Dick
I found your metal-ceramic technology post very interesting. The reason that
ceramics are brittle and achieve only a fraction of their potential strength is
because the Beta-atmosphere can easily enter through surface cracks. This is
not possible with ductile metals as shown by their characteristic necking
failure.
By combining the two into a "concrete" in which the metal in effect becomes the
cement phase it should be possible to produce a material in which the two
components act interact in a synergistic way. If you think about it, this is
what happened when mild steel was developed from cast iron.
Interestingly enough, many years ago the Portland cement technologists produced
a very dense cement by subjected it to enormous pressures as it set. This
enabled them to make cement springs and the like.
I think you would be interested to read our book chapter on concrete technology
(Clayton and Grimer) extending the concepts set out in the Southampton paper.
With your permission, I will download the page scans to you.
Cheers
Grimer
At 21:39 05/12/2004 -0600, you wrote:
>Jones made an interesting comment regarding ceramics in his post. One of my
>objectives in studying the various threads in this group is try to keep
>current on material sciences as it relates to the wonderful new quasi
>metal-ceramic technology emerging. Our industry has so many new products in
>theory stage waiting for these promising strange and wonderful new materials.
>
>For example.. an ultra high speed flywheel design awaits the material that can
>withstand the rotational forces in excess of 250 thousand RPM. To be
>economically feasible a compact flywheel would need to exceed 750 thousand
>RPM. Shazzaam! an energy storage unit.
>
>I actually enjoy the crabbing back and forth between the posters because in
>science there has never been anything quite like the internet for open and
>free discussion.. err.. well perhaps a well placed kick to the shins <grin>.
>Way back in the stone age ( 1950's ) we used to sit around talking about the
>future, dreaming up great things to build. One was a suitcase one man
>helicopters that could fly nonstop from Houston and back from San Antonio
>Texas. The copter we envisioned was powered by a small flywheel, it was flown
>by computer ( mind you there were NO computers), the rotors were opposing
>rotation driven by a stepless variable speed differential torque proportioning
>box consisting of a variation of a ceramic composite type of air bearing
>having self lubricating qualities. The rotor blades would achieve a hardness
>by centripetal forces creating post tension permitting feathering control. The
>rotor blade would unfurl like the material of an old fashion venetian blind.
>No tail rotor would be required because the opposite rotation of the rotors
>would be feathered and proportionally controlled plus the rotor assembly
>would tilt for direction control.
>Today, 50 years later, the only thing awaiting is the ceramic-metal materials
>technology. The Hutchinson Effect website is another hint toward that
>possibility. Interesting that some years later I read Joel Chptr 2 about an
>army of locusts that do not jostle each other .. enter through the window.
>Made me consider that it was a description of a one man copter with a plastic
>windshield shaped like a grasshoppers head.. hmmm
>
>The most enjoyable component of this group is the self discipline that is
>demonstrated . Fuss if you may, BUT at the end of the day forgive ,
>remembering that opposing opinions may both be technically correct, just
>different.
>
>Richard
>.
>
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><DIV><FONT face=Verdana>Jones made an interesting comment regarding ceramics
>in
>his post. One of my objectives in studying the various threads in this group
>is
>try to keep current on material sciences as it relates to the wonderful new
>quasi metal-ceramic technology emerging. Our industry has so many new products
>in theory stage waiting for these promising strange and wondeful new
>materials.
></FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=Verdana></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=Verdana>For example.. an ultra high speed flywheel design
>awaits
>the material that can withstand the rotational forces in excess of 250
>thousand
>RPM. To be economically feasible a compact flywheel would need to exceed 750
>thousand RPM. Shazzaam! an energy storage unit.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=Verdana></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=Verdana>I actually enjoy the crabbing back and forth between
>the
>posters because in science there has never been anything quite like the
>internet
>for open and free discussion.. err.. well perhaps a well placed kick to the
>shins <grin>.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=Verdana>Way back in the stone age ( 1950's ) we used to sit
>around talking about the future, dreaming up great things to build. One
>was a suitcase one man heliocopter that could fly nonstop from Houston and
>back
>from San Antonio Texas. The copter we envisioned was powered by a small
>flywheel, it was flown by computer ( mind you there were NO computers),
>the
>rotors were opposing rotation driven by a stepless variable speed differential
>torque proportioning box consisting of a variation of a ceramic
>composite type of air bearing having self lubricating qualities. The
>rotor
>blades would achieve a hardness by centripital forces creating post
>tension
>permitting feathering control. The rotor blade would unfurl like the material
>of
>an old fashion venetian blind. No tail rotor would be required because the
>opposite rotation of the rotors would be feathered and proportionally
>controlled
>plus the rotor assembly would tilt for direction control.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=Verdana>Today, 50 years later, the only thing awaiting
>is
>the ceramic-metal materials technology. The Hutchinson Effect website is
>another
>hint toward that possibliity. Interesting that some years later I read Joel
>Chptr 2 about an army of locusts that do not jostle each other .. enter
>through
>the window. Made me consider that it was a description of a one man copter
>with
>a plastic windshield shaped like a grasshoppers head.. hmmm</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=Verdana></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=Verdana>The most enjoyable component of this group is the self
>discipline that is demonstrated . Fuss if you may, BUT at the end of the day
>forgive , remembering that opposing opinions may both
>be technically correct, just different.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=Verdana></FONT> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=Verdana>Richard</FONT></DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=Verdana>.</FONT> </DIV>
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