Editors: | F. Kongoli, F. Marquis, S. Kalogirou, B. Raveau, A. Tressaud, H. Kageyama, A. Varez, R. Martins. |
Publisher: | Flogen Star OUTREACH |
Publication Year: | 2022 |
Pages: | 154 pages |
ISBN: | 978-1-989820-34-6 (CD) |
ISSN: | 2291-1227 (Metals and Materials Processing in a Clean Environment Series) |
Zirconia based materials have a variety of unique physicochemical, electrical and mechanical properties including high strength, hardness, impact toughness, wear resistance, low coefficient of friction, high melting point, chemical inertness, low heat conductivity and biocompatibility. These properties account for the wide range of applications, from wear resistant bearings to medical and surgical instruments. As a rule, the mechanical properties of these materials depend on the composition, namely, on the type and concentration of stabilizing and doping oxides, which are introduced in small concentrations to improve the functional characteristics of the material and to ensure the stability of these characteristics under operating conditions [1-4].
The aim of this work is to study the effect of a number of dopants on the structure and mechanical properties of 2.5Y0.5RSZ crystals (where R is Ce, Nd, Er, Yb) depending on the ionic radius of the impurity cation. Partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) crystals were grown by directional melt crystallization in a cold crucible at a 10 mm/h crystallization rate.
The phase composition and crystal structure of the material was studied using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The studies showed that the PSZ crystals have two tetragonal phases (t and t’) with different tetragonal distortion degrees. TEM studies showed that the crystals of all compositions are a complex twinned domain structure, which is formed during the transformation from the cubic to the tetragonal phase during the cooling of the crystal.
Mechanical characteristics were measured by Vickers indentation technique. The microhardness and fracture toughness for different crystallographic planes have been tested by indentation with different indenter diagonal orientations. Depending on the composition and orientation of the sample, the values of fracture toughness varied from 10 to 15 MPa∙m1/2.
The work was supported by research grants № 18-13-00397 of the Russian Science Foundation.