Abstract
An underwater shock consolidation is effective to obtain denser ceramics and ceramic composites because of the very fast consolidation process within microsecond time scale and high shock pressure, which is generated by detonation of an explosive. The SEP high performance explosive with detonation velocity of 6970 m/s is usually used. In order to consolidate ceramic powders, a peak shock pressure used in shock consolidation is about 5 GPa-15 GPa. The peak shock pressure acting on the powders can be controlled by shape of a water container. The shock-consolidated ceramics and ceramic composites have unique characteristics such as no grain growth, no phase transition and surface bonding/interparticle melting between powder particles, and high electric resistance as well as broadened peaks due to lattice defects.
