Enhanced mechanical properties and fast consolidation of a nanostructured Ti-ZrO2 composite by pulsed current activated heating

Nanopowders of TiO2 and Zr were fabricated using high energy ball milling. Dense nanostuctured Ti-ZrO2 composite was simultaneously synthesized and sintered by pulsed current activated heating within 2 min in one step from mechanically activated powders of TiO2 and Zr. The advantage of this process is that it allows very quick densification to near theoretical density and prohibition of grain growth in nanostructured materials. Highly dense Ti-ZrO2 with relative density of up to 99.9% was produced under simultaneous application of a 80 MPa pressure and the pulsed current. The average hardness and fracture toughness values of the composite were 1713 kg/mm(2) and 14.3 MPa m(1/2), respectively. Not only the hardness but also the fracture toughness of a Ti-ZrO2 composite in this study are higher than those of the pure ZrO2. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.