Catalisadores baseados em óxidos metálicos têm sido muito utilizados nos últimos anos para a desidrogenação oxidativa de alcanos leves. Dentre os principais catalisadores, estão os sistemas contendo V2O5, Nb2O5 e Al2O3. O processo de desidrogenação oxidativa do propano (DOP) representa uma via alternativa importante para a produção de propileno sob menores temperaturas, porém sua prática vem sendo limitada pela diminuição dos valores de seletividade ao propeno com o aumento da conversão do reagente. Metais alcalinos, dentre eles o potássio, são frequentemente utilizados como promotores em reações de oxidação seletiva com o objetivo de proporcionar melhores seletividades catalíticas aos mecanismos de reação, devido à redução da acidez e ao aumento da basicidade na superfície dos catalisadores. O projeto proposto tem como objetivo principal criar uma metodologia de síntese de novos suportes Nb2O5-Al2O3 e catalisadores V2O5-Nb2O5-Al2O3 dopados com potássio a serem utilizados em processos petroquímicos para a produção de olefinas leves. Para tanto, as seguintes técnicas de caracterização foram utilizadas: espectrometria de absorção atômica, espectroscopia de emissão atômica com plasma indutivamente acoplado (ICP-OES), volumetria de N2, difratometria de raios X (DRX) e redução à temperatura programada (RTP). As características ácidas e/ou básicas e a atividade catalítica dos suportes e catalisadores foram medidas pelas reações de decomposição do isopropanol e de desidrogenação oxidativa do propano, respectivamente. / Catalysts based on metal oxides have been extensively used in recent years for the oxidative dehydrogenation of light alkanes. Among the main catalysts, there are the systems containing V2O5, Nb2O5 e Al2O3. The oxidative dehydrogenation of propane (ODH) provides a potential low-temperature route for the synthesis of propylene, but its practice has been limited by a marked decrease in propene selectivity with increasing conversion of reactant. Alkali metals, such as potassium, are frequently used as promoters in selective oxidation reactions with the objective of providing higher selectivity in catalytic reaction mechanisms, due to the reduced acidity and increasing basicity of the catalysts surface. The considered project has as major objective create a new synthesis methodology of Nb2O5-Al2O3 supports and V2O5-Nb2O5-Al2O3 potassium-doped catalysts to be used in petrochemical processes for the production of light olefins. For in such a way, the following characterization techniques were used: atomic absorption spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma optic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), N2 volumetry, X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and temperature programmed reduction (TPR). The properties acid and/or basic and the catalytic activity of supports and catalysts were evaluated by the isopropanol decomposition and oxidative dehydrogenation of propane reactions, respectively.

Catalisadores à base de óxidos metálicos têm sido muito utilizados nas indústrias do petróleo, de química fina e no controle de poluição. A seleção adequada do óxido metálico como suporte, do catalisador e o uso de coberturas superficiais menores que uma monocamada dos componentes ativos, onde somente espécies MOx estão presentes sobre a superfície dos óxidos suportes, pode ser uma exigência para modificar as propriedades catalíticas de modo a obter uma boa eficiência do catalisador durante a reação. Óxidos metálicos do grupo V suportados têm uma grande variedade de aplicações catalíticas, e têm sido extensivamente investigados nos últimos anos. Catalisadores à base de óxido de vanádio suportado possuem excelentes propriedades redox e são principalmente empregados como catalisadores em processos de oxidação seletiva. Óxido de tântalo mássico é um sólido ácido com propriedades catalíticas e diversas aplicações têm sido reportadas. O suporte foi preparado pelo método de coprecipitação, utilizando proporções de 15 e 30% p/p de Ta2O5 em Al2O3. A adição de V2O5 sobre o suporte Ta2O5-Al2O3 foi realizada através de impregnação úmida com excesso de solvente, água, formando catalisadores com 2, 4 e 8 átomos de vanádio/nm². A fim de alcançar o objetivo deste trabalho, as seguintes técnicas de caracterização foram utilizadas: volumetria de N2 para determinação da área específica e volume de poros, redução à temperatura programada (RTP), difratometria de raios-X (XRD), espectroscopia na região do infravermelho