Correlation between microstructure and mechanical properties of Al2O3/ZrO2 nanocomposites

The aim of this work was to correlate the microstructure of alumina matrix nanocomposites containing 1, 3, and 5 vol% of monoclinic zirconia nanometric particles with the mechanical properties and wear resistance of these composites. The microstructural analysis showed the beneficial effect of the zirconia particles in the alumina matrix regarding grain growth and improvement of the properties: up to 8% for the microhardness, 11% for the flexural strength and 23% for the wear resistance for nanocomposites containing 5 vol% of particles when compared to inclusion-free alumina.