Publications Details

Processing of nanocrystalline ceramics

Mayo, M.J.

Methods of preparing non-agglomerated powders for three systems -- yttria, titania, and yttria-stabilized zirconia -- are reviewed. The non-agglomerated nature of these powders should make it possible to sinter them into dense ceramic bodies with nanocrystalline grain sizes. Experiments with yttria-stabilized zirconia have shown that this is indeed the case, with mean linear intercept grain sizes of 60 nm resulting from original powder particle diameters of 13 nm. This ultrafine-grained zirconia is shown, in turn, to have superplastic forming rates 34 times faster than a 0.3 {mu}m-grained commercial zirconia of the same composition. 7 refs., 9 figs.