Articles
All articles | Recent articles
Effect of SrO Precursors on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Zirconia-Toughened Alumina (ZTA) Composites
Jing Zhou1, Shuhao Jiang2,3, Jinping Yang2, Teng Ma3, Jian Zhang3
1 Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, College of Medical Technology, Shanghai, 201318, China.
2 College of Materials Science and Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, 063210, China.
3 State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China
received March 23, 2025, received in revised form June 1, 2025, accepted June 3, 2025
Vol. 17, No. 1, Pages 53-62 DOI: 10.4416/JCST2025-00009
Abstract
In this study, ZTA (3Y-TZP/Al2O3) ceramic composites with added SrO sintering aid from SrCO3 and Sr(NO3)2 precursors were prepared by means of pressureless sintering and hot isostatic pressing sintering (HIPing). The microstructure and mechanical properties of the ZTA ceramic composites with added SrCO3 and Sr(NO3)2 were examined, respectively. It was found that SrO incorporation inhibited grain growth and induced the in situ formation of SrAl12O19 platelets. As the SrO content increased, the fracture toughness of the ceramic composites improved; additionally, the hardness and flexural strength initially increased and then decreased. Compared to ZTA ceramics with SrCO3 addition, the samples with Sr(NO3)2 had finer grains with a more uniform platelet distribution. ZTA ceramic composites with the addition of Sr(NO3)2 exhibited a maximum hardness, four-point flexural strength, and fracture toughness of 18.46 GPa, 887 MPa, and 6.97 MPa·m1/2, respectively.
Download Full Article (PDF)
Keywords
Ceramic composites, strontium hexaluminate, platelet, in-situ formation, mechanical properties
References
1 Li, B.S., Huang, J.X, Guo, J.K., Yan, D.S.: Studies on mechanical properties and toughening mechanism of tetragonal zirconia polycrystals, J. Inorg. Mater., 1, [2], 129 – 134, (1986).
2 Manshor, H., Abdullah, E.C., Azhar, A.Z.A., Sing, Y.W., Ahmad, Z.A.: Microwave sintering of zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA)-TiO2 -Cr2O3 ceramic composite: the effects on microstructure and properties, J. Alloy. Compd., 722, 458 – 466, (2017).
3 Mangalaraja, R.V., Chandrasekhar, B.K., Manohar, P.: Effect of ceria on the physical, mechanical and thermal properties of yttria stabilized zirconia toughened alumina, Mater. Sci. Eng. A-Struct. Mater. Prop. Microstruct. Process., 343, 71 – 75, (2003).
4 Wu, Y.Q., Zhang, Y.F., Huang, X.X., Guo, J.K.: In-situ growth of needlelike LaAl11O18 for reinforcement of alumina composites, Ceram. Int., 27, 903 – 906, (2001).
5 Guo, R., Guo, D., Chen, Y., Yang, Z., Yuan, Q.: In-situ formation of LaAl11O18 rodlike particles in ZTA ceramics and effect on the mechanical properties, Ceram. Int., 28, 699 – 704, (2002).
6 Sarath Chandra, K., Monalisa, M., Chowdary, C., Ghosh, G., Sarkar, D.: Microstructure and mechanical behavior of SrO doped Al2O3 ceramics, Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 739, 186 – 192, (2019).
7 Li, W., Bai, M.: Effect of PrAlO3 on mechanical properties of zirconia toughened alumina bioceramics after hydrothermal aging, J Chin Ceram Soc., 51, 721 – 729, (2023).
8 Sktani, Z.D.I., Arab, A., Mohamed, J.J., Ahmad, Z.A.: Effects of additives additions and sintering techniques on the microstructure and mechanical properties of zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA): a review, Int. J. Refract. Met. Hard Mat., 106, (2022).
9 Sánchez-Herencia, A.J., Moreno, R., Baudı́n, C.: Fracture behavior of alumina-calcium hexaluminate composites obtained by colloidal processing, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 20, 2575 – 2583, (2000).
10 Chen, P.L., Chen, I.W.: In-situ alumina/aluminate platelet composites, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 75, 2610 – 2612, (1992).
