Densification and properties of ZrO2 fiber toughed ZrB2-SiC ceramics via spark plasma sintering

The ZrB2-SiC-ZrO2f composites are successfully consolidated by spark plasma sintering. Results indicate that ZrB2-SiC-ZrO2f composites sintered at 1650 °C for 10 min provide the optimal combination of dense microstructure and excellent properties, including the relative density of 97.3%, the flexural strength of 496±24 MPa, and the fracture toughness of 8.2±0.5 MPa m1/2.