The Effect of Ball Milling on Properties and Consolidation of Nanostructured ZrB2

ZrB2 powders were milled using high-energy ball for various durations and consolidated using the pulsed current activated sintering (PCAS). The effects of milling on the sintering behavior and crystallite size ZrO2 powders were investigated. A nanostructured dense ZrB2 specimen with a relative density of up to 97% was readily achieved within 3 min. The ball milling effectively refined the crystallite structure of ZrB2 powders and facilitated the subsequent consolidation. The sinter-onset temperature was reduced appreciably by the prior milling for 10 h. Accordingly, the relative density of ZrB2 compact increases as the milling time increases. The hardness and fracture toughness of sintered ZrB2 increased as the density increases.