Cosintering simulation and experimentation:: Case study of nanocrystalline zirconia

Laminates consisting of two different nanocrystalline zirconia materials (undoped and 3Y-TZP doped) were sintered, and their densification and curvature were quantified using optical dilatometry. The experimental results agreed well with a continuum-mechanical description for the cosintering of laminates with diffusion coefficients and activation energies determined using densification of the free-sintering materials. The comparison covered various relative layer thicknesses and heating rates, but was developed only for the intermediate and late stages of sintering. Sintering stresses and compatibility stresses also were determined from the model.