GRAIN-SIZE DISTRIBUTION IN AL2O3-ZRO2 GENERATED BY HIGH-TEMPERATURE ANNEALING

Grain-size distribution in various Al2O3-ZrO2 (2.5 mol% Y2O3) ceramics during high-temperature annealing was examined. In alumina-rich alloys, the grain size of major and minor phases was very different, while grain size was almost uniform in zirconia-rich alloys. This difference in grain-size distribution was related to the difference in grain growth rate of the major phase and to the effectiveness of grain-boundary pinning by minor-phase grains.