Sintering and technological properties of alumina/zirconia/nano-TiO2 ceramic composites

Abstract The present work focuses on studying the effect of nano TiO 2 (0.0–25 mass%) on the sintering behavior and mechanical properties of alumina/zirconia ceramic composites. Al 2 O 3 –ZrO 2 –TiO 2 oxides mixture was sintered at 1600 °C to obtain the desired composites. The sinterability and the technological properties of these ceramic composites, i.e. the sintering parameters and microhardness as well as thermal shock resistance were investigated. Moreover, phase composition and microstructure of the sintered bodies were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The results revealed that nano TiO 2 is a beneficial component for alumina/zirconia ceramic composites. The batch containing 20 mass% TiO 2 exhibited the highest sintering and mechanical properties as well as resistance to thermal shock. The obtained microstructure exhibited high compacted ceramic matrix composites.