{"title":"Modulating electronic structure and emission performance of rare-earth doped Ce0.75R0.25B6 ceramics (R=La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd): First-principles and experimental insights","authors":"Hongliang Liu , Zhiying Guo , Zunwei Zhu , Xin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2025.118109","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2025.118109","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The electronic structure, work function, and thermionic emission properties of Ce<sub>0.75</sub>R<sub>0.25</sub>B<sub>6</sub> ceramics (R=La, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Gd) were systematically studied through a combined theoretical and experimental approach. DFT calculated results show that La, Nd, and Gd doping enhances the electron emission performance of Ce<sub>0.75</sub>R<sub>0.25</sub>B<sub>6</sub> with a lower work function by optimizing the energy band structure (band distribution and electron effective mass) and 4f-5d electron orbital distribution. The evaporation-condensation technology combined with spark plasma sintering (SPS) method was used to prepare doped polycrystalline Ce<sub>0.75</sub>R<sub>0.25</sub>B<sub>6</sub>. The phase, microstructures, surface grain orientation, and thermionic emission properties of Ce<sub>0.75</sub>R<sub>0.25</sub>B<sub>6</sub> were characterized and tested. The results indicate that the single phase polycrystalline Ce<sub>0.75</sub>R<sub>0.25</sub>B<sub>6</sub> with a grain size of 300–600 nm were successfully prepared. The polycrystalline Ce<sub>0.75</sub>R<sub>0.25</sub>B<sub>6</sub> (R=La, Nd and Gd) with a {100} orientation of emission surface show a better thermionic emission performance, that are consistent with theoretical calculations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17408,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The European Ceramic Society","volume":"46 7","pages":"Article 118109"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145839132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Haohui Hao, Xiaomeng Fan, Xinlei Wang, Fang Ye, Jimei Xue
{"title":"Optimization of interfacial zone microstructure of SiCf/Si3N4 composites containing in-situ formed BN coating","authors":"Haohui Hao, Xiaomeng Fan, Xinlei Wang, Fang Ye, Jimei Xue","doi":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2025.118119","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2025.118119","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>SiC<sub>f</sub>/Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> composite is a promising structural wave-absorbing integrated composites, while the interphase damage caused by thermal expansion mismatch degrades its mechanical properties. By employing iBN-coated SiC fibers, a higher interfacial bonding strength between the fibers and the interphase can be achieved, thereby reducing the interphase damage in the composite. In this work, BN interphase with different thickness was deposited on the surface of iBN-coated SiC fibers. After the formation of multilayer BN interphase, the interfacial damage ratio decreased from 19 % to 3 %, and thus the tensile strength of the composites increased from 161 ± 10–196 ± 31 MPa. At the same time, with the change of intra-bundle fiber contact state, the minimum reflection coefficient of the composites decreased from −4.46 to −12.32 dB, resulting from the increase of the conduction loss.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17408,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The European Ceramic Society","volume":"46 7","pages":"Article 118119"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Scalable single-step fabrication of high-entropy oxide coatings by axial solution precursor plasma spray","authors":"Gidla Vinay , Stefan Björklund , Ilari Angervo , Ashish Ganvir , Shrikant Joshi","doi":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2026.118150","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2026.118150","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High-entropy oxides (HEOs) are promising for energy and structural applications, yet conventional synthesis routes yield powders that require multiple post-processing steps before use. This study demonstrates single-step fabrication of a transition-metal HEO coating via axial-fed solution precursor plasma spraying (SPPS) using equimolar Co-Cu-Mg-Ni-Zn nitrate hydrates. The resulting coatings are dense, adherent, and phase-pure, exhibiting a rock-salt structure confirmed by XRD, uniform cation distribution by SEM/EDS, and oxidized cations with oxygen-vacancy signatures by XPS. Comparative analysis of different spray conditions shows that phase purity and microstructure are governed by atomization and in-flight residence time, rather than plasma energy alone. The findings establish that suitable parameter control enables complete cation mixing and rapid in-flight phase formation without post-processing. This single-step route from solution to functional coatings provides a scalable pathway for HEO manufacture, with potential applications ranging from battery electrodes to high-temperature thermal and environmental barrier coatings (TBCs/EBCs) across different HEO families.