Influence of amorphous grain boundary phases on the superplastic behavior of 3-mol%-yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (3Y-TZP)

Amorphous silicate grain boundary phases of varying chemistry and amounts were added to 3Y-TZP in order to determine their influence on the superplastic behavior between 1,200 and 1,300C and on the room-temperature mechanical properties. Strain rate enhancement at high temperatures was observed in 3Y-TZP containing a glassy grain boundary phase, even with as little as 0.1 wt% glass. Strain rate enhancement was greatest in 3Y-TZP with 5 wt% glass, but the room-temperature hardness, elastic modulus, and fracture toughness were degraded. The addition of glassy grain boundary phases did not significantly affect the stress exponent of 3Y-TZP, but did lower the activation energy for superplastic flow. Strain rate enhancement was highest in samples containing the grain boundary phase with the highest solubility for Y2O3 and ZrO2, but the strain rate did not scale inversely with the viscosity of the silicae phases. Grain boundary sliding accommodated by diffusional creep controlled by an interface reaction is proposed as the mechanism for superplastic deformation in 3Y-TZP with and without glassy grain boundary phases