Functionally Graded Zircon-Molybdenum Materials without Residual Stresses

A layered, zircon–molybdenum functionally graded material was obtained by starting from commercial powders of molybdenum (median particle size (d50) of ∼3 μm) and zircon (d50∼ 0.8 μm). Conventional processing led to a material that was free of internal residual stress. The sintering behavior of green compacts with compositions that corresponded to the different layers was studied via dynamic sintering. The thermal expansion coefficients of each layer were measured using conventional dilatometry. The presence of residual stresses was determined using Vickers indentations. Both thermal expansion mismatch and differential shrinkage between the layers were negligible.