Studies of Powder Segregation Transport Phenomena Using Continuum Approach and Its Application to Core-Free Thermoelectric Fgm Fabrication

Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs) have been reported having useful applications in nuclear energies, sensors, energy industries, thermal barrier materials, wear barrier materials, corrosion barrier materials. This three-year project includes the experimental work of the fabrication of the core-free FeSi2 thermoelectric FGM films using the powder segregation metallurgy method and the simulation work of modeling rotating drum powder segregation flows. In our previous work, we fabricated activated carbon-PMMA FGMs at low temperature from axial segregated bands in a rotating drum. We also developed the relationship between the FGM concentration gradient and the drum operating parameters. In this project three-year project, we focused on the study of the formation of the core-free segregated bands by controlling the particle size ratio in the first year. A FGM bulk material will be developed instead of the FGM films currently developed. In the second year, a core-free FeSi2-ceramic thermo-electric FGM will be developed for industrial applications. In the third year, the continuum model developed in our laboratory will be used to model the particle segregation flow in the rotating drum and the effected of the solids viscosities and friction on the particle flow will be discussed. We hope to realize the underlying the fundamental physics among segregation, molding, sintering, mass transfer and the FGM properties.

Project ID:PB9709-3564
External Project ID:NSC97-2221-E182-023