com transformada de Fourier (FTIR), FTIR com adsorção de piridina e espectroscopia Laser Raman. As propriedades ácidas e/ou básicas dos suportes e catalisadores foram avaliadas através da reação de decomposição do isopropanol. As propriedades texturais do suporte foram modificadas pela adição crescente do vanádio ao suporte, efeito este atribuído ao bloqueio dos microporos pelas espécies de vanádio superficiais. A metodologia empregada na preparação do suporte revelou um material amorfo ao DRX. Nos catalisadores, a adição crescente de vanádio promove a formação de cristais de V2O5 superficiais nas amostras com 4 e 8 átomos de V/nm². Nos resultados de RTP, os catalisadores apresentaram um único pico de redução do vanádio que corresponde à redução de V2O5 a V6O13. Nas análises de FTIR com adsorção de piridina verificou-se a diminuição da força dos sítios ácidos de Lewis, presentes em todos os catalisadores, com a adição de vanádio. Somente nos catalisadores com 8 átomos de V/nm² foram detectadas bandas referentes a sítios ácidos de Br?nsted. Nas análises de espectroscopia Raman não foi observada nenhuma banda característica de espécies VOx isoladas nas amostras, porém para coberturas abaixo de uma monocamada de V foram observadas bandas de espécies poliméricas. Bandas Raman de cristais de V2O5 foram características somente na amostra com 8 átomos de V/nm². A presença de sítios ácidos foi confirmada pela presença de propeno e éter diisopropílico como produtos da desidratação do isopropanol em todos os catalisadores. Com a adição de vanádio, sítios básicos ou redox também foram verificados pela presença de acetona produzida pela desidrogenação do isopropanol. / Metal oxides based catalysts have been very used in petroleum industry, fine chemical and pollution control. The adequate selection of the metal oxide as a support and catalyst, and the use of superficial covering with active compounds lower than a monolayer, where only MOx species are present on the support oxide surface, can be a requirement to modify the catalytic properties in order to have a good catalyst efficiency during the reaction. Supported metal oxides of group V have a large variety of catalytic applications, and have been widely investigated in the last years. Supported vanadium oxide based catalysts have excellent redox properties and they are mainly used as selective oxidation catalyst. Tantalum oxide is an acid solid with catalytic properties and many applications of supported tantalum oxide based catalysts have been reported. The supports were prepared by coprecipitation method, using the proportions of 15 and 30% of Ta2O5 in Al2O3. The addition of V2O5 on the support Ta2O5-Al2O3 was performed using the wet impregnation method with excess of solvent, water, forming catalysts with 2, 4 and 8 atoms of V/nm². In order to achieve the purpose of this work, the following characterization techniques were used: N2 volumetry to determine specific area and pore volume, temperature programmed reduction (TPR), X-ray difratometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Laser Raman spectroscopy. The acid/ basic properties of the support and catalysts were evaluated through isopropanol decomposition reaction. The textural properties of the supported were modified by the increasing addition of vanadium, effect attributed to micropores blocked by superficial vanadium species. The used methodology in the support preparation showed an amorphous material to XRD. In the catalysts, the increasing addition of vanadium promotes the formation of V2O5 superficial crystals in the samples with 4 and 8 atoms of V/nm². In the TPR results, the catalysts presented only one reduction peak corresponding to the V2O5 a V6O13 reduction. In the FTIR analysis with adsorbed pyridine, it was observed a decrease of acidity at Lewis acid sites, which were present in all catalysts samples. In the Raman spectroscopy analysis, it was not observed any characteristic band of isolated VOx species in the sample, although covering lower than a monolayer of vanadium, it was observed V=O bands due to surface polymeric vanadium oxide species. V2O5 crystal Raman bands were characteristics only in samples with 8 atoms of V/nm². The presence of acid sites was confirmed by the production of propane and diisopropyl ether as product of isopropanol dehydratation, observed for all catalysts. With V charge, basic and redox sites were verified as well by the production of acetone at isopropanol dehydrogenation.

