Graded Casting: Process Control for Producing Tailored Profiles

Abstract

The concept of graded casting for processing composite materials having a smooth through‐the‐thickness transition in composition is further developed and refined. An empirical model is presented that uses data from the casting of constant composition slips to predict casting rates for slips of changing composition. The model was tested by producing A1 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 composites having tailored composition profiles. Both linear‐ and nonlinear‐graded compositions were processed, and it was shown that the model could correctly predict the changes necessary during casting to produce the selected contours. Analysis of the composites by EDS and SEM revealed a smooth transition in composition through the thickness of sintered bodies and a relatively good distribution of the phases.