Process and properties of fine-grained (Y/Ce, M)-PSZ/MgAl2O4 ceramics

Compared to fine-grained PSZ ceramics prepared by coprecipitation, the costabilized (Y, Mg)-PSZ and (Ce, Mg) PSZ wigh MgAl2O4 spinel additions were developed, in which industrial zirconia was used as the main starting material. Powders were prepared by mechanical milling-mixing process. During mixing process, distilled water was partially used as ball-milling medium instead of ethanol. Feasibility for milling-mixing in distilled water was studied. The experimental results showed that fine-grained PSZ ceramics sintered at low solid solution temperature (less than or equal to 1550 degrees C) could be achieved by mechanical mixing process, as well as coprecipitation. These materials had good mechanical properties: the flexural strength and fracture toughness at room temperature were about 700MPa and 15MPa.m(1/2), respectively. After hydrothermal treatment (180 degrees C, 1MPa, in distilled water) up to 20h, (Ce, Mg)-PSZ materials exhibited much better thermal stability than (Y, Mg)-PSZ ceramics.