OVERVIEW

The course is an introduction on the preparation, properties, structure and applications of ceramic materials. The study of the main stages of the ceramic process allows obtaining optimised structures and properties, in view of different applications.A second part of the course concerns ceramic materials used in a solid oxide fuel cell going into details of the structural requirements and on the ionic conductivity  of the state-of-art materials. The course is held in English.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Understanding ceramic process and products, sintering process, crystal structures, structural imperfections and properties.

Defects and transport in crystalline ceramics.

TEACHING METHODS

Frontal teaching, class and laboratory training

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Definition of ceramics, classification (traditional and advanced ceramic), elementary crystallography, general characteristic of ceramic materials, the stages of ceramic process.

Structural properties: crystal structure of ceramics, bonds, Pauling rule’s.

Silica polymorphism, structure of silicate, clay minerals.

Defect chemistry, Kroger-Vink notation and formulation of reaction equations. Thermodynamic control of vacancy concentration

Glass structure, Zachariasen rules, network forming, network modifier.

Glass formation, properties and effect of composition on glass characteristic, nucleation and growth, glass-ceramics.

Phase diagrams: phase rule, one-component systems, binary systems, ternary systems, lever rule, free-energy composition and temperature diagrams. Binary cases of interest for ceramist.

Examples of isopletal cooling and heating on ternary diagram of the most important ceramic system.

Ceramic processing: method of powder preparation, comminution, Particle size analysis, particle size distribution, packing of powders for refractory and advanced ceramic.

Stability of suspension, wetting, additive. General ceramic forming principles. Drying, Debonding and Firing.

Densification and coarsening: transport mechanism at the initial stage of sintering. Intermediate and final stage of sintering, grain growth and pore elimination. Sintering in presence of liquid phases

Operating principles of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and electrolysers (SOECs).

Cells design and features.

Defects and conductivity in the crystal structures of the state-of-art electrodes and electrolytes (perovskite- and fluorite-based materials).

Requirements and targets for intermediate-temperature SOFCs.

Degradation problems.

New families of materials.

Laboratory training:  Green forming, Thermogravimetry, Dilatometry, SEM.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

W.D. Kingery, H.K. Bowen, D.R. Uhlmann, Introduction to Ceramics, John Wiley & Sons.

A.J. Moulson & J.M. Herbert, Electroceramics, Chapman & Hall.

M.W. Barsoum,  Fundamentals of Ceramics

Y M  Chiang, D. Birnie III, W. D. Kyngery , Physical Ceramics

Introduction to Phase Equilibria in Ceramics

J.S. Reed, Principles of Ceramic Processing

• Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Materials Properties and Performance, CRC Press, Edited by J. W. Fergus et al.
• Fuel Cell Systems, Plenum Press, Edited by L. J. M. J. Blomen and M. N. Mugerwa

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

RODOLFO BOTTER (President)

MARIA PAOLA CARPANESE

ALBERTO LAGAZZO

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam. The student will be asked to speak on a topic of his choice. On this topic clarificatios will be asked if necessary. A second question will be asked on another matter of course.

Exam schedule