calciumphosphate bioceramics Biomaterials Science Centre, Free University Amsterdam 8 Analysis of stress and microstructure Delft Univ. of of CVD coatings Technology 9 Coatings for protection of alloys against Twente Univ. of oxygen, carbon and sulphur potentials Technology 10 Plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings Eindhoven Univ. of Technology 11 Metal ceramic interactions CTK, Eindhoven 12 Active brasing of metal-ceramic joints Neth. Institute for Welding, The Hague 13 Metal ceramic joining by diffusion welding Delft Univ. of Technology 14 Acoustic microscopy CTK, Eindhoven MAIN CERAMICS RESEARCH INSTITUTES Table 2 gives some information on the research topics in the main university groups. This work is mostly financed directly by the universities themselves and by government foundations for fundamental research. The Centre for Technical Ceramics (CTK), Eindhoven is a recently founded joint venture between the Physical Chemistry Department of the Eindhoven University of Technology and the Ceramics Department of the Institute for Applied Physics TNO TPD. The CTK performs research and development on high tech ceramics. It carries out both short term applied projects for industry and fundamental research.

4 The group is currently going through a period of rapid growth both in personnel and equipment. The activities cover the field of bulk ceramics, mainly (oxy) nitrides, from powder production to characterization of sintered products, production of CVD layers, diffusion studies related to joining and interaction in metal-ceramic systems. The Twente University is specialized in research of oxidic materials in par ticular zirconia s, where both electrical and mechanical properties.are studied, and porous alumina for membrane applications. Studies of wet chemical prepara tion methods form part of these investigations. In this group sol-gel techniques will also be used to produce protective coatings on alloys In Petten the Energy Centre Netherlands (ECN) worked in the past on the pre paration of sintered fuel cell elements for nuclear reactors and on materials for MHD electrodes. At this moment there is a cooperation with the ceramics group in Twente, focussed on the production of porous alumina parts. At the Delft University a group in the Faculty of Chemical Technology is en gaged in the production of ceramic coatings by CVD techniques. In this group also powder production with plasma or laser techniques will be studied. There is a cooperation with the Faculty of Metallurgy/Materials Science, where x-ray techniques are used for internal stress measurements. At the School of Dentistry of the Free University, Amsterdam, the Biomaterials Science Center is active in the research of calcium phosphate ceramics for den tal implants or bone replacement. In connection with its materials stimulation policy the Ministry of Education and Science has decided recently to create a National Ceramics Workshop (NKA), located at the ECN in Petten. The workshop will have facilities to produce cera mic parts on a semi technical scale. The NKA has two functions: a) the development and production of parts from new materials, developed by research groups, to investigate the possibilities of applications; b) the production of small series of ceramic parts for industries. As such it will also play a role in the lop Technical Ceramics. The workshop can carry out work for third parties, but the facilities shall also be available for investigators from university groups who can do the work themselves. About 8 million Dfl will be invested in new equipment. It is hoped that the workshop will be fully operational in about one year. From the foregoing it will be evident that the research activities in Holland are expected to increase rapidly in the next few years. This increased effort at the research institutes is accompanied by expansions in industrial research and development laboratories. It is hoped that as a result, apart from the existing activities in the electronic industries, new possibilities in the field of bio and structural ceramics will come into existence.

5 Institute Main topics Examples - High studies on ceria coated alloys metal-ceramic systems for joining (SiC-Fe), or in CVD coatings (TIC-Fe). carbothermal production of sialon, mechanical pro perties, corrosion resis tance aluminates - cermet electrodes Table 2. Survey of principal university research groups engaged in ceramic research. 1. Inorganic chemistry and materials science department, Twente University of Technology Structure and electrical conductivity in oxidic materials - Electrode materials, oxygen transfer, rare earth substituted zi rconia substituted zirconia, electro-catalysis pyrochl ores - Ceramic microstructures with special A1 properties (ultra-fine grainsizes. membranes zirconia toughened ceramics) Ion implantation and grainboundary properties! modification 203 membranes, tetragonal temperature corrosion oxidation and suiphidation 2. Laboratory for physical chemistry, Centre for Technical Ceramics Eindhoven University of Technology Morphology, (Oxy) nitride phase relations, kinetics in solid state diffusion reactions. ceramics. Powder production, shaping technologies, sintering (high temperature) properties - Electrical conductivity of (oxidic) materials - Development of materials for thermionic energy conversion

6 Table 2. Survey of principal university research groups engaged in ceramic research.(cofltinued) Institute Main topics Examples 3. Laboratory for inorganic and physical - CVD and PVD wear resistant and chemistry, corrosion resistant coatings. Deift University of Technology - Laser and plasma activated powder - production. 2 layers TiB 3N4 powder Si 4. Biornaterials Science Center, - Bioceramics based on calcium phosphate; - dental implants, bone Free University, Amsterdam bulk materials, composites and plasma replacement sprayed coatings.