Preparation and Performance of Al2O3/Ti(C,N)-Added ZrO2 Whisker and NanoCoated CaF2@Al(OH)3 Powder

Abstract

The Al2O3/Ti(C,N) ceramic material added micron ZrO2 whisker and nano coated CaF2@Al(OH)3 powder was fabricated. The micron ZrO2 whisker was for the toughening and reinforcing phase and the nano coated CaF2@Al(OH)3 powder was the lubricant. For obtaining a ceramic material with optimal comprehensive mechanical properties and friction properties, the influences of different compositions of the ZrO2 whisker and nano coated CaF2@Al(OH)3 powder on the microstructure and mechanical properties were analyzed, respectively. The result demonstrated that as the addition of the ZrO2 whisker was 6 vol% and the addition of the nano coated CaF2@Al(OH)3 powder was 10 vol%, the optimal self-lubricating ceramic material had optimal mechanical properties. The hardness of the ceramic material was 16.72 GPa, the flexural strength was 520 MPa and the fracture toughness reached 7.16 MPa·m1/2. The formation of the intragranular structure, whisker toughening and the phase transition of ZrO2 were the main mechanisms.