The deformation behavior of ZrO2-Y2O3 ceramics under diametral compression was studied using the digital image correlation. Spatial-temporal patterns of strain localization along the axis of the deformable specimen εxx (x) and across the axis of the deformable specimen εyy (y) were obtained. It has been established that the accumulation of εxx and εyy deformations when testing ceramic ZrO2 (Y2O3) samples for diametral compression is non-uniform over the sample. In this case, the microstructural parameters change, such as the size of the coherently diffracting domains (CDDs) of the tetragonal phase and microstresses, the tetragonally monoclinic transformation is realized, and this localization correlates with the fixed non-uniform of the microstresses in the material volume.

AbstractZrO_2(Y) ceramic with embedded particles of a pore-forming agent—ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene—has been studied. It has been shown that the porosity of samples after sintering changed from 2 to 42 vol % and the grain size changed from 0.5 to 1.55 μm depending on sintering regime. The strength of materials with minimum porosity was 3000 ± 200 MPa, while the strength of materials with maximum porosity was 100 ± 20 MPa, regardless of grain size. It has been shown that the tetragonal to monoclinic martensitic phase transformation related to mechanical stresses takes place in the material without any effect on the macrostrength of the material. Internal microscopic stresses decreasing with an increase in porosity and ceramic grain size are the main factor causing this transformation in a porous material.