Composites based on ZrO2-CaAl4O7 using conventional sintering and spark plasma sintering (sps)

Y. L. BRUNI, G. SUAREZ, Y. SAKKA, L. B. GARRIDO, ; E.F. AGLIETTI

JOURNAL OF CERAMIC PROCESSING RESEARCH

KOREAN ASSOC CRYSTAL GROWTH, INC

Año: 2016 vol. 17

1229-9162

Composites based on ZrO2 stabilized with CaO and CaAl4O7 were sintered via two different techniques: Conventional Sintering route and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) between 1200 and 1400 °C. The effectiveness of sintering technique applied on the stabilization degree of ZrO2 (conversion to c-ZrO2, Ca0.15Zr0.85O1.85), microstructure, densification and Vickers hardness of the composites was evaluated. The SPS represented a remarkable advance in the c-ZrO2 formation and also resulted in a high densification of the composites (inclusive at 1200°C) which attained relative densities higher than 0.95. The advantage of SPS technique was mainly evidenced by the high densification of composites with high CaAl4O7 content. Therefore, the composites sintered by SPS exhibited higher hardness (10 GPa) compared to that of composites produced via conventional sintering (6 GPa)