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Ruth Duckworth and Grayson Perry approach clay as a material for creative expression from different perspectives that are firmly located within their individual subjectivities, temporalities, spatial practices and in the wider cultural and socio-political contexts in which their works and methodologies are situated. In this essay Duckworth and Perry bear the burden of representation of being female and male, respectively, and in this respect their artworks reflect their individual responses to gender distinctions. Duckworth explores issues of sex and gender somewhat obliquely by comparison to Perry who takes a strident approach to what he perceives as a form of discrimination against men through their cultural representation as a result of British society’s expectations of masculinity. Perry expresses concepts of gender distinction and transformation through his embrace of transvestism as a way of life combined with heterosexual marriage, and in his work, writings and broadcasts in the media. Duckworth is largely silent and leads a more self-contained private life so that understanding her response to gender can only be a matter of interpretation from her ceramic practice. The juxtaposition of these two artists provides an opportunity to consider how they each address gender through their work. This comparison also reveals some of the ways that the application of social and cultural interpretations of and responses to sex and gender contributes to a perception of Duckworth and Perry as sharing a degree of outsider status. Neither can be said to be purely an outsider artist yet their use of clay as a means of artistic expression inevitably leads to an association with the divisions and hierarchies within the art world involving art/craft and nature/culture binaries that are intimately connected to sex and gender debates alongside a consideration of primitivism, modernity and post-modernity. These debates have relevance for a discussion of ceramic craft practice in contemporary Hong Kong and this dissertation draws attention to some of the issues facing the author who is also a practicing ceramic artist. The main focus of this essay is to reflect on the work, and to a lesser extent the lives, of Duckworth and Perry and more briefly Asger Jorn and Isamu Noguchi, whilst drawing some comparisons to the life of a practicing artist in Hong Kong who also works with clay, is female and originates from a different place from the one in which she currently lives and works. / published_or_final_version / Literary and Cultural Studies / Master / Master of Arts

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1992. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 19).

