In this research the influence of an innovative processing method on the mechanical behavior of ceramic materials will be studied. In particular, it is proposed to control crystallographic texture by magnetically-assisted grain alignment during the processing of paramagnetic ceramics, namely iron titanate and yttrium barium copper high temperature superconductor material. It is expected that controlled texture may influence the magnitude of residual stresses within the microstructure of these ceramics, and hence, the magnitude of grain bridging and microcracking induced toughening. The PI will collaborate with researchers at NIST to measure residual stresses with neutron diffraction and microcracking with neutron scattering in-situ as the material is cooled from processing temperature. It is expected that these studies will provide a general framework for microstructural design and mechanical property control of ceramics by the application of a magnetic field during processing.
