DENSIFICATION MECHANISMS OF YTTRIA-STABILIZED ZIRCONIA BASED AMORPHOUS POWDERS BY ELECTRIC CURRENT ASSISTED SINTERING PROCESS

摘要

Rapid densification behaviors (relative density; p<0.92) of mechanically milled 3 mol% yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (3Y-TZP) and 3Y-TZP containing 20 mol% boron powders by electric current activated/assisted sintering have been investigated. Although the starting 3Y-TZP powder was amorphous, the crystallization of tetragonal zirconia solid solution (t-ZrO_(2ss)) was completed before the appearance of rapid densification, indicating the impracticability of densification via amorphous viscous flow.