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1984. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 32).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-108). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Silicon carbide fibre reinforced alumina is a ceramic composite which was developed in conjunction with the Rolls-Royce Aerospace Group. The material is intended for use in the latest generation of jet engines, specifically for high temperature applications such as flame holders, combustor barrel segments and turbine blade tip seals. The material in question has properties which have been engineered by optimizing fibre volume fractions, weaves and fibre interface materials to meet the following main requirements : high thermal resistance, high thermal shock resistance and low density. Components intended for manufacture using this material will use the "direct metal oxidation" (DIMOX) method. This process involves manufacturing a near net shape component from the woven fibre matting, and infiltrating the matting with the alumina matrix material. Some of the components outlined require high tolerance features to be included in their design. The combustor barrel segments for example require slots to be formed within them for sealing purposes, the dimensions of these features preclude their formation using DIMOX, and therefore require a secondary process to be performed. Conventional machining techniques such as drilling, turning and milling cannot be used because of the brittle nature of the material. Electrodischarge machining (E.D.M.) cannot be used since the material is an insulator. Electrochemical machining (E.C.M.) cannot be used since the material is chemically inert. One machining method which could be used is ultrasonic machining (U.S.M.).The research programme investigated the feasibility of using ultrasonic machining as a manufacturing method for this new fibre reinforced composite. Two variations of ultrasonic machining were used : ultrasonic drilling and ultrasonic milling. Factors such as dimensional accuracy, surface roughness and delamination effects were examined. Previously performed ultrasonic machining experimental programmes were reviewed, as well as process models which have been developed. The process models were found to contain empirical constants which usually require specific material data for their calculation. Since a limited amount of the composite was available, and ultrasonic machining has many process variables, a Taguchi factorial experiment was conducted in order to ascertain the most relevant factors in machining. A full factorial experiment was then performed using the relevant factors. Techniques used in the research included both optical and scanning electron microscopy, surface roughness analysis, x-ray analysis and finite element stress analysis. A full set of machining data was obtained including relationships between the factors examined and both material removal rates, and surface roughness values. An attempt was made to explain these findings by examining established brittle fracture mechanisms. These established mechanisms did not seem to apply entirely to this material, an alternative method of material removal is therefore proposed. It is hoped that the data obtained from this research programme may contribute to the development of a more realistic mathematical model.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-08-10Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:22:33Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 minatti_jl_dr_guara.pdf: 4184715 bytes, checksum: be99db6c3fdb82f4af8b5cf4d8f633d9 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Neste trabalho, apresenta-se uma rota alternativa para produção de cerâmicas de mulita (3Al2O3.2SiO2), a partir da mistura de pós de alumina (Al2O3) e sílica (SiO2), para uma possível aplicação em um dispositivo de perfuração de rochas por jato supersônico quente (thermal spallation). Os pós precursores foram utilizados de dois modos diferentes: no primeiro com tamanho micrométrico, tal como fornecido pelos fabricantes; no segundo, a alumina foi moída e misturada separadamente com ácido silícico e aerosil nanométricos, ambos usados como fontes de sílica. O processo consistiu basicamente na mistura a úmido dos pós, secagem, prensagem e sinterização. Além do tamanho das partículas dos pós, foi avaliada a influência da pressão de prensagem (40 a 300 MPa), dos aditivos de sinterização (MgO, CaO e Y2O3), do meio de dispersão (água e álcool), da calcinação dos pós, da temperatura (1600 e 1650 ºC) e do tempo (1 e 3h) de sinterização. As cerâmicas obtidas foram caracterizadas de acordo com a contração, perda de massa, porosidade e densidade aparente e resistência à flexão. A microestrutura foi caracterizada por meio da microscopia óptica e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), e complementada com difração de raios X. Os resultados obtidos mostram que cerâmicas de mulita para aplicações comerciais, que requerem resistência mecânica até aproximadamente 207 MPa, podem ser obtidas utilizando pós de alumina moída e aerosil 380, com 1 % de CaO, homogeneizadas com álcool, calcinadas a 600 ºC, prensadas com 160 MPa (ou mais), pré-sinterizadas a 1000 ºC por 1h e sinterizadas a 1650 ºC por 1h. Estas cerâmicas demonstram também, grande potencial para uso em queimadores para fornos e tubeiras para thermal spallation. / The present study was made in order to obtain an alternative process to produce mullite ceramic (3Al2O3.2SiO2), from powder mixture of alumina (Al2O3) and silica (SiO2), for a possible use in a device for rock drilling hot supersonic jet (thermal spallation). The precursors powders were employed in two different ways: the first powder, in micrometric size, was used as supplied by the manufacturer; the second, milled alumina was alternated with silicic acid and nanometric aerosil®, both used as silica sources. The ceramic processing consisted basically of four steps: mixture of humid powders, drying, pressing and sintering. Besides the powder particle size, it was also evaluated the influence of the pressing (40 to 300 MPa), the sintering additives (MgO, CaO and Y2O3), the middle of dispersion (water and alcohol), the powder calcination and the time (1 and 3h) and sintering temperature (1600 and 1650 ºC). The obtained ceramics were characterized according to the contraction, mass loss, porosity, densification and resistance to flexing. The microstructure was analyzed by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) besides X-ray diffraction. The obtained results show that mullite ceramic for commercial applications requiring mechanical resistance up to about approximately 207 MPa, it can be obtained using milled alumina powder and aerosil 380® with 1 % CaO, homogenized with alcohol, calcined in 600 ºC, pressed with 160 MPa (or more), pre-sintered to 1000 ºC for 1h and sintered to 1650 ºC for 1h. These ceramic also show, great potential to be used in burners for ovens and nozzles for thermal spallation.

M.Tech. (Ceramic Sculpture) / The motivation for this study is the idea that ceramic objects reveal processes of thought and action, form and function, within set parameters. These parameters involved the idea of harmony and balance within a piece of work. The work speaks of diverse forms and concepts, the columnar aspect being a recurrent theme. All standard forming methods within the ceramic dicipline were used and combined in different ways to 'achieve the desired results. These methods include throwing, slip-casting, slabforming, pinching, press-moulding, and extruding. Designs were applied by means of coloured slips, glazes and on-glazes. In some instances the pieces were multiple-fired in order to achieve the desired effect. Sprayed enamel paint was also used, in two instances, where a particular effect was required. The technical problems of transporting large structures was resolved by the use of modular forms and segmented parts which could be dismantled and reassembled. Once a permanent site is found, the works will be assembled as follows :- A concrete foundation will be made. All segments of the column will be cemented together. A core of reinforced concrete will be set into the inner columnar space so that the pieces are structurally sound. This refers in particular to the Partially Disintegrated Columns I & II. Measurements listed on the drawn illustrations were all taken prior to firing.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 2007. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaf 24).