11 An, L., Chan, H.M.: R-curve behavior of in situ-toughened Al2O3:CaAl12O19 ceramic composites, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 79, 3142 – 3148, (1996).
12 Vishista, K., Gnanam, F.D.: Effect of strontia on the densification and mechanical properties of sol-gel alumina, Ceram. Int., 32, 917 – 922, (2006).
13 An, L., Chan, H.M., Soni, K.K.: Control of calcium hexaluminate grain morphology in in-situ toughened ceramic composites, J. Mater. Sci., 31, 3223 – 3229, (1996).
14 Luan, L., Guo, C.F., Huang, D.X.: Effect of Al/Sr ratio on properties of strontium aluminate long lasting phosphor, J. Inorg. Mater., 24, 53 – 56, (2009).
15 Jiang, S., Yang, J., Sun, Y.: Effect of Cr2O3 on microstructure and mechanical properties of SrO-ZTA composite ceramics, Journal of Ceramics, 45, [4], 720 – 728, (2024).
16 Arab, A., Ahmad, R., Ahmad, Z.A.: Effect of SrCO3 addition on the dynamic compressive strength of ZTA, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 23, 481 – 489, (2016).
17 Naga, S.M., Shaer, M.E., Awaad, M., Saleh, M.A.: Effect of soaking time on the properties of SrAl12O19/ZTA composites, J. Mater. Eng. Perform., 29, 2920 – 2925, (2020).
18 Naga, S.M., Elshaer, M., Awaad, M., Amer, A.A.: Strontium hexaaluminate/ZTA composites: preparation and characterization, Mater. Chem. Phys., 232, 23 – 27, (2019).
19 Basha, S.A., Chandra, K.S., Sarkar, D.: Salient features of SrO doping in Al2O3-5 wt.% ZrO2 reaction sintered ceramic composites, J. Alloy. Compd., 829, (2020).
20 Anstis, G.R., Chantikul, P., Lawn, B.R., Marshall, D.B.: A critical evaluation of indentation techniques for measuring fracture toughness: 1. direct crack measurements, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 64, 533 – 538, (1981).
21 Noguchi, T., Okubo, T., Yonemochi, O.: Reactions in the system ZrO-SrO, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 52, 178, (1969).
22 Naga, S.M., Elshaer, M., Awaad, M., Amer, A.A., Strontium hexaaluminate/ZTA composites: preparation and characterization, Mater. Chem. Phys., 232, 23 – 27, (2019).
23 Kuzmin, R., Cherkasova, N., Bataev, A.: Strontium hexaaluminate formation in alumina and alumina-zirconia matrixes, Ceram. Int., 47, 6854 – 6859, (2021).
24 Vishista, K., Gnanam, F.D.: Microstructural development of SrAl12O19 in alumina-strontia composites, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 29, 77 – 83, (2009).
25 Sktani, Z.D.I., Azhar, A.Z.A., Ratnam, M.M., Ahmad, Z.A.: The influence of in - situ formation of hibonite on the properties of zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA) composites, Ceram. Int., 40, 6211 – 6217, (2014).
26 DomÍnguez, C., Chevalier, J., Torrecillas, R., Fantozzi, G.: Microstructure development in calcium hexaluminate, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc., 21, 381 – 387, (2001).
27 Inoue H., Sekizawa K., Eguchi K., Arai H.: Changes of crystalline phase and catalytic properties by cation substitution in mirror plane of hexaaluminate compounds, J. Solid State Chem., 121, 190 – 196, (1996).
28 Gardner T.H., Shekhawat D., Berry D.A.: Effect of nickel hexaaluminate mirror cation on structure-sensitive reactions during n -tetradecane partial oxidation, Appl. Catal. A-Gen., 323, 1 – 8, (2007).
29 Cutler R.A., Lindemann J.M., Ulvensøen J.H.: Damage-resistant SrO-doped Ce-TZP/Al2O3 composites, Materials & Design, 15, [3], 123 – 133, (1994).
Copyright
Göller Verlag GmbH
