Different-Oxides Nanoceramics Microhardness

With help of the method of the spark plasma sintering (SPS), the fine-grained (of micron approximately) ceramics based on various alumina nanopowders had created. A comparison of microhardness of ceramic samples obtained from 11 alumina nanopowders and 2 their composites was held. Microhardness of the ceramics obtained both by SPS, and by the traditional method (at successive pressing and sintering) is compared. The dependence of ceramics microhardness on the phase composition of the initial nanopowder and the average size of its particles was investigated. Besides alumina nanopowders ( Al 2 O 3), there were compared microhardness of ceramics from other 10 nanopowders of oxides ( SiO 2, ZnO , Fe 3 O 4, Gd 2 O 3, CuO , WO 3, TiO 2, Y 2 O 3, ZrO 2, MgO ) obtained both by SPS, and by the traditional method. It is obtained that the microhardness of the ceramics created on the method of the spark plasma sintering, is significantly higher than a microhardness of the ceramics obtained by the traditional method; at the SPS method the average size of grain in ceramics decreases (to 1 micron and less).