STRUCTURAL CERAMIC MICROLAMINATES BY ELECTROPHORETIC DEPOSITION

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)/Al2O3 laminar microcomposites with a total of 80 layers, each as thin as approximately 2 mum, were fabricated by electrophoretic deposition. Positively charged YSZ or Al2O3 powders were deposited on a cathode, layer by layer from 10 wt% solids/ethanol suspensions. The suspensions were characterized by their rate of deposition as a function of voltage. The deposited samples had a green density of approximately 60% of theoretical. The microstructure of the sintered, theoretically dense samples was characterized by optical and electron microscopy, and microindentation was used to explore the mechanical properties.