Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of Cordierite/$ZrO_2$ Composites by Pressureless Sintering

Cordierite/ZrO$_2$ composites with 5 to 25wt% ZrO$_2$ were fabricated by prssureless sintering, and their densification behavior, fracture strength, fracture toughness, microstructure and thermal expansion behavior were studied. The ZrO$_2$ addition into cordierite matrix affects the densification behavior and mechanical properties of the composites. By dispersing 25wt% ZrO$_2$, densified cordierite/ZrO$_2$ composite with a relative density of 98.5% was obtained at optimum sintering condition of 144$0^{\circ}C$/2H. Both fracture strength and toughness were increased from 140 to 290MPa and from 1.6 to 3.5 MPam$\frac{1}{2}$, respectively, by dispersing 25wt% ZrO$_2$ into the cordierite matrix. ZrO$_2$ particles were homogenously dispersed into cordierite matrix, which intragranular particles were fine(<100nm) and intergranular particles were coarse. The toughening mechanisms in the present composites were mainly attributed to martensitic transformation toughening. Then, the addition of ZrO$_2$ is likely to have little deleterious effect upon thermal expansion coefficient of cordierite.