Preparation of Crack-free 3Y-TZP/AI2O3 Composite Ceramic Fiber by Electrolysis-sol-gel Method*

Polycrystalline 3Y-TZP/Al2O3 tetragonal zirconia fiber was obtained by the pyrolysis of gel fibers using zirconium oxychloride octahydrate (ZOC) as the raw material. The spinnable zirconia sol was prepared by electrolyzing the zirconium oxychloride octahydrate (ZOC) solution in the presence of acetic acid and sugar (sucrose, glucrose or fructose), in which the molar ratios of CH3COOH/ZOC and sugar/ZOC were 1. 0-4. 0 and 0. 2-0. 4, respectively. The prepared tetragonal zirconia fibers sintered at different temperatures showed smooth and crack-free surfaces with diameters of 5-10 μm. The addition of Al2O3 enhanced the sintering process and prevented the crystals from growing. Thermogravimetric analysis (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques were used to characterize the prepared fibers.