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™ 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.