Mechanical properties of Y2Ti2O7

The mechanical properties of Y2Ti2O7 ceramics have been systematically characterized. Y2Ti2O7 shows higher hardness (12.1 GPa) than Y2O3 and TiO2. The Young's modulus of Y2Ti2O7 (262 GPa) is close to that of TiO2 and 50% higher than that of Y2O3. The fracture toughness (1.9 MPa m(1/2)) and bending strength (206 MPa) are comparable with those of Y2O3 but half those of TiO2. The indentation size effect on the hardness in nanoindentation tests is discussed based on the Nix-Gao model. (C) 2010 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.