Influence of small Y2O3 quantities on structure and mechanical properties of Al2O3 ceramics
摘要
Structure and mechanical properties of α-Al2O3 ceramics modified with different amounts of Y2O3 (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4 and 5 wt.%) were investigated. The samples were obtained by reverse chemical co-precipitation from AlCl3 × 6H2O and Y(NO3)3 aqueous solutions. Calcination of the obtained powder mixtures was carried out in air at 800 and 900 °C for 2 h. Afterwards, θ-Al2O3 with a small addition of γ-Al2O3 phase was formed. The calcined powders were further compacted at high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) of 300 or 700 MPa and sintered at 1550 °C for 2 h. A mutual inhibition of crystallization processes in the Al2O3–Y2O3 powders was observed. Several characteristics were determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis: the formation of the yttrium aluminium garnet (Y3Al5O12, YAG) phase was detected, tensile stresses of the first kind (positive macrostresses of the 1 st kind) and textured structure of the α-Al2O3 matrix characterise some of the sintered samples. The study clarified the mechanical properties of the obtained ceramics in dependence of the quantity and particle size of the YAG phase, the calcination temperature and HHP magnitude.