ISSN:
1551-2916
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
,
Physics
Notes:
ZrO2-2 mol% Y2O3 crystals with average grain sizes from 0.51 to 0.96 µm were prepared by sintering in air at 1400°C for 2 to 100 h. The tetragonal-to-monoclinic phase transformation associated with the low-temperature degradation was investigated to clarify how the presence of water directly affects the influence of grain size on transformation. The specimens were exposed to water at 80–120°C, a temperature range in which transformation by thermal activation is difficult in the absence of water. Contrary to expectations, this type of low-temperature transformation did not accelerate monotonously with increasing grain size. Instead, the amount of phase transformation first decreased, reaching a constant value, and then increased with increasing grain size. Such interesting results can be explained satisfactorily by the combined influences of grain size on the nucleation process, because of preferential dissolution of yttrium at the grain boundaries, and the intrinsic transformability of Y2O3-doped tetragonal ZrO2 grains.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1151-2916.1998.tb02677.x
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