• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.719-728
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• 1992

ZrO2/Al2O3-Mullite composites were prepared by infiltration of the silica sol to the porous ZrO2/Al2O3 bodies. The porous ZrO2/Al2O3 bodies for infiltration were fabricated using ZrO2 (20wt%)/Al2O3 composite powders synthesized by the emulsion-hot kerosene drying method. The preparation of silica sols was conducted by the hydrolysis-peptization of an alcoholic TEOS solution. When ZrO2/Al2O3-Mullite and ZrO2/Al2O3 composites were sintered at 1$650^{\circ}C$ for 4 hrs, both of them showed an excellent sinterability. As the amount of mullite added in the composites increased, the ratio of the tetragonal phase of zirconia to the monoclinic phase at the room temperature became higher. It was known that values of the fracture toughness of the ZrO2/Al2O3-Mullite composites were about 5.48 MPa.m1/2 much larger than that of the ZrO2/Al2O3 system.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.991-1003
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• 1990

A precipitation method, one of the most effective liquid phase reaction methods, was adopted in order to prepare high-tech Al2O3/ZrO2 composite ceramics. Al2(SO4)3.18H2O, ZrOCl2.8H2O and YCl3.6H2O were used as starting materials and NH4OH as a precipitation agent, various types of metal hydroxides were obtained by single precipitation(series A) and co-precipitation(series B) method at the pH condition between 7 and 11. Fine Al2O3-ZrO2 powders were prepared at optimum calcination condition and the effects of ZrO2 on microstructures and mechanical properties of Al2O3 were investigated. The composition of Al2O3/ZrO2 composites wax fixed as Al2O3-15 v/o ZrO2(＋3m/o Y2O3). ZrO2 limited the grain growth of Al2O3 and increased grain size homogeneity of Al2O3 more effectively than MgO.Flexural strength values in Al2O3 and Al2O3/ZrO2 composites were 340-430 MPa and 540-820 MPa, respectively, and the effect of strength improvement showed 20-50% by adding ZrO2 to Al2O3. Fracture toughness of Al2O3/ZrO2 composites was improved by stress-induced phase transformation of tetragonal ZrO2 and toughening effect by microcrack was not observed. Also, ZrO2 particles located at Al2O3 grain junction contributed to toughening, while spherical ZrO2 particles located within Al2O3 grain did not contribute to toughening. Weibull moduli of Al2O3 ceramics and Al2O3/ZrO2 composites of series A and series B were 4.34, 5.17 and 9.06, respectively. Above 0.5 of failure probability, strength values in Al2O3 ceramics and Al2O3/ZrO3 composites of series A and series B were above 400 MPa, 700 MPa and 650 MPa, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.423-437
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• 1989

Al2O3/ZrO2 composites were prepared by precipitation method using Al2(SO4)3.18H2O, ZrOCl2.8H2O and YCl3.6H2O as starting materials and NH4OH as a precipitation agent. Al2O3/ZrO2 composites(series A) were prepared by mixing Al2O3 powder obtained by single precipitation method with ZrO2(＋3m/o Y2O3) powder obtained by co-predipitation method. Al2O3/ZrO2 composites (series B) were prepared by co-precipitation method using the three starting materials. In all cases, the composition was controlled as Al2O3-15v/o ZrO2(＋3m/o Y2O3). The composites of series A showed higher final relative densities than those of series B and tetagonal ZrO2 in all cases was retained to about 95% at room temperature. ZrO2 particles were coalesced more rapidly in grain boundary of Al2O3 than within Al2O3 grain. ZrO2 particles were located at 3-and 4-grain junction of Al2O3 and limited the grain growth of Al2O3. It was observed that MgO contributed to densification of Al2O3 but limited grain growth of Al2O3 by MgO was not remarkable. In all Al2O3/ZrO2 composites, exaggerated grain growth of Al2O3 was not observed and Al2O3/ZrO2 composites were found to have homogeneous microstructures.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.734-741
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• 1999

Al2O3/t-ZrO2 particulate composites were prepared by sintering at 150$0^{\circ}C$ and 1$600^{\circ}C$ for 2h in air and microstructure and mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. Although most ZrO2 particles existed at Al2O3 grain boundaries a few ZrO2 particles within Al2O3 grains. Al2O3 grain growth was depressed due to the pinning effect by ZrO2 particles. During sintering coarsening of intergranular ZrO2 particles occurred as a results of the elimination of ZrO2 intraagglomerate grain boundaries and the coalescence of dragged ZrO2 particles by migrating Al2O3 grain boundries. Changes in mechanical properties of Al2O3 composites were dependant on microstructure of Al2O3 matrix and on size and structure of dispersed ZrO2.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.577-582
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• 1997

