Surface and grain-boundary energies of cubic zirconia

Abstract

Using the multiphase equilibration technique for the measurement of contact angles, the surface and grain-boundary energies of polycrystalline cubic ZrO₂ in the temperature range of 1173 to 1523 K were determined. The temperature coefficients of the linear temperature function obtained, are expressed as

$$\frac{{{\text{d}}\gamma }}{{{\text{d}}T}}({\text{ZrO}}_{\text{2}} ){\text{ }} = {\text{ }} - 0.431{\text{ }} \times {\text{ }}10^{ - 3} {\text{ }} \pm {\text{ }}0.004{\text{ }} \times {\text{ }}10^{ - 3} {\text{ Jm}}^{ - {\text{2}}} {\text{ K}}^{ - {\text{1}}} $$

and

$$\frac{{{\text{d}}\gamma }}{{{\text{d}}T}}({\text{ZrO}}_{\text{2}} - {\text{ZrO}}_{\text{2}} ){\text{ }} = {\text{ }} - 0.392{\text{ }} \times {\text{ }}10^{ - 3} {\text{ }} \pm {\text{ }}0.126{\text{ }} \times {\text{ }}10^{ - 3} {\text{ Jm}}^{ - {\text{2}}} {\text{ K}}^{ - {\text{1}}} $$

respectively. The surface fracture energy obtained with a Vickers microhardness indenter at room temperature is found to be γ _F=3.1 J m⁻².