FAST LOW-TEMPERATURE CONSOLIDATION OF NANOCRYSTALLINE Fe-ZrO2 COMPOSITE BY HIGH-FREQUENCY INDUCTION-HEATED SINTERING

Abstract

Nanopowders of Fe and ZrO2 were synthesized from Fe2O3 and Zr by high energy ball milling. Highly dense nanostructured 4/3Fe-ZrO2 composite was consolidated by a high-frequency induction-heated sintering method within four minutes using mechanically-synthesized powders (Fe-ZrO2) and horizontal-milled Fe2O3+Zr powders under a pressure of 1 GPa. The grain sizes of the Fe and ZrO2 in the composite and the average hardness and fracture toughness values of the nanostuctured 4/3Fe-ZrO2 composite were investigated.