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Stereological Observations of Platelet‐Reinforced Mullite‐ and Zirconia‐Matrix Composites
Author(s) -
Cherian Isaac K.,
Lehigh Mitchell D.,
Nettleship Ian,
Kriven Waltraud M.
Publication year - 1996
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.1151-2916.1996.tb08105.x
Subject(s) - mullite , materials science , composite material , composite number , cubic zirconia , contiguity , grain size , ceramic , volume fraction , sintering , microstructure , ceramic matrix composite , porosity , matrix (chemical analysis) , ecology , biology
Recently, the effect of solid inclusions on the sintering of ceramic powders has been explained in terms of a “backstress” that opposes densiflcation. Several analyses havebeen proposed to describe this problem. However, little quantitative information exists concerning the effect of reinforcement on microstructural evolution. This study compares the microstructural development of zirconia and mullite matrices in the presence of alumina platelets. The effect of platelet loading on density is similar for both composites. Quantitative stereological examinations reveal that the average grain size and pore size are finer for the zirconiamatrix composite. The platelet loading does not have any noticeable effect on the average grain size of the matrix in either composite. However, the average pore size increases as the volume fraction of platelets increases for both materials. Contiguity measurements have detected some aggregation of platelets in the zirconia‐matrix composite.