Sintering Behavior of Fully Agglomerated Zirconia Compacts

Fully agglomerated superfine zirconia powders were prepared with the coprecipitation and spray‐drying method. The compaction of such powders shows no fragmentation of the agglomerates. The sintering behavior of the compacts was studied and two sintering stages were identified: densification within agglomerates at temperatures not higher than 1250°C and the removal of interagglomerate pores at temperatures above 1600°C. The interagglomerate pores are difficult to remove, and sintering between agglomerates even at 1600°C is still insignificant. Heating of the compacts at temperatures above 1600°C leads only to grain growth and the entrapping of pores in large grains.