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Nb2AlC-Particle-Reinforced ZrO2-Matrix Composites
M. Stumpf1, J. Biggemann1, T. Fey1,2, K. Kakimoto2, P. Greil1
1 Department of Materials Science (Glass and Ceramics), University of Erlangen-Nuernberg, Martensstr. 5, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany
2 Frontier Research Institute for Materials Science, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466 – 8555, Japan
received February 9, 2018, received in revised form March 21, 2018, accepted April 2, 2018
Vol. 9, No. 3, Pages 271-278 DOI: 10.4416/JCST2018-00013
Abstract
Nb2AlC-particle-loaded ZrO2-matrix composites were manufactured by means of pressureless sintering (PS) and spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1300 °C. The MAX phase Nb2AlC was synthesized based on the reaction of Nb, NbC and Al powder mixtures at 1600 °C in Ar-atmosphere. Nb2AlC formation was confirmed with XRD and ICP-OES. Nano-particulate tetragonal 3Y-TZP powder was mixed with Nb2AlC powder with a mean particle size of 7.93 µm up to a volume fraction of 19.5 %. While the microstructure of the PS composites revealed a residual porosity of 20 – 22 %, almost dense materials with a residual porosity ≤ 2.35 % were obtained by means of SPS. With increasing Nb2AlC fraction a significant improvement of the mechanical properties was observed. An increase in fracture toughness of up to 46 % (PS) and 67 % (SPS) measured on composites loaded with 19.5 vol% Nb2AlC compared to pure 3Y-TZP was attributed to crack bridging of Nb2AlC particles which, depending on the orientation, may attain high strain values owing to basal slip and kink band formation.
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Keywords
Nb2AlC, ZrO2, particle composite, toughness
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