Physical science of materials

Study of the effect of a small addition of ZrO$_2$ on the density and grain growth of alumina

M. S. Boldin^a, A. A. Popov^a, A. A. Murashov^a, N. V. Sakharov^a, S. V. Shotin^a, A. V. Nokhrin^a, V. N. Chuvil’deev^a, N. Yu. Tabachkova^bc, K. E. Smetanina<sup>a

a</sup> National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
^b National University of Science and Technology «MISIS», Moscow, Russia
^c Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Abstract: The effect of an additive of 0.5 wt.% of zirconium oxide on the spark plasma sintering (SPS) kinetics of alumina powders has been studied. Ceramics were obtained by mixing alumina powders in a planetary mill with grinding media from stabilized zirconium oxide. The activation energy of SPS was estimated using the Young–Cutler model. It has been shown that the density and average grain size in ceramics obtained from submicron alumina powders are significantly affected by the nonequilibrium state of the interfaces formed as a result of the transformation of the amorphous phase present on the alumina powder particle surface. The grain size and density of ceramics obtained from fine powders are significantly affected by the coalescence of ZrO$_2$ particles.

Keywords: alumina, zirconium oxide, spark plasma sintering, density, diffusion, activation energy.

Received: 18.03.2022
Revised: 11.07.2022
Accepted: 11.07.2022

DOI: 10.21883/JTF.2022.11.53442.57-22

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