The Influence of Corundum Content and Sintering Temperature on the Mechanical Properties of CaO–ZrO2–Al2O3 Ceramic Composites

Abstract

We have studied the mechanical properties (Vickers microhardness H_V and fracture toughness K_C) of nanostructured CaO–ZrO₂–Al₂O₃ ceramic composites as dependent on the content of corundum (0 ≤ \(C_{Al_{2}O_{3}}\) ≤ 25%) and the temperature of sintering (1250°C ≤ T₁ ≤ 1500°C). Optimum value of the corundum content (\(C_{Al_{2}O_{3}}\) = 5%) and optimum regime (T₁ = 1300°C, 5 min; T₂ = 1200°C, 4 h) of two-stage sintering are established, which favor attaining the best mechanical characteristics of ceramic composites (H_V = 12.25 GPa, K_C = 8.47 MPa m^1/2).