Microstructure and mechanical properties of ZrO₂-2 mol% Y₂O₃ ceramics

The microstructure and mechanical properties of ZrO₂-2 mol% Y₂O₃ ceramics were studied on samples prepared by cold isostatic pressing and pressureless sintering. It was shown that the density of the alloy increases with increasing sintering temperature. The Vickers hardness decreases with the appearance of the monoclinic phase and increasing its content. Compared with the single tetragonal phase, the (t + m) dual-phase structure with microcracks has a much higher fracture toughness (16·5 MPa√m) because of a complex mechanism of toughening (transformation, microcracks and residual stresses).