Mechanical properties of porous TiO 2 ceramics fabricated by freeze casting process

Porous TiO2 ceramics with lamellar architecture were fabricated by the freeze casting technique. As the initial solid loading increased from 40 to 80 wt-%, the porosity decreased from 68 to 16% correspondingly. Their compression properties improved with the deduction in the porosity. A sudden change in compressive strength was found when the porosity decreased from 60 to 45% due to evolution of the lamellar microstructure. The failure mechanisms during indentation tests were investigated and discussed with regards to their microstructures.