O uso do óxido de nióbio como promotor e como suporte tem sido investigado em numerosas aplicações catalíticas, tais como, na oxidação seletiva, conversão de hidrocarbonetos, polimerização, eliminação de poluentes (NOx), desidrogenação, etc. Sabe-se que a adição de nióbio na γ-Al2O3 melhora a acidez, a seletividade e a estabilidade térmica e, conseqüentemente, a atividade catalítica desses materiais. A atividade catalítica dos sistemas contendo nióbia suportada é decorrente das diferentes espécies redox do óxido de nióbio presentes nas superfícies do sólido. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar a influência do teor de nióbio e vanádio no sistema catalítico V2O5/Nb2O5-Al2O3 na reação de desidrogenação oxidativa do propano. A fim de alcançar o objetivo deste trabalho, as seguintes técnicas de caracterização foram utilizadas: volumetria de N2 (área específica e volume de poros), redução a temperatura programada, difratometria de raios X (DRX) e espectroscopia Raman. As propriedades ácidas e/ou básicas dos suportes e catalisadores foram avaliadas através da reação de decomposição do isopropanol. / The use of niobium oxide as a promoter and as a support has been investigated in various catalyst applications, such as selective oxidation, hydrocarbonate conversion, polymerization, elimination of (NOx) pollutants, dehydrogenation, etc. It is known that adding niobium to γ-Al2O3 improves acidity, selectivity and thermal stability and consequently the catalyst activity of these materials. The catalyst activity of systems containing supported niobium is due to the different redox species of niobium oxide present on the solid surface. This study aims to evaluate the influence of the niobium and vanadium content in the V2O5/Nb2O5-Al2O3 catalyst system in the propane oxidative dehydrogenation reaction. Aiming the target of this study, the following characterization techniques were used: N2 volumetry (specific area and pore volume), temperature-programmed reduction, X-ray diffractometry (DRX), and Raman spectroscopy. The acid-base properties of the supports and catalysts were studied through isopropanol decomposition reaction.

Cette thèse s’intéresse à une technique de caractérisation particulièrement bien adaptée à l’étude de couches diélectriques ultra-minces sur semiconducteurs. La génération de seconde harmonique (SHG) est une méthode très prometteuse, basée sur l’optique non-linéaire. Un laser est focalisé sur l'échantillon à caractériser et le signal à deux fois la fréquence fondamentale est mesuré. Pour les matériaux centrosymétriques comme c-Si, SiO2 et Al2O3, le signal SHG est dû aux défauts et au champ électrique Edc d’interface (induit par les charges préexistantes Qox et/ou piégées au niveau des pièges d’interface Dit). La SHG donne ainsi accès à la qualité des interfaces entre diélectriques/semiconducteurs. Néanmoins, le signal SHG dépend aussi des phénomènes de propagation optique dans les structures multicouches. Pour cette raison, nous avons développé un programme de simulation qui prend en compte les phénomènes optiques et les champs électriques statiques aux interfaces. Nous avons utilisé la SHG pour analyser la qualité de passivation de structures Al2O3/Si préparées avec des procédés différents et nous avons montré une corrélation entre SHG et mesure de durée de vie des porteurs de charges. Les valeurs de Qox et Dit ont été extraites par des mesures de capacité-tension et elles ont permis de calculer le champ Edc. La simulation optique, avec les valeurs extraites de Edc a permis de reproduire les données expérimentales de SHG dans ces structures. La SHG a été utilisée également pour la caractérisation des substrats Silicium-sur-Isolant (SOI). Pour les structures SOI épaisses, la simulation et les résultats expérimentaux ont montré que la réponse SHG est dominée par les interférences optiques (faible impact de Edc). Pour les structures SOI ultraminces, les interfaces sont couplées électriquement et des valeurs de Edc sont nécessaires pour reproduire les données expérimentales par simulation. Cela implique que pour les SOI ultraminces, la SHG pourrait donner accès aux champs électriques au niveau des interfaces d’une manière non-destructive. / This PhD work was developed in the context of research for novel characterization methods for ultra-thin dielectric films on semiconductors and their interfacial quality. Second harmonic generation (SHG) is a very promising non-invasive technique based on nonlinear optics. A laser emitting at the fundamental frequency is incident upon the sample which responds through its 2nd order polarization, generating a signal at twice the fundamental frequency. For centrosymmetric materials such as c-Si, amorphous SiO2 or Al2O3, the SHG signal is mainly due to the defects and to the static electric field Edc present at the interface (due to pre-existing charges Qox and/or photo-injected charge trapping/detrapping at interface traps Dit). Thus, SHG measurement gives access to the quality of dielectric/semiconductor interfaces. Nevertheless, the SHG signal is also dependent on multilayer optical propagation phenomena. For this reason, we have developed a simulation program which accounts for the optical phenomena and the static electric fields at the interfaces. We have used SHG to monitor the passivation quality of Al2O3/Si structures prepared with different processes and showed a correlation between SHG and minority carrier lifetime measurements. Qox and Dit were extracted from capacitance-voltage measurements and helped calculating the Edc values. The optical simulation, fed with known Edc values reproduced the experimental SHG data in these structures. The SHG was also used for Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) substrates characterization. In thick SOI structures, both simulations and experimental results show that the SHG response is mainly given by optical interferences (Edc has no impact). In ultrathin SOI, the interfaces are electrically coupled and Edc is needed as input in the simulation in order to reproduce the experimental SHG data. This implies that in ultrathin SOI, SHG can access the interface electric fields in a non-destructive way.

