Synthesis of Al2O3–ZrO2 Eutectic Ceramics by Atmospheric-Pressure Arc Plasma Treatment: Matrix Framework Formation

The effect of the component composition of the Al2O3/ZrO2 charge on the formation of the matrix framework of a ceramic material has been studied. The phases and morphological transformations in Al2O3/ZrO2 composites with a variation in the weight fraction of Al2O3 in the range of 60–80% have been discussed. It has been found that an increase in the Al2O3 content leads to the suppression of the ZrO2 structure and an enhancement in the effect of Al2O3, as evidenced by changes in the intensity and position of peaks in X-ray diffraction patterns. In addition, the evolution of the composite microstructure, which consists in the transition from fine-grained inclusions in Al60 to complex structures in Al80, has been studied. It has been found that an increase in the Al2O3 content leads to an improvement in the physicomechanical properties of the ceramic material, such as density and wear resistance. The data obtained show that the use of the Al2O3–ZrO2 ceramics synthesized under conditions of high mechanical loads and temperatures is promising.