Microstructural Aspects during the Preparation of Y₃Al₅O₁₂ by Combustion Synthesis and Temperature Field Simulation

Abstract

The combustion front quenching method (CFQM) combined with the temperature field simulated using the finite element method was used to investigate the microstructural aspects of the fabrication of transparent Y₃Al₅O₁₂ via combustion synthesis. The simulated results indicate that there are three regions corresponding with the temperature distribution whose microstructural aspects were studied. The composite mixtures of the products cannot be separated depending only on their gravities. The filamentous profile of aluminum along with many aluminous intermediate products are detected by XRD, SEM and EDS analysis in the preheat region, which indicates that the heat-transfer can affect the mass-transfer process and the subsequent reaction process. The microstructural aspects show that the combustion reaction of the Al/NiO/Y₂O₃ powder mixture was initiated by the melting of Al particles.