J Mater Sci(2006)41:7425-7436 7435 Table 3 phase evolution in rbm lavers eacti M, ratio M ratio Fine Coars Fine Coarse Z11 Ircon zIrcon zircon (<1pm)(-5pm)(<1um)(-5pm) 1300 RBM 1450 0.10 1500 0.21 0.67 200 1600 0.93 Conclusions Three classes of texture-reinforced ceramic laminates with strongly bonded interfaces have been successfully fabricated: a reaction-bonded, single-phase alumina/ textured alumina laminate (rBao/TA), a ATZ/TA laminate, and a RBM/TA laminate. Gel casting was successfully used to produce preform tapes for both the ArSiA highly TA interlayers and for the texture-free matrix layers in all three laminate systems. These three lam nate systems are all based on highly TA interlayers, but with significantly different thermal expansion mis- match between the laminate matrix composition and the TA interlayers. The textured layers have c-axis symmetry, with the strongest texture, calculated to be 60-80% from the march-Dollase model. obtained from initial 9.1 vol% platelet content. Fewer platelets were insufficient to ensure oriented grain growth throughout the textured layer, while more platelets mullite inhibited platelet alignment Acknowledgements This work was supported by AFIRST ZrO2 (French-Israel Association for Scientific and Technological Re- search)under contract #6052194. The authors would like to acknowledge the previous work of Thierry Carisey who pio- peered the concept of texture control in tape-cast alumina while supported by the Government of france as a CSn at Technion. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Suxing wu for his unstinting help in developing RBAO and RBM processing for References eaction-bonded mullite/textured alumina(RBM/TA)laminate; 1. Paulik SW, Faber KT, Fuller ER(1994)J Am Ceram Soc b) SEM image of a large unreacted zircon grain in an RBM layer, in which larger initial zircon powder was used;(e) SEM 2. Carisey T, Laugier-Werth A, Brandon DG(1995)J Euro mage of the RBM layer made from finer initial zircon powder Ceram Soc 15: 1 3. Vedula VR, Glass SJ, Saylor DM, Rohrer GS, Carter WC all based on TA interlayers. The detailed microstruc 4. Ma Y, Kruger KL, Bowman KJ(1991)JAm 74:2941 tural characterisation and mechanical behaviour will 5. Lee F, Sandlin MS, Bowman KJ(1993)J Am Ceram Soc be discussed in the next paper 76:1793 2 Springerall based on TA interlayers. The detailed microstruc￾tural characterisation and mechanical behaviour will be discussed in the next paper. Conclusions Three classes of texture-reinforced ceramic laminates with strongly bonded interfaces have been successfully fabricated: a reaction-bonded, single-phase alumina/ textured alumina laminate (RBAO/TA), a ATZ/TA laminate, and a RBM/TA laminate. Gel casting was successfully used to produce preform tapes for both the highly TA interlayers and for the texture-free matrix layers in all three laminate systems. These three lami￾nate systems are all based on highly TA interlayers, but with significantly different thermal expansionl mis￾match between the laminate matrix composition and the TA interlayers. The textured layers have c-axis symmetry, with the strongest texture, calculated to be 60–80% from the March–Dollase model, obtained from initial 9.1 vol% platelet content. Fewer platelets were insufficient to ensure oriented grain growth throughout the textured layer, while more platelets inhibited platelet alignment. Acknowledgements This work was supported by AFIRST (French-Israel Association for Scientific and Technological Re￾search) under contract #6052194. The authors would like to acknowledge the previous work of Thierry Carisey who pio￾neered the concept of texture control in tape-cast alumina while supported by the Government of France as a CSN at Technion. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Suxing Wu for his unstinting help in developing RBAO and RBM processing for laminated systems. References 1. Paulik SW, Faber KT, Fuller ER (1994) J Am Ceram Soc 77:454 2. Carisey T, Laugier-Werth A, Brandon DG (1995) J Euro Ceram Soc 15:1 3. Vedula VR, Glass SJ, Saylor DM, Rohrer GS, Carter WC, Langer SA, Fuller ER (2001) J Am Ceram Soc 84:2947 4. Ma Y, Kruger KL, Bowman KJ (1991) J Am Ceram Soc 74:2941 5. Lee F, Sandlin MS, Bowman KJ (1993) J Am Ceram Soc 76:1793 Fig. 12 (a) Optical micrograph of the cross-section of a sintered reaction-bonded mullite/textured alumina (RBM/TA) laminate; (b) SEM image of a large unreacted zircon grain in an RBM layer, in which larger initial zircon powder was used; (c) SEM image of the RBM layer made from finer initial zircon powder Table 3 Phase evolution in RBM layers Reaction temp (C) M1 ratio M2 ratio Fine zircon (<1 lm) Coarse zircon (~5 lm) Fine zircon (<1 lm) Coarse zircon (~5 lm) 0 0 00 0 1300 0 0 0 0 1400 0 0 0 0 1450 0.15 0.10 0.12 0.10 1500 0.52 0.21 0.35 0.20 1550 0.70 0.29 0.67 0.27 1600 0.97 0.42 0.93 0.29 J Mater Sci (2006) 41:7425–7436 7435 123