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17408,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The European Ceramic Society","volume":"46 8","pages":"Article 118150"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145986745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Synthesis, microstructure and thermal storage properties of high-content mullite ceramics","authors":"Jianfeng Wu , Deng Zhang , Xiaohong Xu , Yaqiang Shen , Saixi Qiu , Yihan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2025.118117","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2025.118117","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the influence of raw materials on the formation of high-content mullite crystal structure to elucidate the structure-property regulation mechanism. High-content mullite was synthesized using natural raw materials (A-MU) and pure oxide raw materials (B-MU). The results indicate that the A-MU sample sintered at 1680 ℃ exhibits superior performance, with higher bulk density (2.85 g·cm<sup>−3</sup>), bending strength (100.05 MPa), and thermal energy storage density (1374.75 kJ·kg<sup>−1</sup>) than the B-MU sample. The A-MU mullite grains have a columnar structure, while the B-MU mullite grains have a granular structure, corresponding to the (331) and (001) crystal planes, respectively. Mechanistic analysis indicates that natural raw materials can accelerate the melting of SiO<sub>2</sub> into a SiO<sub>2</sub>-rich liquid phase, promote the diffusion of Al<sup>3+</sup> and Si<sup>4+</sup>, reduce the activation energy for the axial growth of mullite, and enhance the amplitude of phonon vibrations, thereby improving thermal energy storage performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17408,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The European Ceramic Society","volume":"46 7","pages":"Article 118117"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145882147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Keqi Song , Jingjing Yang , Keyu Cao , Sashank Shivakumar , Jian Luo
{"title":"Controlling graded microstructures in BaTiO3 with applied electric fields: Reversing grain-size gradients","authors":"Keqi Song , Jingjing Yang , Keyu Cao , Sashank Shivakumar , Jian Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2025.118104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2025.118104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Graded microstructures form in (Si-doped) BaTiO₃ under applied electric fields, with the polarity of the gradient reversing as the voltage increases. At 5 V, grain growth is enhanced on the anode side, whereas at 15 V it shifts to the cathode side. Advanced electron microscopy was employed to characterize grain boundaries (GBs) and clarify the underlying mechanisms. At 5 V, anode-side enhancement is attributed to elevated concentrations of cation vacancies, nonstoichiometric GBs, and/or reduced GB space charges. At 15 V, cathode-side reduction, facilitated by SiO<sub>2</sub> segregation and an increased specimen temperature from Joule heating at this higher applied voltage, induces a GB disordering transition, forming glass-like intergranular films that enhance GB mobility and reverse the polarity of the graded microstructure. These findings reveal new mechanisms of electric-field–induced GB transitions, demonstrate how electric fields can be exploited to tailor microstructures, and advance the fundamental interfacial science of GB phase-like (complexion) transitions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17408,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The European Ceramic Society","volume":"46 7","pages":"Article 118104"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145882148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Densification mechanism and thermal physical properties of strontium feldspar - silicon carbide ceramics for integrated absorption-storage materials","authors":"Saixi Qiu , Jianfeng Wu , Xiaohong Xu , Yaqiang Shen , Deng Zhang , Mingzhuo Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2026.118125","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2026.118125","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study reports the first fabrication of strontium feldspar-silicon carbide (SAS-SiC) composites, investigating the densification mechanism and potential as integrated absorption-storage materials for solar thermal power generation. Results indicate the composite ceramic with 40 wt% SAS (40SAS/SiC) achieves densification (bulk density: 2.96 g/cm<sup>3</sup>) with high thermal conductivity (25.91 W·m<sup>−1</sup>·K<sup>−1</sup>). The high density is attained via liquid-phase sintering, owing to the good compatibility between SAS and SiC and the reduction of liquid phase viscosity by Na<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>. Furthermore, the material demonstrates excellent heat storage capacity (1104 kJ·kg<sup>−1</sup>, 1000℃) and solar absorptance (88.1 %). After 100 h of oxidation at 1100 °C, it exhibits mass gain (5.71 mg·cm<sup>−2</sup>). The sample shows merely 5 % reduction in bending strength after 50 thermal shock cycles. This resilience benefits from its high thermal conductivity and the transformation of SAS from the hexagonal phase to the monoclinic phase during thermal shock, the latter possessing a lower thermal expansion coefficient.