Synthesis and Characterization of Stabilized Zirconia Toughened Alumina (ZTA) Doped Niobium Pentoxide (Nb2O5)

¹ School of Materials Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, 02600 Kangar, Perlis, Malaysia
² School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia

^* Corresponding author: banjuraizah@unimap.edu.my

Abstract

The main target of this research is to study the mechanical properties of the Nb2O5 doped with alumina-zirconia composites. Pellets form samples of ZTA (5YSZ) doped niobium pentoxide in varied amount of 0 wt%, 0.3 wt%, 0.5 wt% and 0.7 wt% were prepared by solid-state conventional method with respective 4:1 ratio or alumina and 5YSZ. The effect of different dopant addition on the morphology, phase transformation and hardness was studied. Each mixture of the compositions were calcined at 1000°C followed by pressing at 220 MPa and then they were sintered at 1650°C with heating rate 10°C min^-1 and holding for 2 hours in air. Phase transformation, phase quantification and crystal structure analysis was revealed by using X-ray diffraction data with the help of X-Pert HighScore Plus software using Rietveld Refinement Method while microstructure was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The hardness of the composite is determined by using Vickers hardness test. It found that with 0.5 wt% niobium pentoxide addition would give a great effect on the microstructure distribution, densification and mechanical properties of the ZTA-doped sample.