Studies on eutectic liquid sintering of zirconium dioxide

Abstract

Investigations were carried out on eutectic sintering of zirconium dioxide powder (-45μ- particle size, calcined at 1000°C for 1 hour) with tri-component eutectics. An intimate mixture of the eutectics from the CaO-Al2O3-SiO2and MgO-Al2O3-SiO2compositions was prepared at 1350° and 1400°C respectively. It was then powdered and sieved to -45μ particle size. Pellets of ZrO2. were prepared at 15 tons/inch sq with varying amount of eutectic mixtures (0.05% to 0.25% by weight), and sintered at temperatures 1150°, 1250°, 1350° and 1450°C with different soaking periods ranging from 10 to 300 minutes. The data obtained were analysed using the empirical equations (i) D = k log t + C and (ii) ΔL/L0= KtnThe shrinkage data Lo were analysed to understand the mechanism of sintering. The study revealed that ZrO2pellets of specified density and grain development could be obtained by making a suitable choice of the additive and varying its content. © 1981 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.