Multi-scale (electronic, crystal and microstructural) designing and processing of high-temperature ceramics and composites;

Developing low-cost techniques for the processing of bulk and low-dimensional (powders and thin films) materials;

Investigating the mechanical behavior under static, dynamic and cyclic loads;

Investigating thermal/chemical stability of ceramics and composites in ultrahigh temperature environment.

Top prize for outstanding graduate student from the president of Chinese academy of Sciences, 1991

Top prize of the “Technological Achievement”, Chinese academy of Sciences,1998           

National outstanding young scientist awards of China,  1999

Third prize of “Natural Science”, Chinese academy of Sciences, 1999

Second prize of “Technical Invention” ,  Chinese academy of Sciences, 2001

Top prize of “Natural Science”, Liaoning Province, China, 2005

The Chinese Ceramic Society Award, 2007

Academician, World Academy of Ceramics, 2009

During 1986-1991, he involved in the synthesis and characterization SiC, Si₃N₄, whiskers and composite SiC/Si₃N₄ whiskers. Using SiO₂ and graphite as initial materials,  he successfully synthesized β-SiC whiskers, α-Si₃N₄ whiskers, β-Si₃N₄ whiskers and composite SiC/Si₃N₄ whiskers (now called nanorods). Using TEM techniques, he identified the growth directions, branching phenomena, stacking faults, micro twins in β-SiC whiskers, α-Si₃N₄ whiskers, β-Si₃N₄ whiskers as well as the crystallographic relations between SiC core and Si₃N₄ out layer in SiC/Si₃N₄ composite whiskers. He studied the stability of these whiskers at high temperatures and proposed the possible processing parameters for whisker reinforced ceramics.

During 1992-1995, he involved in the preparing ultrafine CeO₂ powders by hydrothermal synthesis and electrochemical method, the sintering temperature was reduced from 1600^oC to 1200-1300^oC. He also deposited Cu₂O and CeO2 film by electrochemical method.

During 1996-2000, he studied the electronic structure, crystal structure, microstructure of layered ternary carbides and nitrides, M_n+1AX_n (also called MAX phases, where M is an early transition metal, A is a IIIA, IVA or VA group element, X is C or N), which combine the merits of both metals and ceramics. He disclosed the origin for the damage tolerance and easy machinability of these MAX phases, i.e, the weak inter-layer bonding resulted in low shear modulus and low ideal shear strength, which give high capacity of local energy dissipation and easy local stress relaxation. He also developed a in-situ solid-liquid reaction synthesis and simultaneous densification method to prepare MAX phases and their solid solutions (Ti₃SiC₂, Ti₃AlC₂, Ti₂SnC, Cr₂AlC, Ti₂AlC, Ti₂AlN, Ti₄AlN₃, V₂AlC, Ta₂AlC, Ta₄AlC₃, V₄AlC₃, Ti-Si-Al-C solid solutions, (M,M’)₂AlC solid solutions (M=Ti, V, Cr, Nb, Zr)).

2000-present, he established the High-performance Ceramic Division with 4 groups in Shenyang National Laboratory, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He continued his work on searching for new damage tolerant and machinable ceramics for high and ultrahigh temperature applications. Based on the understanding of structural-property relationships, he predicted and experimentally confirmed of a number of novel machinable and/or damage tolerant oxides, carbides, nitrides and borides (for example Y₂SiO₇, Y₂SiO₅, Al₃BC₃, Zr₂Al₃C₄, Zr₃Al₃C₅, Zr₃[Al(Si)]₄C₆, Zr₂[Al(Si)]₄C₅, and MAX phase solid solutions). He also discovered several new carbides and nitrides compounds including Nb4AlC3, V4AlC3, β-Ta₄AlC₃, (V,Cr)₄AlC₃, (V,Cr)₃AlC₂, Hf₃Al₄C₆, Hf₂Al₄C₅ and Hf₃AlN, which are promising for high and ultrahigh temperature applications.

       On these scientific achievements, he has published more than 260 scientific papers in high impact peer-reviewed international journals such as J. Am.Ceram. Soc., J. Europ. Ceram. Soc., Acta Mater., Appl. Phys. Lett., Phys. Rev. B, J. Appl. Phys., J. Phys. Conden. Matter.,Chem. Mater., J. Mater. Rec., J. Mater. Chem., Z. Metallkd., Mater. Res. Innovat. et al.  He also holds 30 Chinese patents.

Editorial board:

Executive Vice Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Materials Science and Technology

Associate Editor, Journal of the American Ceramic Society

Associate Editor, International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology                      

Chinese Journal of Materials Research (in Chinese)           

Advanced Ceramics (in Chinese)

Committees:

Review Committee, Inorganic Materials, Natural Science Foundation of China

Vice-chairman, Academic committee, Institute of Metal Research, CAS

Academic-degree committee of Institute of Metal Research, CAS

Review committee, Inorganic Material, National Science Foundation of China 2000-2005

Academic committee, 3rd International Conference on High-performance Ceramics, 2004

Academic committee, 4th International Conference on High-performance Ceramics, 2005

Academic committee, 5th International Conference on High-performance Ceramics, 2007

International Advisory Board, 7th Pacific Rim Conference on Ceramic and Glass Technology (PacRim7) 2007

International Advisory Board, 2nd International congress on ceramics, 2008

Symposium Chair of "Basic Science, design, modeling and simulation", 9th International Symposium on Ceramic Materials and Components for Energy and Environmental Applications, 2008

International Advisory Board,3rd Asia-Oceania Ceramic Federation Conference

Symposium Chair of "Computational Approaches in Materials Research and Design", 8th Pacific Rim Conference on Ceramic and Glass Technology (PacRim8), 2009.

Symposium co-organizer of “Mechanical Behavior and Performance of Ceramics and Composites” 33rd International Conference and Exposition on Advanced Ceramics and Composites, 2009.

Academic committee, 6th International Conference on High-performance Ceramics, 2009

International Advisory Board, 6th International Conference on Nitrides and Related Materials, Aug. 16-18, 2009. Harbin

International Advisory Board, International Symposium on Advanced Ceramics and Technology for Sustainable Energy Applications, Nov. 1-4, 2009, Taibei

Chairman, International Committee, Engineering Ceramic Division, the American Ceramic Society

Main Organizer of Focused Session "Computational Design, Modeling, Simulation and Characterization of Ceramics and Composites", 34th International Conference and Exposition on Advanced Ceramics and Composites, Jan, 24-19, 2010, USA

Symposium co-organizer of “Mechanical Behavior and Performance of Ceramics and Composites”, and co-organizer of Focused Session “Nanolaminated ternary carbides and nitrides”

34th International Conference and Exposition on Advanced Ceramics and Composites, Jan, 24-19, 2010, USA

International Advisory Board, 3rd International conference on Sialon and non-oxide ceramics, June 1-4, 2010, Turkey

International Advisory Board, 12th International Ceramic Congress, June 6-11, 2010, Italy

1.    P. Y. Qi, F. Xia, Y. C. Zhou

Fracture behavior of Si3N4-ZrO2 composite    Acta Metal. Sinica, 23B, 165(1987)

2.    X. Chang, Y. C. Zhou and F.Xia

Microstructure of beta-Silicon Carbide whiskers  Chin.J.Met.Sci.Tech.,3,289(1987)