Catalisadores à base de óxidos metálicos têm sido muito utilizados nas indústrias do petróleo, de química fina e no controle de poluição. A seleção adequada do óxido metálico como suporte, do catalisador e o uso de coberturas superficiais menores que uma monocamada dos componentes ativos, onde somente espécies MOx estão presentes sobre a superfície dos óxidos suportes, pode ser uma exigência para modificar as propriedades catalíticas de modo a obter uma boa eficiência do catalisador durante a reação. Óxidos metálicos do grupo V suportados têm uma grande variedade de aplicações catalíticas, e têm sido extensivamente investigados nos últimos anos. Catalisadores à base de óxido de vanádio suportado possuem excelentes propriedades redox e são principalmente empregados como catalisadores em processos de oxidação seletiva. Óxido de tântalo mássico é um sólido ácido com propriedades catalíticas e diversas aplicações têm sido reportadas. O suporte foi preparado pelo método de coprecipitação, utilizando proporções de 15 e 30% p/p de Ta2O5 em Al2O3. A adição de V2O5 sobre o suporte Ta2O5-Al2O3 foi realizada através de impregnação úmida com excesso de solvente, água, formando catalisadores com 2, 4 e 8 átomos de vanádio/nm². A fim de alcançar o objetivo deste trabalho, as seguintes técnicas de caracterização foram utilizadas: volumetria de N2 para determinação da área específica e volume de poros, redução à temperatura programada (RTP), difratometria de raios-X (XRD), espectroscopia na região do infravermelho com transformada de Fourier (FTIR), FTIR com adsorção de piridina e espectroscopia Laser Raman. As propriedades ácidas e/ou básicas dos suportes e catalisadores foram avaliadas através da reação de decomposição do isopropanol. As propriedades texturais do suporte foram modificadas pela adição crescente do vanádio ao suporte, efeito este atribuído ao bloqueio dos microporos pelas espécies de vanádio superficiais. A metodologia empregada na preparação do suporte revelou um material amorfo ao DRX. Nos catalisadores, a adição crescente de vanádio promove a formação de cristais de V2O5 superficiais nas amostras com 4 e 8 átomos de V/nm². Nos resultados de RTP, os catalisadores apresentaram um único pico de redução do vanádio que corresponde à redução de V2O5 a V6O13. Nas análises de FTIR com adsorção de piridina verificou-se a diminuição da força dos sítios ácidos de Lewis, presentes em todos os catalisadores, com a adição de vanádio. Somente nos catalisadores com 8 átomos de V/nm² foram detectadas bandas referentes a sítios ácidos de Br?nsted. Nas análises de espectroscopia Raman não foi observada nenhuma banda característica de espécies VOx isoladas nas amostras, porém para coberturas abaixo de uma monocamada de V foram observadas bandas de espécies poliméricas. Bandas Raman de cristais de V2O5 foram características somente na amostra com 8 átomos de V/nm². A presença de sítios ácidos foi confirmada pela presença de propeno e éter diisopropílico como produtos da desidratação do isopropanol em todos os catalisadores. Com a adição de vanádio, sítios básicos ou redox também foram verificados pela presença de acetona produzida pela desidrogenação do isopropanol. / Metal oxides based catalysts have been very used in petroleum industry, fine chemical and pollution control. The adequate selection of the metal oxide as a support and catalyst, and the use of superficial covering with active compounds lower than a monolayer, where only MOx species are present on the support oxide surface, can be a requirement to modify the catalytic properties in order to have a good catalyst efficiency during the reaction. Supported metal oxides of group V have a large variety of catalytic applications, and have been widely investigated in the last years. Supported vanadium oxide based catalysts have excellent redox properties and they are mainly used as selective oxidation catalyst. Tantalum oxide is an acid solid with catalytic properties and many applications of supported tantalum oxide based catalysts have been reported. The supports were prepared by