CERAMIC COMPOSITE BASED ON ZIRCONIA REINFORCED BY SINGLE-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES

Abstract

The effect of the relative content of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) on the compaction, phase composition, microstructure, and mechanical properties of composites based on yttria-stabilized zirconia obtained via spark plasma sintering is studied. We found that a substantial increase in the relative density from 98.26 to 99.98% is observed in the composites containing 0.1 and 0.5 wt % SWCNT. It is established that SWCNTs partially limit the monoclinic–tetragonal transition occurring during high-temperature treatment of zirconia. The fracture toughness of the composite containing 1 wt % SWCNT increases by 38% compared to ceramics without additives.