An Investigation of Phase Stability of a Composite ATZ Ceramic Material

An investigation of phase transformations, taking place in a composite ZrO₂(Y)–Al₂O₃ ceramic material sintered from ultrafine powders manufactured by a plasmochemical process, is performed during its storage and subsequent thermal heating. The composite low-porosity ceramics based on zirconium dioxide is found to be stable in interactions with the environment during long-term storage under standard conditions and thermal heating. A high efficiency of a spontaneous t→m phase transformation is observed in the composite ceramics with an open porosity of more than 6%. The composite ceramics, in which low porosity is combined with a reduced content of the stabilizing yttrium impurity in the crystal lattice of zirconium dioxide, is characterized by the lowest phase stability.