coprecipitation method, using the proportions of 15 and 30% of Ta2O5 in Al2O3. The addition of V2O5 on the support Ta2O5-Al2O3 was performed using the wet impregnation method with excess of solvent, water, forming catalysts with 2, 4 and 8 atoms of V/nm². In order to achieve the purpose of this work, the following characterization techniques were used: N2 volumetry to determine specific area and pore volume, temperature programmed reduction (TPR), X-ray difratometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Laser Raman spectroscopy. The acid/ basic properties of the support and catalysts were evaluated through isopropanol decomposition reaction. The textural properties of the supported were modified by the increasing addition of vanadium, effect attributed to micropores blocked by superficial vanadium species. The used methodology in the support preparation showed an amorphous material to XRD. In the catalysts, the increasing addition of vanadium promotes the formation of V2O5 superficial crystals in the samples with 4 and 8 atoms of V/nm². In the TPR results, the catalysts presented only one reduction peak corresponding to the V2O5 a V6O13 reduction. In the FTIR analysis with adsorbed pyridine, it was observed a decrease of acidity at Lewis acid sites, which were present in all catalysts samples. In the Raman spectroscopy analysis, it was not observed any characteristic band of isolated VOx species in the sample, although covering lower than a monolayer of vanadium, it was observed V=O bands due to surface polymeric vanadium oxide species. V2O5 crystal Raman bands were characteristics only in samples with 8 atoms of V/nm². The presence of acid sites was confirmed by the production of propane and diisopropyl ether as product of isopropanol dehydratation, observed for all catalysts. With V charge, basic and redox sites were verified as well by the production of acetone at isopropanol dehydrogenation.

A demanda por combustíveis cada vez menos prejudiciais ao meio ambiente, leva à necessidade de desenvolvimento de processos industriais cada vez mais eficientes. No caso da produção de diesel, há uma crescente preocupação com a emissão de derivados do enxofre após a queima do combustível. Tais derivados são responsáveis, principalmente, pelo surgimento de chuvas ácidas. A tecnologia de retirada de enxofre dos combustíveis fósseis já está bem estabelecida na indústria, através de processos catalíticos conhecidos como hidrotratamento. O aprimoramento destes processos está intimamente ligado ao desenvolvimento de catalisadores cada vez mais eficientes. Visando o desenvolvimento de tais materiais, este trabalho apresenta a síntese de catalisadores Ni-Mo/Al2O3 para hidrodessulfurização no refino de petróleo, preparados a partir do método de síntese conhecido como processo poliol e posteriormente sulfetados in situ. A preparação destes catalisadores demonstrou que tal método de síntese favorece a formação do óxido misto de níquel e molibdênio em duas estruturas cristalinas distintas, ?-NiMoO4 e ?-NiMoO4. Normalmente, a formação destas fases não é muito explorada na literatura de catalisadores para hidrodessulfurização. Outro resultado muito interessante obtido a partir deste trabalho é em relação às propriedades texturais de tais catalisadores. Observa-se que, a partir do processo poliol, poucas alterações em termos de área específica e volume de poros dos catalisadores em relação à alumina adotada como suporte são esperadas. No entanto, testes catalíticos demonstraram que os resultados de conversão em termos de hidrodessulfurização da molécula modelo dibenzotiofeno foram insatisfatórios em comparação a um catalisador comercial. Acredita-se que este comportamento seja proveniente da formação do NiMoO4, que mitiga a ação promotora do níquel na estrutura do óxido de molibdênio. O presente trabalho demonstra a necessidade de maiores estudos em relação à aplicação das duas estruturas de molibdato de níquel frente às reações de hidrodessulfurização. / The demand for less harmful fuels to the environment leads to the necessity of