Insight into t->m transition of MW treated 3Y-PSZ ceramics by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction

The influence of a microwave hybrid heat treatment (MHH) on the surface and in-depth mineralogical transformation of pre-sintered 3Y-PSZ was investigated. 3Y-PSZ samples were prepared by slip casting and sintered by conventional firing (1270 °C). Then, different MHH treatments from 5 to 15 min. at 1200 °C were applied to obtain a fully stabilized 3Y-TZP. The monoclinic fraction depth profiles in the first micrometres (up to 5) of thickness were investigated by means of the grazing incident X-ray diffraction technique (GIXRD). A good sintering degree with practically nil closed porosity and grain growth was achieved after MHH of 15 min. MHH increases the tetragonal phase content both in the surface and in-depth, reducing completely the monoclinic phase shell typically found after conventional sintering. A new parabolic model is proposed for the convoluted monoclinic fraction depth profile, which through the value of its horizontal asymptote allows the determination of the monoclinic shell thickness.