Residual stresses in Al2O3-ZrO2 multilayered ceramics:: nature, evaluation and influence on the structural integrity

This work studies the design and processing by slip casting of multilayered systems based on thick alumina and thin alumina-zirconia layers. During cooling from the sintering temperature residual stresses may arise due to expansion associated to the martensitic transformation of the zirconia. In this investigation, the processing parameters involved in the fabrication of theses layered systems are studied and the respective layers microstructurally characterized. As a result, several multilayered. ceramics in terms of thickness ratio between adjacent layers are obtained by means of the casting kinetics of the corresponding monoliths. Additionally, the residual stresses generated in the laminates are analytically determined through the difference in shrinkage assessed with dilatometric tests and the elastic modulus corresponding to each layer. It is found that in the thin layers elevated residual compressive stresses are generated whilst in the thick ones tensile residual stresses are induced. The effect of these stresses on the mechanical integrity of the material is discussed in terms of the observations of intrinsic cracking phenomena: both edge cracks at the free surface of the thin layers and tunneling cracks in the thick layers.