Effect of Pore Size on the Mechanical Properties and Deformation Behavior of Porous ZrO2 (Y2O3) Ceramics Under Axial Compression

In this work, the deformation behavior of porous ceramics ZrO₂–5.5 wt.% Y₂O₃ with different morphology of the pore space under axial quasi-static compression is studied by the digital image correlation (DIC) method. Two stages of the deformation behavior of the ceramics have been identified, namely, the controlled accumulation of microcracks and the formation of block structures. It has been found that an increase in the average pore size leads to a decrease in the tensile strength, a decrease in the effective elasticity modulus, and an increase in the ultimate deformation, while the nature of the deformation macrolocalization changes from ordered to chaotic one. It is shown that the rate of accumulation of local deformations in the central part of the deformable sample with a pore size of 68 μm is several times higher than in the sample with a pore size of 29 μm.