developing more and more efficient industrial processes. In the case of diesel production, there is a growing concern about the emission of sulfur compounds after the fuel has been burned. Such compounds are mainly responsible for the emerging of acid rain. Sulfur removing technology for fossil fuels is already well established in the industry through catalytic processes known as hydrotreatment. The improvement of these processes is closely connected to the development of increasingly efficient catalysts. Aiming for the development of such materials, this study presents the synthesis of Ni-Mo/Al2O3 catalysts for hydrodesulfurization in petroleum refining, prepared from the synthesis method known as the polyol-mediated synthesis and after in situ sulfidation. The preparation of these catalysts has shown that such a synthesis method favors the formation of the mixed oxide of nickel and molybdenum in two distinct crystalline structures, ?-NiMoO4 and ?-NiMoO4. Normally, the formation of these structures is not much explored in the literature of hydrodesulfurization catalysts. Another really interesting result obtained from this work is in relation to the textural properties of such catalysts. It is observed that, from the polyolmediated synthesis, few changes in terms of specific surface area and pore volume of the catalysts in comparison with the alumina adopted as a support are expected. However, catalytic tests have shown that the conversion results in terms of hydrodesulfurization of the dibenzothiophene molecule model were unsatisfactory compared to a commercial catalyst. It is believed that this behavior comes from the formation of NiMoO4, which mitigates the promoting action of nickel in the structure of molybdenum oxide. The present work demonstrates the necessity for further studies regarding the application of the two nickel molybdate structures to the hydrodesulfurization reactions.

The 2,4-Dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) solution (400 mg L¡Ð1) was treated by a wet air oxidation (WAO) process at temperatures of 393¡Ð453 K under a total pressure of 3.0 MPa using either Mn /£^-Al2O3 or Mn-Ce /£^-Al2O3 composite oxide as a catalyst. A COD reduction was found only 19.2% within 60 min if the WAO process was performed in a semi-batch type reactor without any catalyst addition; however, a higher COD removal of 69.4% or 71.4% was achieved when the Mn /£^-Al2O3 or Mn-Ce /£^-Al2O3 oxide was applied in the WAO process, respectively. A catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) of 2,4-DCP solution using the Mn-Ce /£^-Al2O3 oxide as a catalyst was conducted in another up-flowing fixed-bed reactor at 433 K under a pressure of 3.0 MPa in a space velocity of 4.0 hr¡Ð1. The COD reduction of the solution of 2,4-DCP was found above 61.4%. Also, both BOD5 and COD values in the effluent from the CWAO process was examined, and the BOD5/COD ratio was about 0.64. On the other hand, it is possible to treat the 2,4-DCP solution (¡Õ400 mg L¡Ð1) to meet the discharging regulation standard (COD¡Õ100 mg L¡Ð1) began in 1998 at Taiwan using a CWAO run and followed by an activated sludge treatment unit. The Ea values of the CWAO of 2,4-DCP using the Mn /£^-Al2O3 oxide as a catalyst were 20.77 KJ mol¡Ð1 and 23.99 KJ mol¡Ð1, respectively, for the first-stage and the second-stage reaction, respectively. In addition, the Ea values of the CWAO of 2,4-DCP over the Mn-Ce /£^-Al2O3 oxide were 14.77 KJ mol¡Ð1 and 23.30 KJ mol¡Ð1, respectively, for the first-stage and the second-stage reaction. Obviously, the Mn-Ce /£^-Al2O3 oxide does a better job in reducing the activation energy of the CWAO of 2,4-DCP than the Mn /£^-Al2O3 oxide does. Unfortunately, 2,4-DCP is hardly decomposed to become a low molecule weight carbon acids by the WAO run undergoing at 493 K without any catalyst addition. Several intermediates, such as 2-chlorophenol, phenol, catechol, oxalic acid, and formic acid, of the effluent from the CWAO of 2,4-DCP run over the Mn-Ce /£^-Al2O3 oxide were determined with a high-performance liquid chromatography.

