Tetragonal phase stability maps of ceria-yttria co-doped zirconia: From powders to sintered ceramics

Ceria-Yttria co-doped tetragonal zirconia is an attractive class of materials having high strength, toughness and thermal stability. In this study, several co-doped zirconia powders with different stabilizers contents were synthesized via continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis (CHFS). The CHFS was concluded as a suitable method in synthesizing ultrafine tetragonal zirconia particles with controlled morphology. The synthesized powders as well as some commercial powders were heat-treated both in the form of powders and pellets between 1150 and 1500 degrees C and their crystalline structure after cooling to room temperature was studied. The results were used to map out the stability range of the tetragonal phase. The developed diagrams are useful tools to select the appropriate amounts of stabilizers applicable for different sintering temperatures and for samples with different target densities.