Analysis of compressive deformation behavior of wet powder compacts of nanometer-sized yttria-stabilized zirconia particles

Abstract

This paper reports the viscoelastic properties (storage modulus and loss tangent) of aqueous suspensions and wet powder compacts of yttria-stabilized zirconia particles (YSZ) of 88nm diameter and the compressive stress–strain relationship for wet YSZ compacts. The volume ratio of a solution to pores of the YSZ compacts dominated the viscoelastic properties and mechanical properties. When most of the pores of YSZ compacts were filled with a solution, the compacts behaved like a concentrated suspension and showed elastic deformation followed by plastic deformation under a compressive stress. The elastic deformation was closely related to the repulsive interaction caused by the overlap of the diffusion layers around the charged YSZ particles. The plastic deformation was caused by movement (sliding) of YSZ particles along the direction of diameter under a compressive stress. Decrease in the moisture content of YSZ compacts reduced the maximum deformation stress, elastic deformation energy and plastic deformation energy.