Influence of sintering parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties of nanosized 3Y-TZP ceramics

Abstract The fracture toughness of 3Y-TZP ceramics obtained from a nanocrystalline powder with an optimized microstructure and highly transformable tetragonal grains was investigated. Samples of ZrO2-3 mol% Y2O3 were sintered at temperatures between 1250 and 1400 °C, with isothermal holding times of up to 16 h. Samples sintered at 1250 °C exhibited relative densities ranging between 92% and 98%, which increased with increasing isothermal duration, while samples sintered at 1300, 1350, or 1400 °C achieved densification higher than 98% for all isothermal treatments. Crystallographic analysis ...