Strength and Failure Behaviour of Spark Plasma Sintered Steel-Zirconia Composites Under Compressive Loading

Several composites, consisting of a metastable austenitic steel matrix and varying amounts of MgO partially stabilized zirconia particles (Mg-PSZ), were produced through spark plasma sintering (SPS). Compression tests were carried out at room temperature in a wide range of strain rate (4.10(-4) s(-1), 2.10(-3) s(-1), 10(-1) s(-1), 1s(-1), 10(2) s(-1)). In conjunction with subsequent microstructural investigations, the mechanical material behaviour was clarified. All composites showed a good ductility and a high strength. The strength increased with an increase of the ceramic content and with higher strain rates. Both, the martensitic transformation of the steel matrix and of the ceramic particles, could be proved at all strain rates. In this study no significant influence of the strain rate on the amount of transformed ceramic could be detected while the steel matrix showed less alpha'-martensite after compression at rising strain rates. Local material failure occurred around 0.3 true compressive strain depending on the applied strain rate and the amount of the Mg-PSZ powder. The main reason for the damage is the relatively weak ceramic-ceramic interface within the ceramic clusters.