Regulating the microstructures and mechanical properties of Al2O3 whisker reinforced ZrO2 ceramic composite by dynamic hot forging

Abstract

Inherent inferior plasticity of ceramic composites hinders severely the improvement of mechanical properties via increment of dislocation density and transformation of morphology by post-treatment. To date, dynamic hot forging (DHF) is discovered as a direct and efficient strategy to promote deformation and dislocation density in ceramics. Herein, we forge the Al₂O₃ whisker reinforced ZrO₂ composite via DHF and systematically study the effect of dynamic pressure amplitude on the microstructure regulation and mechanical properties. The results show that dynamic pressure can produce intragranular dislocations in the composite, and thus leading to plastic deformation via dislocation-accommodated grain-boundary sliding. Furthermore, the vibration of pressure amplitude can significantly promote dislocation density, and thereby resulting in regulation of dislocation morphology and interior microstructures. The corresponding mechanical properties of the composite is also significantly improved by DHF process. This work provides a novel pathway for regulating microstructures and improving mechanical properties of ceramic composites via DHF.