International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology 

About: International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology is an academic journal published by Wiley-Blackwell. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Ceramic & Microstructure. It has an ISSN identifier of 1546-542X. Over the lifetime, 3071 publications have been published receiving 38760 citations. The journal is also known as: Applied ceramic technology.

Hydroxyapatite–Carbon Nanotube Composites for Biomedical Applications: A Review

Abstract: Hydroxyapatite (HA) has been used in clinical bone graft procedures for more than 25 years. However, its poor tensile strength and fracture toughness compared with bone make it unsuitable for major load-bearing devices. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), with their high aspect ratio and excellent mechanical properties, have the potential to strengthen and toughen HA without offsetting its bioactivity, thus opening up a wider range of possible clinical uses for the material. This review discusses techniques for synthesizing and processing HA-CNT composites, as well as barriers that still remain to their successful development for clinical application.

Bioceramic Bone Graft Substitutes: Influence of Porosity and Chemistry

Abstract: Bioceramics have been considered for use as synthetic bone graft substitutes (BGSs) for over 30 years, throughout which there have been two primary areas of research: (i) optimization of the physical pore structure and (ii) formulation of an appropriate bioceramic chemistry. While it is well recognized that both the rate of integration and the final volume of regenerated bone are primarily dependent on the macroporosity, there still seems to be some dispute regarding the optimum “type” of porosity. The rate and quality of bone integration have, in turn, been related to a dependence on pore size, porosity volume fraction, and interconnection size and interconnection density, both as a function of structural permeability and mechano-transduction. Moreover, the role of strut microstructure and pore geometry have been considered with respect to their influence on entrapment and recruitment of growth factors (GFs) in addition to its influence on scaffold mechanics. Deconvoluting the relative affects of these parameters is complicated by the use of both resorbable and nonresorbable bioactive bioceramics, which are believed to mediate bioactivity in the osseous environment through two principal mechanisms: (i) directly through dissolution and release of ionic products in vivo, elevating local concentrations of soluble species that interact directly with local cells or influence cell behavior by their effect on local pH, (ii) indirectly through the influence that surface chemistry will have on protein adsorption, GF entrapment, and subsequent cell attachment and function. This article aims to review some of the recent developments in bioceramic BGSs, with a view to understanding how the various physiochemical parameters may be optimized to promote bone healing.

Additive Manufacturing of Dense Alumina Ceramics

Abstract: In this study, a new process for additive manufacturing (AM) of dense and strong ceramic objects is described. The lithography-based ceramic manufacturing (LCM) technique is based on the selective curing of a photosensitive slurry by a dynamic mask exposure process. The LCM technique is able to produce strong, dense and accurate alumina ceramics without virtually any geometrical limitations. With over 99.3% of a theoretical alumina density, four-point bending strength of 427 MPa, and very smooth surfaces, the LCM process distinguishes itself from other AM techniques for ceramics and provides parts with very similar mechanical properties as conventionally formed alumina.

Ceramic Diesel Particulate Filters

Abstract: Twenty-five years of diesel particulate filter (DPF) developments have shown that ceramic materials are well-suited candidates to fulfill the harsh requirements of exhaust after treatment. The introduction of DPF in passenger cars in Europe in 2000 was a real breakthrough from both a scientific and a commercial point of view. Different systems and filter materials can be used as DPF; however, at the moment silicon carbide wall flow filters seem to be at advantage. There is a continual demand for cost-effective and reliable materials and systems forced by increasing legal emission standards.

Development of Sodium‐Sulfur Batteries

Abstract: This paper briefly describes sodium sulfur (NAS) battery development with emphasis on the program to establish the technology for the use of a β-alumina solid electrolyte. Since the mid-1980s, NGK INSULATORS, LTD. (NGK) and the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) have jointly conducted the NAS battery development program in Japan and, in April 2003, NGK launched production on a commercial scale. A critical aspect of NAS battery development has been achieving low resistance to the flow of sodium ions through the β-alumina solid electrolyte while ensuring material properties consistent with high mechanical strength, as well as with the dimensional stability required for automated manufacturing. The resistance to sodium ion flow within β-alumina depends on three factors: grain resistivity, grain boundary resistivity, and crystal orientation. NGK's approach to addressing these factors is explained in this paper.