Evaluation of the homogeneity in Pb(Zr,Ti)O3–zirconia composites prepared by the hetero-agglomeration of precursors using the Voronoi-diagram approach

Hetero-agglomeration of precursor particles was employed to achieve a homogeneous distribution of tetragonal zirconia (TZ) grains within a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic matrix. The surface charge of the zirconia particles in the aqueous suspension was modified by the addition of citric acid. At pH 5, the citric-acid-modified TZ particles were negatively charged, while the PZT particles were positively charged, which led to the agglomeration of the two types of particles. The homogeneity of the TZ distribution in the PZT–TZ ceramic composites prepared from the hetero-agglomerated particles was evaluated using Voronoi-diagram analyses. The results showed that the homogeneity of the composites prepared using the citric-acid-modified TZ particles was higher than in the case where the TZ particles were not modified. The curves for the crack-growth resistance were also determined in order to investigate the impact of particle homogeneity on the fracture behavior.