The mechanical properties of Al2O3-ZrO2 composites fabricated by RBAO(reaction bonded aluminium oxide) process were investigated. As the amount of ZrO2 increased the sinstered density of Al2O3-ZrO2 composites decreased slightly, but wear resistance was enhanced. Bending strength of Al2O3-ZrO2 composites increased in proportion to the amount of al in case of a fixed ZrO2 content. When the amount of Al was fixed bending strength reached its maximum value at 25 wt% ZrO2. The fracture toughness(K1c) increased with increasing content of ZrO2, but decreased with increasing Al amount. On the other hand, the fracture mode of Al2O3-ZrO2 composites was the mixed mode of inter-and transgranular fracture.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.811-818
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• 1993

Al2O3/ZrO2-Spinel composites were prepared by infiltrating magnesium sulfate solution into the porous preform made from Al2O3-20wt% ZrO2 composite powders derived through an emulsion route. The microstructure and composition of the modified composites could be controlled by manipulating the presingtering temperature of the preform, infiltration time, and so on. It was found that spinel phases were concentrated near the surface than in the interior of the Al2O3/ZrO2-Spinel composites infiltrated for 6hrs, while spinel phases were uniformly distributed in the comosites infiltrated for 2 days. The relative density and fracture toughness of the composite infiltrated for 6 hrs were 98.6% and 7.2MN/m3/2, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 1994

Al2O3-ZrO2(ZTA) composites were fabricated by a surface-induced coating of the precursor for the ZrO2 phase on the kinetically stable colloid particles of Al2O3. The fabricated composites were characterized by a uniform spatial distribution of the dispersed ZrO2 phase and by the absence of large ZrO2 grains throughout the Al2O3 matrix. The fracture toughness (KIC) and the bending strength of ZTA composites sintered at 1$600^{\circ}C$, respectively, were 5.6 MPa.m1/2 (for 20 wt% ZrO2) and 600 MPa (for 15wt% ZrO2). The fraction of tetragonal ZrO2 phase decreases as the total content of ZrO2, suggesting that both the stress-induced tlongrightarrowm transformation and the microcrack nucleation contribute to the toughening of the ZTA composites fabricated by the surface-induced coating.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 1991

A precipitation method, one of the most effective liquid phase reaction methods, was adopted in order to prepare high-tech Al2O3/ZrO2 composite ceramics, and the effects of stress-induced phase transformation of ZrO2 on thermal shock behavior of Al2O3-ZrO2 ceramics were investigated. Al2(SO4)3.18H2O, ZrOCl2.8H2O and YCl3.6H2O were used as starting materials and NH4OH as a precipitation agent. Metal hydroxides were obtained by single precipitation(process A) and co-precipitation(process B) method at the condition of pH=7, and the composition of Al2O3-ZrO2 composites was fixed as Al2O3-15v/o ZrO2(+3m/o Y2O3). Critical temperature difference showing rapid strength degradation by thermal shock showed higher value in Al2O3/ZrO2 composites(process A : 20$0^{\circ}C$, process B : 215$^{\circ}C$) than in Al2O3(175$^{\circ}C$). The improvement of thermal shock property for Al2O3/ZrO2 composites was mainly due to the increase of strength at room temperature by adding ZrO2. The strength degradation was more severe for the sample with higher strength at room temperature. Crack initiation energies by thermal shock showed higher values in Al2O3/ZrO2 composites than in Al2O3 ceramics due to increase of fracture toughness by ZrO2.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.797-805
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• 1992

Al2O3-20 wt% ZrO2 composite powders to be used as the starting materials of the Al2O3/ZrO2-Spinel composite system were prepared by the use of the emulsion-hot kerosene drying method. The crystalline phase of ZrO2 in the synthesized Al2O3-ZrO2 composite powders was 100% tetragonal but the small amount of t-ZrO2 was transformed into m-ZrO2 after crushing. The hardness, fracture toughness, and flexural strength of the composite, which was sintered at 1650$^{\circ}C$ for 4 hrs after calcining at 1100$^{\circ}C$ for 2 hrs and had the relative density of 99%, were 15.7 GPa, 4.97 MN/m3/2, and 390 MPa, respectively. The fracture form in the sintered composites was found to be the intergranular fracture.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.667-673
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• 1992

The alumina-zirconia composite powders of core particle ZrO2 coated with Al2O3 were prepared by the hydrolysis-deposition of the mixed aluminum salt solution of Al2(SO4)3-Al(NO3)3-Urea. The effects of hydrolysis reaction and coating parameters on characteristics of coated powders and composites were also investigated. The degree of coating could be estimated from the ratio of tetra-/mono-ZrO2 present at the room temperature after heat-treating coated powders at 120$0^{\circ}C$ and the result of TEM observations. When the content of ZrO2 in the dispersed coating system, the coating time, and the volume ratio of water/solution were 50 mg/g, 180 min, and 5, respectively the coating efficiency was maximum (the ratio of tetra-/mono-ZrO2 was 87/13). The relative densities of coated Al2O3-ZrO2 composites sintered at 1$650^{\circ}C$ for 4 hrs were about 91~98% and the maximum ratio of tetra-/mono-ZrO2 in Al2O3-20wt% ZrO2 composites was 62/38.