The objective of this research is to study the development and the mechanical/physical property effects of crystallographic texture in aluminum oxide, silicon nitride, and zirconia ceramic materials. This work will involve fundamental studies of: texture development mechanisms during densification, including stress-assisted densification; evaluation of the mechanical and physical properties of the densified materials as a function of texture; and, modeling of the texture development mechanisms and textural effects on properties. This work will involve extensive processing (hot forging and hot extrusion) and characterization (microstructural: x-ray pole figures, optical, SEM, and TEM; and mechanical property: fracture toughness, elastic modulus, fatigue crack growth) studies.