In the present dissertation the formation of microstructure, the kinetics of densification and the formation of surface layers developing during liquid phase sintering of silicon carbide are studied. The focus is on the additive systems Al2O3 plus Y2O3 and AlN plus Y2O3. Phase and especially liquid phase formation in both of the systems SiC, Al2O3 , Y2O3 and AlN, Al2O3 , Y2O3 are investigated in detail examining 12 espectively 17 different compositions per system. Melting temperatures have been determined by TG/DTA, in both systems for the first time. Phase composition of samples was analysed by the combination of XRD, SEM and EDX. In the system SiC, Al2O3 , Y2O3 the formation of the phases expected from the quasibinary Al2O3 , Y2O3 could be observed thus silicon carbide has to be in equilibrium with the oxide additives. The low solubility of SiC in the oxide melt, which was suggested by Hoffmann and Nader, could be confirmed. In the system AlN, Al2O3 , Y2O3 the formation of phases as stated by Medraj was confirmed, except for the dimension of the stability region of the γ- spinel and YAG which is wider in the present work. For the first time diffusion coefficients of the species Y3+ and Al3+ in the oxide melt formed by Al2O3 and Y2O3 at temperatures above 1825 ◦ C were determined. The values are in the order of 2 · 10−6 cm2 /s which results in a diffusion length of 14.1 μm for a diffusion time of one second. This allows the fast equilibration of Y and Al deficiencies. Kinetics of densification was modeled by kinetic field, master curve and thermokinetic method, based on detailed experimental investigation of the shrinkage during liquid phase sintering of SiC. It could be proved that the first 30 − 40 % of densification are controlled by solid phase reactions which accelerate particle rearrangement without presence of a liquid phase. During the remaining 60 − 70 % of densification a liquid is present, resulting in the predominance of mechanisms of liquid phase sintering. The models deliver activation energies in the range from 608 KJ/mol to 1668 kJ/mol and allow, within the scope of validity of each method the prediction of densification during liquid phase sintering of silicon carbide. When sintering silicon carbide with Al2O3 plus Y2O3 the formation of several surface layers, depending on atmosphere, maximum temperature, dwelling time and amount and composition of additives was observed. In nitrogen atmosphere with low partial pressures a surface layer consisting of AlN is forming whilst at high partial pressures SiAlON- polytypes occur. After sintering in Argon or Ar-CO- atmosphere three main types of surface layers are present. One consists of alumina, one contains only YAG and one shows highly porous, additive depleted regions. An explanation for the formation of the several surface layers could be given by the combination of the determined diffusion coefficients with the results achieved in the thermodynamics part. The results achieved in this work can be a contribution to the knowledge based design of the production process of liquid phase sintering of silicon carbide.

Beim Flammspritzen von Mischungen im System Al2O3-TiO2-ZrO2 treten vielfältige Effekte auf. Es kommt z.B. zur Ausbildung eines amorphen Anteils, der in Form von amorphen Sublamellen, dem primären amorphen Anteil, und in dendritisch geprägten Bereichen, dem sekundären amorphen Anteil im Gefüge vorliegt. Dieser beeinflusst die mechanischen Eigenschaften deutlich. Bei einer Temperaturbehandlung entstehende Ausscheidungen von ZrO2 oder verschiedenen Zirkoniumtitanaten beeinflussen die mechanischen Eigenschaften ebenfalls signifikant.

Estudamos o efeito de Conjugação de Fase por Mistura Degenenerada de Quatro Ondas em Al2O3:Cr+3 (Rubi) e GdAlO3:Cr+3 com um laser de Ar (λ=5145 Å). Obtivemos eficiência aproximadamente quatro vezes maior no GdAlO3:Cr+3 (onde este trabalho é original) que no Rubi o que nos motivou a investigar as propriedades físicas que são relevantes para o fenômeno nestes sistemas (isto não foi bem compreendido no trabalho anterior em Rubi). Desenvolvemos um método interferométrico muito sensível para medida dos coeficientes não lineares do índice de refração n2 destes materiais (que não eram conhecidos) Com estes valores de n2 calculamos a eficiência de Conjugação de Fase em bom acordo com experiência. / We have studied the effect of Phase Conjugation by Degenerate Four Wave Mixing in Al2O3:Cr+3 (Rubi) and GdAlO3:Cr+3 with an Ar (λ=5145 Å). We obtained efficiency ?approximately? 4 times greater in GdAlO3:Cr+3 (where this work is original) than in Rubi and this have motivated us to investigate the physical properties that are important to explain this phenomenon in these materials (what wasn\'t well understood in the previous paper on Rubi(10)). We developed an interferometric method very sensitive to measure the nonlinear coeficient of refractive index n2 of these materials (what wasn\'t known). With these values of n2 we calculated the efficiency of the Phase Conjugation in good agreement with the experience.