Mechanical properties and microstructure of TiN/TZP nanocomposites

TiN/TZP nanocomposite powders were obtained by ball milling with titanium nitride (TiN) nanopowders and tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (TZP) powders as starting materials. TiN/TZP nanocomposites were prepared by hot pressing sintering. The effects of TiN nanoparticles on the relative density, mechanical properties and microstructures of TiN/TZP nanocomposites were studied. Experimental results show that the addition of TiN nanoparticles did not decrease the sintering ability of the composites; the Vickers hardness of the composites reached to 15 GPa when the content of TiN is 20 vol%; the bending strength of the composite with 5 vol% TiN fillings can be enhanced with 200 MPa higher than pure TZP ceramic. The dispersivity of TiN particles has a distinct effect on the strength of the composites.