Attaining near-theoretical densification in nanograined pyrochlore La2Zr2O7 (LZ) ceramic at 1150 °C by spark plasma sintering. (May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kumar, Rishu; Singh, Kushal; Chakravarty, Dibyendu; Chowdhury, Anirban
• Is Part Of: Scripta materialia. Volume 117(2016)
• Page Start: 37
• Page End: 40
• Publication Date: 2016-05
• Subjects: Spark plasma sintering -- Nanoindentation -- Nanostructured materials -- Powder consolidation -- Ceramics; Materials -- Periodicals; Metallurgy -- Periodicals; Metalen; Legeringen; Materiaalkunde; Metals, metalworking and machinery industries; Metals; Electronic journals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2016.02.014
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-6462

Abstract

Abstract: Phase-pure Lanthanum zirconate nanopowders (La2 Zr2 O7, LZ) were synthesized by co-precipitation method and subjected to densification studies. No additive/sintering aid was used, neither was any slurry processing performed to improve the quality of the powders. LZ ceramic with near-theoretical density (> 98%) was obtained at 1150 °C by spark plasma sintering; the lowest sintering temperature reported till date. The LZ ceramic comprised of small equiaxed grains (~ 300 nm) and recorded a significant improvement in hardness (~ 14 GPa) and scratch resistance measured by nanoindentation. The study clarifies that all previous reports involving poor sinterability of LZ system was related to inferior quality precursors. Graphical abstract: