Effects of annealing temperature on microstructural development at the interface between zirconia and titanium

Abstract

The interfacial reaction layers in the Ti/ZrO2 diffusion couples, isothermally annealed in argon at temperatures ranging from 1100 degrees to 1550 degrees C for 6 h, were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, both attached with an energy-dispersive spectrometer. Very limited reaction occurred between Ti and ZrO2 at 1100 degrees C. A beta'-Ti(Zr, O) layer and a two-phase alpha-Ti(O)+beta'-Ti(Zr, O) layer were found in the titanium side after annealing at T >= 1300 degrees C and T >= 1400 degrees C, respectively. A three-phase layer, consisting of Ti2ZrO+alpha-Ti(O, Zr)+beta'-Ti (O, Zr), was formed after annealing at 1550 degrees C. In the zirconia side near the original interface, beta'-Ti coexisted with fine spherical c-ZrO2-x, which dissolved a significant amount of Y2O3 in solid solution at T >= 1300 degrees C. Further into the ceramic side, the alpha-Zr was formed due to the exsolution of Zr out of the metastable ZrO2-x after annealing at T >= 1300 degrees C: the alpha-Zr was very fine and dense at 1300 degrees C, continuously distributed along grain boundaries at 1400 degrees C, and became coarsened at 1550 degrees C. Zirconia grains grew significantly at T >= 1400 degrees C, with the lenticular t-ZrO2-x being precipitated in c-ZrO2-x. Finally, the microstructural development and diffusion paths in the Ti/ZrO2 diffusion couples annealed at various temperatures were also described with the aid of the Ti-Zr-O ternary phase diagram.