Pressure effects and grain growth kinetics in the consolidation of nanostructured fully stabilized zirconia by pulsed electric current sintering

• Published in: Acta materialia Vol. 58; no. 15; pp. 5022 - 5030
• Main Authors: Quach, Dat V., Avila-Paredes, Hugo, Kim, Sangtae, Martin, Manfred, Munir, Zuhair A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Consolidation; Densification; Electric current; Exact sciences and technology; Grain boundaries; Grain growth; Grain growth kinetics; Grain size; Metals. Metallurgy; Nanocrystalline YSZ; PECS; Powder metallurgy. Composite materials; Pressure effect; Production techniques; Segregations; Sintered metals and alloys. Pseudo alloys. Cermets; Sintering; Spark plasma sintering; Zirconium dioxide; PECS; Grain growth kinetics; Spark plasma sintering; Pressure effect; Nanocrystalline YSZ; Pulsed current; Plasma; Grain growth; Nanostructure; Stabilized zirconia; Powder metallurgy; Consolidation; Spark discharge; Sintering; Kinetics; Microstructure; Electric current; Nanocrystal
• ISSN: 1359-6454; 1873-2453
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actamat.2010.05.038

The effect of applied uniaxial pressure on the densification and grain size of nanocrystalline cubic zirconia (c-YSZ) was investigated during sintering by the pulsed electric current sintering (PECS) method. The role of the pressure depended on temperature, being highly significant at lower temperatures and of little significance at higher temperatures. The kinetics of grain growth were determined under PECS conditions. Analysis of the results indicated a grain growth process that is retarded, probably due to the effect of the current on grain boundary energy or dopant segregation. The activation energy for grain growth of c-YSZ was determined as 252 ± 34 kJ mol −1, a value that is slightly smaller than reported values for microcrystalline samples.