Composition dependence of the adjustable microstructure and mechanical properties of ytterbia-ceria-costabilised TZP

A series of (YbO1.5)x(CeO2)0.12−2x(ZrO2)0.88+x compounds with adjustable microstructure and mechanical properties were prepared by a conventional solid state reaction method. The evolution of phase composition, microstructure and mechanical properties with the variation of composition were investigated. All (YbO1.5)x(CeO2)0.12−2x(ZrO2)0.88+x ceramics were composed of single tetragonal phase. With the increase of Yb2O3 doping content, the lattice parameters and tetragonality decrease continuously, meanwhile, the microstructure of all samples became more homogeneous and much refiner. Moreover, with increasing Yb2O3 concentration, the Vickers hardness increased from 6.99 to 14.02 GPa and the bending strength ranged from 425.19 to 1136.25 MPa constantly, while the fracture toughness decreased gradually from 14.7 to 5.72 MPa m1/2. The adjustable microstructure and mechanical properties of this system can meet different demands of practical applications.