Stabilized Zirconia Nanoceramics Prepared by Magnetic Pulsed Compaction of Nanosized Powders

Ceramic materials with a fine structure are synthesized from zirconia-based nanopowders through magnetic pulsed compaction and subsequent sintering under different temperature-time conditions. The kinetics of crystallite growth and polymorphic phase transformations are analyzed. Unstabilized zirconia ceramic materials with a density of 96% and a crystallite size of 50 nm are prepared. It is found that, in the case when the ceramic materials with a cubic or tetragonal yttrium-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) matrix are synthesized with small additives of alumina nanopowders, the temperatures of active shrinkage and the polymorphic transformation γ-Al₂O₃ → α-Al₂O₃ are shifted to the high-temperature range, the density and microhardness of the final ceramics slightly decrease, and the size of α -Al₂O₃ crystallites does not exceed 100 nm. It is also established that the alumina additives have no noticeable effect on the growth of crystallites of the YSZ matrixOriginal Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Fizika i Khimiya Stekla, Ivanov, Khrustov, Paranin, Medvedev, Shtol’ts, Ivanova, Nozdrin.