Effect of SrCO3 addition on the dynamic compressive strength of ZTA

Ceramic parts usually experience dynamic load in armor applications. Therefore, studying the dynamic behaviors of ceramics is important. Limited data are available on the dynamic behaviors of ceramics;thus, it is helpful to predict the dynamic strength of ceramics on the basis of their mechanical properties. In this paper, the addition of SrCO3 into zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) was demonstrated to improve the fracture toughness of ZTA due to the formation of the SrAl12O19 (SA6) phase. The porosity of ZTA was found to be increased by the addition of SrCO3. These newly formed pores served as the nucleation sites of cracks under dynamic load;these cracks eventually coalesced to form damaged zones in the samples. Although the KIC values of the samples were improved, the dynamic strength was not en-hanced because of the increase in porosity;in fact, the dynamic strength of ZTA ceramics decreased with the addition of SrCO3.