It is a known rule that the efficiency of thermodynamic solar plants increases with the working temperature. At present the main limit in temperature upscaling is the absorber capability to withstand high temperatures. The ideal solar absorber works at high temperatures and has both a low thermal emissivity and a high absorptivity in the solar spectral range. The present work reports on the pre...

Ceramics based on group IV-V transition metal borides and carbides possess melting points above 3000 °C, are ablation resistant and are, therefore, candidates for the design of components of next generation space vehicles, rocket nozzle inserts, and nose cones or leading edges for hypersonic aerospace vehicles. As such, they will have to bear high thermo-mechanical loads, which makes strength a...

A novel conductive ceramic/graphene nanocomposite is prepared to prohibit the re-stacking of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) by wedging zirconium diboride (ZrB2) nanoparticles (NPs) into multiple layer nanosheets using a simple solvothermal method. Surprisingly, the RGO/ZrB2 nanocomposite supported Pt NPs shows very excellent catalytic activity. Its electrochemical surface area (ECSA) is up to 148...

The mechanical properties of a nominally phase pure ZrB2 ceramic were measured up to 2300°C in an argon atmosphere. was hot pressed at 2000°C utilizing borothermally synthesized powder from high purity ZrO2 and B raw materials. relative density the ceramics about 95% with average grain size 8.8 µm. room temperature flexural strength 447 MPa, decreasing 196 MPa 1800°C, then increasing 360 2300°C...

This work describes a process by which zirconium diboride (ZrB2) parts may be fabricated using the Ceramic On-Demand Extrusion (CODE) process. An oxide-carbide-nitride system consisting of ceramic powders and pre-ceramic organics, designed to yield ZrB2 after reaction sintering, has been developed to produce an aqueous-based extrudate for subsequent processing in the CODE system. Pressurelessly...

Zirconium diboride (ZrB2) ceramic possesses a unique combination of nice mechanical performance, high melting point (> 3000 °C) and great high-temperature oxidation resistance (up to 1600 °C), which makes it a promising material system for ever-increasing ultra-high temperature (UHT) applications. However, ZrB2 suffers from poor mechanical performance at UHTs, which could strongly limit its app...

Zirconium diboride ceramics with and without carbon boron carbide nanopowder additives were prepared by ball milling ZrB2 grinding media pressureless sintering. Additions of up to 1 wt% nano-B4C 0.5 C made the powder. The materials then sintered between 1800 2300 °C for 90 360 min in an Ar/10H2 atmosphere. After sintering at 2200 min, densities ranged from 88.3 90.7% 0–1.0% addition. Carbon add...