Stabilization of Zirconia Sintered with Titanium

Electron and X‐ray diffraction studies show that zirconia sintered with 5 to 15 mol% titanium under a vacuum of 10 −1 to 10 −2 torr (∼13 to 1.3 Pa) was partially stabilized as cubic and tetragonal phases, whose amounts increase with increasing Ti content. The stabilization of ZrO 2 is due to the dissolution of TiO which forms as a second phase in the sintered specimen. The grain size of ZrO 2 decreases with increase in Ti. The improvements in strength and thermal shock resistance of ZrO 2 sintered with Ti are attributed to the reduction in ZrO 2 grain size and the effect of partial stabilization.