The Effect of Copper Oxide on the Mechanical Properties of Y-TZP Ceramics

Small amount of Copper Oxide powder between 0.05 to 1 wt% were added into commercially available Y-TZP and its effect were investigated. The compacted samples underwent pressureless sintering in air at temperature between 1250°C to 1500°C. The mechanical properties of the samples' such as bulk density, its Vickers hardness, and the samples' fracture toughness were then evaluated. It was found that compared to Y-TZP without CuO content, doping ≥ 0.3 wt% of CuO was beneficial in enhancing Y-TZP's mechanical properties by improving its densification rate, improving the matrix stiffness and also Vickers hardness when sintered at low temperatures such as below 1350°C. In addition, it also found that with the exception of undoped Y-TZP samples, there were enhancement of fracture toughness (K_IC) of all samples when sintered below 1350°C.