The Effects of Spark-Plasma Sintering (SPS) on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of BaTiO₃/3Y-TZP Composites.

Composite ceramics BaTiO₃/3Y-TZP containing 0 mol %, 3 mol %, 5 mol %, 7 mol %, and 10 mol % BaTiO₃ have been prepared by conventional sintering and spark-plasma sintering (SPS), respectively. Analysis of the XRD patterns and Raman spectra reveal that the phase composition of t-ZrO₂, m-ZrO₂, and BaTiO₃ has been obtained. Our results indicate that SPS can be effective for the decrease in grain size and porosity compared with conventional sintering, which results in a lower concentration of m-ZrO₂ and residual stress. Therefore, the fracture toughness is enhanced by the BaTiO₃ phase through the SPS technique, while the behavior was impaired by the piezoelectric second phase through conventional sintering.