Position resolved residual stress determination in Alumina-Zirconia multilayered ceramics

Alumina-zirconia multilayered ceramics have been proposed as an alternative for the design of structural ceramics with improved fracture toughness and strength reliability. During the processing of these laminates, significant residual stresses may arise due to the thermal expansion mismatch between adjacent layers. The correct evaluation of such stress distribution in the laminate may determine its range of application. In this work, the residual stress state in a layered material designed with five thick alumina layers of approximately 650 microns alternated with four thin alumina-zirconia layers of approximately 140 microns was estimated using different methods. A finite element analysis (FEM) was performed for stress evaluation in the bulk and an indentation method and X-Ray diffraction to account for stresses at the surface. Experimental findings show a constant stress distribution within the bulk for each layer, while at the surface stress position dependence is observed in the alumina layers, being the maximum tensile stresses near the layer interface. The accuracy of the results provided by each technique is discussed.