Ceramic Materials
In all applications the mechanical properties of ceramic materials are important to evaluate possible loading states and to warrant a long term reliable function. The investigations concentrate on ceramic materials for modern power plant systems, high temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and refractory applications. In this application focused analysis’s the mechanical limits with respect to failure and failure probabilities are evaluated, where special consideration is given to the envisaged operation temperature and environmental conditions. Besides determination of the basic properties like fracture strength, elastic and creep deformation, detailed in-situ and post-test analysis of the failure mechanisms are carried out, including observations of fracture and deformation mechanisms with optical and electron microscopic methods to enhance the understanding of the correlation of mechanics and microstructure.
