Fracture toughness of glass
A method of making glass is provided. The method comprises preparing a dispersion of a nano-material. A slurry of a glass matrix material is prepared. The nano-dispersion is mixed with the matrix slurry to form a nano-dispersion/slurry mixture. The nano-dispersion/slurry mixture is dried. The nano-dispersion/slurry mixture is pressed into a final manufacture comprising a molecular structure including the nano-material bonded within and uniformly distributed throughout the molecular structure. The manufacture comprises an increased fracture toughness compared with a conventional manufacture produced without bonding the nano-material within the molecular structure. The nano-material has a size on the order of tens of nanometers. The matrix material has a size on the order of several micrometers. Five percent of the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture comprises the nano-material dispersion. Sintering is performed on the final form using a sintering process following the pressing step. The sintering process includes a hot isostatic pressing process.
1. A method of making glass comprising:
providing a plasma created nano-material with an average diameter of 1-15 nanometers;
preparing a dispersion of the nano-material;
preparing a slurry of a glass matrix material;
mixing the nano-dispersion with the matrix slurry to form a nano-dispersion/slurry mixture;
drying the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture; and
pressing the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture into a final manufacture comprising a molecular structure including the nano-material bonded within and uniformly distributed throughout the molecular structure.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixing comprises pouring the slurry into the dispersion while agitating the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixing comprises pouring the dispersion into the slurry while agitating the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a micron sized matrix material having an average grain size greater than or equal to 1 micrometer before the slurry preparing step.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein one percent of the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture comprises the nano-material dispersion.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein 0.5-10.0 percent of the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture comprises the nano-material dispersion.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein 0.5-20.0 percent of the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture comprises the nano-material dispersion.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sintering the final form using a sintering process following the pressing step.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the sintering process comprises a hot isostatic pressing process.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the manufacture includes the nano-material bonded at triple points of the molecular structure.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drying of the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture comprises a spray drying process.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drying of the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture comprises a freeze drying process.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nano-material comprises a non-oxide ceramic material.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nano-material comprises an oxide ceramic material that is nonmiscible with the glass matrix material.
15. A method of making glass comprising:
providing a plasma created metallic nano-material with an average diameter of 1-15 nanometers;
preparing a dispersion of the metallic nano-material;
preparing a slurry of a glass matrix material;
mixing the nano-dispersion with the matrix slurry to form a nano-dispersion/slurry mixture;
drying the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture; and
pressing the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture into a final manufacture comprising a molecular structure including the nano-material bonded within and uniformly distributed throughout the molecular structure.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the mixing comprises pouring the slurry into the dispersion while agitating the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the mixing comprises pouring the dispersion into the slurry while agitating the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture.
18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising providing a micron sized matrix material having an average grain size greater than or equal to 1 micrometer before the slurry preparing step.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein one percent of the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture comprises the nano-material dispersion.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein 0.5-10.0 percent of the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture comprises the nano-material dispersion.
21. The method of claim 15 , wherein 0.5-20.0 percent of the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture comprises the nano-material dispersion.
22. The method of claim 15 , further comprising sintering the final form using a sintering process following the pressing step.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the sintering process comprises a hot isostatic pressing process.
24. The method of claim 15 , wherein the manufacture includes the nano-material bonded at triple points of the molecular structure.
25. The method of claim 15 , wherein the drying of the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture comprises a spray drying process.
26. The method of claim 15 , wherein the drying of the nano-dispersion/slurry mixture comprises a freeze drying process.