Effect of Alumina Addition on the Tetragonal-to-Monoclinic Phase Transformation in Zirconia-3 mol% Yttria

The tetragonal‐to‐monoclinic martensitic phase transformation in ZrO–3 mol% Y2O3 (PSZ) containing 0 to 12 wt% Al2O3 was investigated by dilatometry, XRD, and SEM‐EDS methods. The propagation of the transformation into the specimen interiors was suppressed by the addition of Al2O3. The grain size was independent of the addition of Al2O3. Both Y2O3 and Al2O3 segregated at grain boundaries. From this segregation behavior, it was suggested that a certain compound or phase of Y2O3–Al2O3 could be formed at grain boundaries, which would presumably prevent the propagation of the transformation into interiors of PSZ‐containing Al2O3.