Grain size refinement of additive manufactured Ce-TZP ceramics by coupled two-step pre-sintering and HIP

Ceria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal(Ce-TZP)has exceptional fracture toughness and flaw tolerance due to facile t‒m phase transformation toughening.However,its wider-range applications are limited by its relatively low strength due to its large grain size and low transformation stress,which results in yield-like failure.Here,we combined additive manufacturing(AM),pressureless two-step sintering,and hot isostatic pressing(HIP),and addressed the challenging grain size refinement problem in Ce-TZPs.We successfully produced dense ultrafine-grained Ce-TZP ceramics with an average grain size below 500 nm,a three-point bending strength above 800 MPa,and a single-edge-notch-beam fracture toughness in the range of 11‒12 MPa·m^(1/2).The critical roles of processing design,mixed Ce valences,and under-vs.over-stabilization of tetragonal polymorphs were noted.Our work offers insights and strategies for the future development of stronger and tougher Ce-TZP ceramics that can compete with tetragonal yttria-stabilized zirconia in various applications,including additive manufacturing.

Carbide precipitation and microstructure refinement of Cr-Co-Mo-Ni bearing steel during hot deformation

The dynamic recrystallization and carbides precipitation of the Cr-Co-Mo-Ni bearing steel were investigated by hot compression tests performed at temperatures ranging from 850 ℃to 1080 ℃ with strain rate of 1-20 s-1. The activation energy（Q） for the tested steel is calculated to be around 682.99 k J/mol at a deformation strain of 0.6. Microstructural analysis by SEM shows that the dynamic recrystallization（DRX） behavior is dependent sensitively on the deformation strain, temperature and strain rate, while an exponential relationship between DRX grain size and Z parameter is obtained from the computational formula. Moreover, the M6C-type carbides（〈1 μm） act as the main prohibitor of grain coarsening, and the polynomial regression relationship between them is worked out. With electron backscatter diffraction（EBSD） observation, DRX is the main nucleation mechanism responsible for the formation of new grains during hot compression. In conclusion, the interaction between DRX affected by hot deformation parameters and carbides precipitation determines the ultimate grain size refinement.