Effects of neutron irradiation on some superplastic characteristics of tetragonal zirconia polycrystals containing 3 mol% yttria

Shibata, Taiju ; Ishihara, Masahiro ; Motohashi, Yoshinobu*; Ito, Tsutomu*; Baba, Shinichi; Kikuchi, Makoto*

Fast neutrons (energy 1.610 J) were irradiated to tetragonal zirconia polycrystals containing 3 mol% yttria (3Y-TZP) at the fluence levels of 2.510 (Light irradiation) and 4.310 (Heavy irradiation) m. The irradiation caused no significant swelling in the 3Y-TZP specimens. After the neutron irradiation, superplastic characteristics were examined by tensile tests at a temperature range from 1623 to 1773 K with initial strain rates ranging from 5.010 to 1.6710s. It was found that the elongation to fracture of the irradiated specimens was quite small in comparison with the unirradiated ones. The apparent activation energy for the superplastic flow of the irradiated 3Y-TZP was fairly high, i.e., 781 and 693 kJ・mol for Light and Heavy irradiations, respectively. Atomic displacement damages and defects in the 3Y-TZP caused by the irradiation were thought to be main causes of these property changes.