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17408,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The European Ceramic Society","volume":"46 7","pages":"Article 118125"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940035","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Processing of porous SiC/cordierite composites with enhanced thermal shock resistance and negative thermal expansion","authors":"M. Sayed , N.A. Ajiba , S.B. Hanna, S.M. Naga","doi":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2026.118183","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2026.118183","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study aims to fabricate porous SiC/cordierite composites using the direct foaming technique followed by a sintering process, targeting enhanced thermal shock resistance and thermal expansion behavior. For this purpose, SiC was added in varying contents (20, 40, and 60 wt%) to the prepared pure stoichiometric cordierite matrix to evaluate their effects on porosity, phase composition, microstructure, mechanical, and thermal properties of the produced composites. The results showed that the porosity of the fabricated composites increased from 55.34 % to 68.49 % with the addition of SiC. The X-ray analysis (XRD) indicated that the addition of 20–40 wt% SiC induced a transformation from hexagonal to orthorhombic cordierite, whereas a higher SiC content of 60 wt% resulted in the coexistence of both α- and β-cordierite phases. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) decreased with the addition of SiC into the cordierite matrix, while the compressive strength exhibited a maximum value for the 20 wt% SiC composite with a negative coefficient of thermal expansion. The SiC/cordierite composites demonstrated significantly improved thermal shock resistance compared to pure cordierite, allowing the SiC/cordierite composites to withstand over 40 thermal cycles without failure. The results suggest that the fabricated SiC/cordierite composites are promising candidates for high-temperature applications, offering a favorable combination of thermal stability, mechanical strength, and enhanced thermal shock resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17408,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The European Ceramic Society","volume":"46 8","pages":"Article 118183"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liu He , Fei Peng , Jingru Xu , Nan Lin , Dong Ma , Baishan Chen , Weidong Zhang , Shijun Zhao , Zhenggang Wu
{"title":"Synergistic toughening mechanisms of high-entropy carbide–SiC composites via in-situ reaction strategy","authors":"Liu He , Fei Peng , Jingru Xu , Nan Lin , Dong Ma , Baishan Chen , Weidong Zhang , Shijun Zhao , Zhenggang Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2026.118163","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2026.118163","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High-entropy carbide ceramics (HECCs) possess outstanding hardness but constrained by low fracture toughness, limiting structural application. In this work, we propose a novel toughening strategy combining in-situ SiC formation with cationic composition tuning of the HECC matrix. Starting from a (NbTaZrW)C base, MoSi₂ and graphite are introduced as additives to generate finely distributed SiC particles during sintering, while Mo dissolved into the HECC lattice. The resulting (NbTaZrWMo)C–SiC composite exhibits three synergistic toughening mechanisms: (i) abundant growth twins formed within the in situ SiC particles during sintering, effectively alleviating interfacial thermal stresses; (ii) extrinsic toughening via defect-assisted stress accommodation in in-situ SiC particles; and (iii) intrinsic toughening enabled by Mo alloying. The composite achieves a fracture toughness of 8.1<span><math><mo>±</mo></math></span>0.5 MPa·m<sup>1/2</sup> while maintaining a high flexural strength of 549<span><math><mo>±</mo></math></span>30 MPa. This strategy offers a viable route to fabricating HECCs with mechanical performance beyond the reach of conventional composition design or particle reinforcement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17408,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The European Ceramic Society","volume":"46 8","pages":"Article 118163"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clare Sabata, Yue Zhou, Jeremy L. Watts, Gregory E. Hilmas
{"title":"Thermal and mechanical properties of zirconium carbide manufactured via ceramic on-demand extrusion","authors":"Clare Sabata, Yue Zhou, Jeremy L. Watts, Gregory E. Hilmas","doi":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2026.118159","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2026.118159","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Zirconium carbide (ZrC) was fabricated by material extrusion additive manufacturing (AM) followed by pressureless sintering at 2000°C for two hours, achieving a relative density of 90.3 %. SEM analysis revealed grains of 4.6 ± 1.8 μm; XRD confirmed single phase ZrC. A stoichiometry of ZrC<sub>0.92</sub> was determined by XPS. Four-point flexure testing exhibited a strength of 331.3 ± 57.1 MPa and Young’s modulus of 232.8 ± 13.1 GPa. Vickers hardness was 13.6 ± 1.0 GPa and 11.6 ± 0.5 GPa at 4.91 and 9.81 N, respectively. Indentation fracture resistance was 2.9 ± 0.2 MPa⋅m<sup>1/2</sup>; Griffith analysis confirmed the largest grains as the critical flaw. Thermal conductivity increased with temperature and was 13.4 W/m·K at room temperature. Electrical resistivity was 122.4 ± 0.5 μΩ⋅cm. This work adds to the viability of additively manufactured ZrC and is the first to report detailed thermal and mechanical properties for ZrC produced by material extrusion AM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17408,"journal":{"name":"Journal of The European Ceramic Society","volume":"46 8","pages":"Article 118159"},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146036562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}