A study on the synthesis and mechanical property assessment of calcium zirconate perovskite – mullite composites

This study investigates the physical, mechanical, microstructure analysis and wear properties of ceramic composites consisting of calcium zirconate, mullite and their mixtures in different proportions. Calcium zirconate, a multifunctional perovskite ceramic with promising applications in structural, catalytic, and biomedical fields, was reinforced with mullite to enhance its wear resistance. While pure calcium zirconate samples exhibited low physical and mechanical properties, the addition of mullite improved these properties generally. Increased mullite content significantly improved hardness, bending strength and wear resistance in all composites, particularly in the composite containing equal weight proportions of calcium zirconate and mullite (50 wt.‐% calcium zirconate – 50 wt.‐% mullite). The hardness of pure calcium zirconate was measured as 122.94 HV 1, whereas it reached 325.53 HV 1 for the composite containing 50 wt.‐% calcium zirconate and 50 wt.‐% mullite, indicating a significant improvement in mechanical performance. Similarly, the bending strength increased from 32.02 MPa to 98.68 MPa, and the wear volume of the composite was reduced by more than threefold compared to that of pure calcium zirconate, demonstrating enhanced tribological properties. The results indicate that mullite addition is an effective strategy for improving the mechanical properties and especially wear resistance of calcium zirconate ceramics.