| Scope |
In the field of functional ceramics, the importance of dislocations for materials processing, mechanical and functional properties gained attention recently. For example, some ceramics were discovered to allow considerable plastic deformation even at room temperature as e.g. in single-crystalline strontium titanate and ZnS. Beyond purely mechanical considerations of plasticity in ceramics, particular interest lies in the impact of dislocations on functional properties as e.g. thermal, electronic, and ionic conductivity, and ferroelectricity. The foundation of this impact is related to the atomic structure, chemistry, and charge of dislocations in oxides, their percolation and their response to mechanical, electrical, thermal, optical, and chemical parameters.
Beyond properties, dislocations are considered to be of central importance for processing, e.g. in the field of sintering and flash sintering, high-pressure powder processing, and aerosol deposition. These methods offer the potential to engineer materials, phases, and structures with new functionality while overcoming the limitations of conventional processing.
This symposium brings together researchers in the field of dislocations in functional ceramics, covering experimental and simulation/modeling to bridge the knowledge gap between dislocation-based processing, structural characterization, mechanics, and functionality in ceramics. While the focus is on functional ceramics, many concepts (e.g., mechanics) in this field are well-established for metals. Accordingly, related contributions from other materials including metals are welcome to bring in potential new perspectives. |