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Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystals Reinforced with SiC Whiskers
Author(s) -
CLAUSSEN N.,
WEISSKOPF K.L.,
RüHLE M.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1151-2916.1986.tb07429.x
Subject(s) - whisker , materials science , whiskers , composite material , hot pressing , microstructure , flexural strength , fracture toughness , monocrystalline whisker , cubic zirconia , tetragonal crystal system , composite number , annealing (glass) , monoclinic crystal system , ceramic , crystal structure , crystallography , chemistry
The microstructure and the mechanical properties of hot‐pressed tetragonal ZrO 2 polycrystals (TZP) reinforced with up to 30 vol% SiC whiskers were studied. The SiC whisker‐TZP composites were stable under the hot‐pressing conditions at 1450°C. Annealing in an oxidizing atmosphere at ∼1000°C resulted in glass formation and microcracking caused by whisker oxidation and transformation of the ZrO 2 grains near the whiskers to monoclinic symmetry. The fracture toughness was markedly improved by the dispersed whiskers (∼12 Mpa·m 1/2 at 30 vol% SiC) compared to the values measured for the matrix (∼6 Mpa·m 1/2 ). The flexural strength of the hot‐pressed TZP‐30 vol% SiC whisker composite at 1000°C (∼400 MPa) was twice that of the TZP matrix.