Development of ZrO2 interfaces for all-oxide composites

Development of a fibre coating process based on sol-gel synthesis for depositing ZrO2 interfacial layers on Al2O3 fibres is described. The sol employed exhibited a shear-thinning behaviour and was used to infiltrate Nextel (TM) 610 fibre tows, forming minicomposites that are used as reinforcements in glass matrix composites (GMCs). The sol-gel method was investigated with respect to the rheological properties of the sol, and the thermal and sintering behaviour of the deposit. The dip-coating method was then optimised and uniformly coated fibres were obtained, which exhibited sufficient retained tensile strength (>50%) to be used as reinforcement in GMCs. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.