Contact damage in a Ce-TZP/Al2O3 nanocomposite

The damage tolerance of a nanocomposite based on Ce-TZP and 30 vol% Al2O3 has been studied under monotonic contact with a spherical indenter. The results are compared with those previously known for commercial 3Y-TZP zirconia. It is concluded that the minimum load for ring crack appearance is similar in both ceramics. However, in the nanocomposite the ring cracks penetrate much less into the bulk, because of its higher fracture toughness. Finally, the stress-induced phase transformation of the zirconia component was quantified and mapped by micro-Raman spectroscopy.