Change in the characteristics of the industrial powder of zirconium oxide and materials based on it by mechanochemical activation

The influence of the mechanochemical activation (MCA) of zirconium dioxide industrial powder partially stabilized with yttrium oxide and properties of materials based on it are investigated. It is shown that the MCA in an aqueous medium with the addition of agar allows one to obtain an ultradispersed powder with a particle size approaching the nanometer range. The sintering temperature of the articles from this powder is only 100°C higher than for nanocrystalline powders. As the activation time increases (≥10 h), it is possible to detect the milling of silicon dioxide from the lining of the planetary mill by IR spectroscopy. The largest strength is noted for the samples made of the powder activated over 10 h. An increase in the silicon dioxide content leads to a decrease in the material strength. To effectively activate the zirconium dioxide powder without varying the powder composition, 2.5 h is sufficient.