The study of the relationship between the composition and mechanical properties of structural ceramics based on zirconium, magnesium and aluminum oxides is an important scientific and technological task. In this study, ceramics of the composition x·ZrO₂-(90−x)·MgO-10·Al₂O₃ (x = 10–80 wt.%) were obtained using standard ceramic technology. XRD, SEM, Vickers hardness and biaxial flexural strength measurements were performed to determine the effect of concentration x on the phase composition, microstructure and mechanical characteristics of the sintered samples. The results show that with an increase in the starting concentration x in experimental samples, the fraction of the stabilized ZrO₂ phase grows, and the grain size decreases. These two factors determine the values of microhardness and biaxial bending strength. Experimental investigation on the ternary oxide ceramics shows that for ceramics sintered at 1500 °C, the microhardness values varied within the range of 815–1300 HV1 and the biaxial bending strength of 110–250 MPa.

Reinforced alumina ceramics are renowned for their high hardness and strength among common oxide ceramics. However, high-temperature or high-pressure treatment is necessary for maximizing values of strength and hardness. In this paper, liquid-phase-assisted pressureless sintering of alumina reinforced with zirconia was studied. Sintering of dense ceramic bodies in relatively low temperatures (up to 1100 °C) was possible with the usage of CuO-TiO₂-Nb₂O₅-based additive, together with an intense milling process. By using the XRD method, the formation of dominant α-Al₂O₃ and m-ZrO₂ phases with small concentrations of secondary ones in experimental samples was confirmed. SEM studies showed that uniform distribution of components in the composite was achieved in samples sintered from intensively milled powders. The significant increase in the values of Vickers hardness and biaxial flexural strength (by 2.6 times) in samples from intensively milled powders at a sintering temperature of 1050 °C was explained by reduced porosity, improved grain distribution, and the formation of the t-ZrO₂ phase in the alumina-reinforced composite. The study clearly showed high potential of the proposed low-temperature sintering method for zirconia-toughened aluminum oxide, which can be used in manufacturing of advanced ceramics.

Structure and morphology is the basis for the development of functional nanomaterials with controlled properties for practical use. This work is aimed at studying the effect of irradiation with alpha particles on structural and conductive properties of Ni/Cu dendrites. Low-energy ions of He are selected to simulate the accumulation of transmutant helium, leading to swelling and defect formation in the structure, which can lead to a decrease in the operability of electronic devices. In the course of the study, doses were determined in which defects formed during irradiation lead to a decrease in operational characteristics of nanostructures.

ZrO₂-MgO-Al₂O₃ ceramics, despite a long history of research, still attract the attention of researchers due to the high potential of their applications as refractories and matrices for metal ceramics. A unique composition combining high strength and temperature stability is particularly in demand. In this paper, a comprehensive study of ceramics of the composition (90−x)·ZrO₂-10·MgO-x·Al₂O₃ (x = 10–80 wt.%) obtained by solid-phase sintering with preliminary annealing is carried out. Preliminary annealing was used for the possible formation of metastable phases with outstanding mechanical properties. Using the X-ray diffraction method, it was found that most of the samples consist of monoclinic zirconium oxide, magnesium–aluminum spinel, and corundum phases. The exception is the sample with x = 10 wt.%, in which the main phase was a cubic modification of zirconium oxide. By formation this type of ZrO₂ polymorph in the composition hardness and flexural strength significantly increased from 400 to 1380 and 50 to 210 MPa, respectively. The total porosity of ceramics under study lies in the range 6–28%. Using the scanning electron microscopy method, it was found that the phase composition significantly affects the morphology of the microstructure of the sintered bodies. Thus, for sintered ceramics with a high corundum content, the microstructure is characterized by high porosity and a large grain size. For the first time, by applying preliminary annealing, a new type of ternary ceramic ZrO₂-MgO-Al₂O₃ was sintered with potentially outstanding mechanical properties. The presence of a stabilized zirconium oxide phase, stresses in the crystal lattice of the matrix phase, and the formation of cracks in the microstructure are the main factors influencing shrinkage, porosity, microhardness, and biaxial flexural strength.

In this paper, we present the results of studies of the irradiation effect with low-energy He+2 ions on the structural properties of Cu films. Using SEM, EDS, and X-ray diffraction analysis, the surface morphology and structural properties of samples before and after irradiation were studied. As a result of irradiation of initial samples with He+2 ions with a dose of 1•1016 ion/cm2, a change in the Cu surface morphology of films is observed, and the formation of nanoscale inclusions of hexagonal shape is observed. An increase in the irradiation dose to 1•1017 ion/cm2 and higher leads to the formation of cracks and amorphous oxide inclusions on the sample surface. It is established that an increase in the irradiation dose leads to a decrease in the degree of crystallinity and a change in the basic crystallographic characteristics. The effect of irradiation on the strength characteristics was estimated.

Over more than half a century of using zirconia in technology and industry, researchers have faced several challenges related to the performance of this material. It is believed that some issues regarding the low performance of the zirconia ceramics can be solved by using a multidoping strategy. In this study, nanoparticles with the composition (1 − x)⸱ZrO₂ − x⸱MD (where MD—multi-dopant Y:Ce:Mg:Ca with cation relationship 1:1:1:1 and x = 0.05–0.25 mol. %) were synthesized using a hydrothermal method followed by annealing. XRD and Raman spectroscopy analyses demonstrated that in the concentration range of x = 0.10–0.25 mol.%, the only detectable phase in the synthesized samples was the tetragonal phase of zirconia. SEM analysis revealed that the size of the final particles ranged from 20 to 50 nm. It was demonstrated that using obtained nanoparticles as precursors for sintering leads to the formation of multiphase ceramics. The microhardness and biaxial flexural strength of the ceramic samples vary depending on the dopant concentration in the range of 600–1400 HV and 25–200 MPa respectively. Mechanical properties mostly depend on porosity and grain size in the sintered material. The study shows that the multidoping strategy has high potential to obtain new constructional ceramics and components for solid oxide fuel cells.