Microwave hybrid and conventional sintering of Al₂O₃ and Al₂O₃/ZrO₂ multilayers fabricated by aqueous tape casting

Abstract

In this study, microwave hybrid sintering and conventional sintering of Al2O3‐ and Al2O3/ZrO2‐laminated structures fabricated via aqueous tape casting were investigated. A combination of process temperature control rings and thermocouples was used to measure the sample surface temperatures more accurately. Microwave hybrid sintering caused higher densification and resulted in higher hardness in Al2O3 and Al2O3/ZrO2 than in their conventionally sintered counterparts. The flexural strength of microwave‐hybrid‐sintered Al2O3/ZrO2 was 70.9% higher than that of the conventionally sintered composite, despite a lower sintering temperature. The fracture toughness of the microwave‐hybrid‐sintered Al2O3 increased remarkably by 107.8% despite a decrease in the relative density when only 3 wt.% t‐ZrO2 was added. The fracture toughness of the microwave‐hybrid‐sintered Al2O3/ZrO2 was significantly higher (247.7%) than that of the conventionally sintered composite. A higher particle coordination and voids elimination due to the tape casting and the lamination processes, the microwave effect, the stress‐induced martensitic phase transformation, and the grain refinement phenomenon are regarded as the main reasons for the mentioned outcomes.