Department of Materials Science & Engineering

Professor

BS, ceramic engineering, 1975 Alfred University
MS, ceramic science, 1978 Pennsylvania State University
PhD, materials science, 1982 University of California, Berkeley

Multifunctional ceramics; ceramic coatings; porous ceramics
As ceramics are considered for complex applications, one component may serve many disparate functions, e.g., wear resistance with low weight. Graded or layered microstructures, often including controlled porosity, may meet such demands. Such materials can be processed via gelcasting, where powders are suspended in a polymer that undergoes a liquid-gel transition. The position or orientation of fugitive phases (for pores) and particles of different chemistry can be controlled when the polymer is in the liquid state. Once a rigid gel forms, particles are rendered immobile, the polymer removed and the ceramic is sintered via traditional routes. We are developing these processing methods for multifunctional ceramics.

A second interest is in SiC-based cellular ceramics, derived from naturally derived scaffolds. These so-called "biomorphic" silicon carbides are produced by pyrolyzing wood to create the carbon scaffold. The scaffold or template is then used for silicon infiltration and reaction to create versatile SiC-based porous materials. The porous SiC can be further infiltrated with aluminum to create ceramic-metal composites. We are interested in both mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of these materials.

Finally, thermal and environmental barrier coatings for engine components are needed for enhanced efficiency in the next generation of engines such as microturbines and industrial gas turbines. Ceramic coatings allow reduced cooling or increased combustion temperatures. Likewise, they serve as environmental barriers to keep corrosive species from the underlying component. Our work focuses on the development of plasma-sprayed coatings and their characterization using the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to understand residual stresses and phase evolution during thermal cycling.

Associations and Awards

President, American Ceramic Society 2006-07

Scientific Advisory Committee of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Lab, 2005

Fellow, ASM International, 2003

ISI Highly Cited in Materials, 2002

NSF Creativity Extension Award, 2001-2003

YWCA Achievement Award for Education, 1997

Member, Academy of Ceramics, 1996

Distinguished Educator Award, Society of Women Engineers (SWE), 1995

Vice president, ACerS, 1992–93, 1994–95

Fellow, ACerS, 1992

President, Ceramic Educational Council, ACerS, 1989–90

Ralph A. Teetor Award from the Society of Automotive Engineers, 1989

NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award, 1984–89

AT&T Foundation Award from the American Society for Engineering Education, 1986

IBM Faculty Development Award, 1984

Selected Publications

“Processing and Flaw Tolerance of Alumina Bilayers,” J. K. Montgomery and K. T. Faber, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 88 [2] 287-92 (2005).

“Residual Stress and Microstructural Evolution in Environmental Barrier Coatings of Tantalum Oxide Alloyed with Aluminum Oxide and Lanthanum Oxide,” C.M. Weyant, K.T. Faber, J.D. Almer and J. V.Guiheen, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 89 [3] 971-78 (2006).

“Precursor Selection and its Role in the Mechanical Properties of Porous SiC Derived from Wood,” V. S. Kaul, K. T. Faber, R. Sepulveda Ferrer, A. R. de Arellano López, J. Martínez-Fernández, Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 428 [1-2] 225-32 (2006).

“Composites by Aluminum Infiltration of Porous Silicon Carbide Derived from Wood Precursors, T.E. Wilkes, M.L. Young, R.E. Sepulveda, D.C. Dunand, and K.T. Faber, Scripta Materialia, 55 1083-1086 (2006).

“Self Assembly and Stress Relaxation in Acrylic Triblock Copolymer Gels,” M. E. Seitz, W. R. Burghardt, K. T. Faber and K. R. Shull, Macromolecules, in press.