Homogeneous Fabrication of Al2O3–ZrO2–SiC Whisker Composite by Surface‐Induced Coating

Abstract

Al2O3–ZrO2–SiC whisker composites were prepared by surface‐induced coating of the precursor for the ZrO2 phase on the kinetically stable colloid particles of Al2O3 and SiC whisker. The fabricated composites were characterized by a uniform spatial distribution of ZrO2 and SiC whisker phases throughout the Al2O3 matrix. The fracture toughness values of the Al2O3–15 vol% ZrO2–20 vol% SiC whisker composites (∼12 MPa.m1/2) are substantially greater than those of comparable Al2O3–SiC whisker composites, indicating that both the toughening resulting from the process zone mechanism and that caused by the reinforced SiC whiskers work simultaneously in hot‐pressed composites.