Effect of Organometallic-Derived TZP Nanoparticles on the Mechanical Properties of ZTA Ceramics

The incorporation of t-ZrO2 into alpha-Al2O3 matrix is a widely established method for enhancing the mechanical properties of ceramic materials, i.e., zicornia toughened alumina (ZTA). In this study, acetylacetonate zirconium and acetylacetonate yttrium were thoroughly mixed with alpha-Al2O3 powder and then calcined to achieve a uniform dispersion of organometallic-derived tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (TZP) particles in nano-size onto alpha-Al2O3, forming a composite powder. The TZP particle size increased from 8 to 39 nm with increasing calcination temperature from 600 to 1000 degrees C. The TZP nanoparticles coated alpha-Al2O3 powder was sintered by spark plasma sintering (SPS) to obtain ZTA ceramics. TZP is embedded in the face-centered cubic skeleton formed by alpha-Al2O3 and restricts grain growth to each other. The highest hardness and toughness, i.e., 18.81 GPa and 10.31 MPa m1/ 2, of the ZTA ceramics was achieved at 1400 degrees C by using the composite powder calcined at 600 degrees C.