Effects of liquid phases on densification of TiO2-doped Al2O3–ZrO2 composite ceramics

This study investigated the densification behaviors and microstructural evolution of Al2O3–ZrO2 (3Y) composite ceramics doped with four different amounts of TiO2 (0, 1, 4, and 8 wt%; denoted as 0T, 1T, 4T, and 8T, respectively) to clarify the effect of TiO2 dopants on densification. The shrinkage rate during densification increased with the increase in the amount of TiO2. The development of grain boundary feature was also examined. The undoped ceramic showed clean grain boundaries. Thin liquid grain boundary phases were observed in 1T, whereas large liquid phases were found on the grain boundary and at the junction pockets in 4T and 8T. The results were discussed in terms of the relationship between densification and grain boundary feature.