| Nanocrystalline ZrO2-spinel powders consisting of nano-particles of ≤ 10 nm can successfully be synthesized using high-energy ball-milling process. Using spark-plasma-sintering technique, the nanocrystalline powders can be consolidated into dense nanocrystalline composite with an average grain size of <100 nm. The mechanical properties of ZrO2-spinel composite can significantly be improved by the nano-crystalization. Flexural strength σf was heightened by a factor of 2.0-2.5: the maximum σf of the nanocrystalline composite reached ∼2.4 GPa. Flow stress of the nanocrystalline composite can be lowered by about 50% than that of submicrometer-sized composite. |
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