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Transparent Tetragonal Yttria‐Stabilized Zirconia Ceramics: Influence of Scattering Caused by Birefringence
Author(s) -
Klimke Jens,
Trunec Martin,
Krell Andreas
Publication year - 2011
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.1551-2916.2010.04322.x
Subject(s) - materials science , rayleigh scattering , grain size , birefringence , particle size , mie scattering , tetragonal crystal system , yttria stabilized zirconia , optics , scattering , light scattering , ceramic , cubic zirconia , mineralogy , composite material , crystallography , chemistry , physics , crystal structure
The correlation between grain size, optical birefringence, and transparency is discussed for tetragonal zirconia (ZrO 2 ) ceramics using the Mie, Rayleigh, and Rayleigh–Gans–Debye scattering models. Our results demonstrate that at the degree of mean birefringence in the range (0.03–0.04) expected for tetragonal ZrO 2 , only the Mie theory provides reasonable results. At small particle size (<50 nm) the more straightforward Rayleigh approximation correlates with the Mie model. A real in‐line transmission of ∼50% at visible light and 1 mm thickness is expected at a mean grain size <40 nm and ∼70% at a mean grain size <20 nm. At an infrared (IR) wavelength of 5 μm there should not be any scattering caused by birefringence for grain sizes <200 nm. Our simulations were validated with experimental data for tetragonal ZrO 2 (3 mol% Y 2 O 3 ) ceramics made from a powder with an initial particle size of ∼10 nm by sintering in air and using hot‐isostatic pressing. The maximum in‐line transmission of about 77% was observed at IR wavelengths of 3–5 μm.