Fabrication and Evaluation of High Performance 12Ce-ZrO2/3Y-ZrO2 Composites for an Implant

12Ce-ZrO2 based composites reinforced with the addition of 3Y-ZrO2 as a second phase were fabricated by the pressureless sintering at 1400°C and subsequently post-HIP treatment at 1350°C. These 12Ce-ZrO2 based composites with 3Y-ZrO2 possessed the high strength over 1000 MPa and also maximum fracture toughness of 8 MPa•m1/2. Furthermore, the significant inhibition of phase transformation of tetragonal to monoclinic phase under an aqueous hydrothermal condition at 150°C was obtained for these 12Ce-ZrO2/3Y-ZrO2 composites. Their microstructural observations and evaluation of some properties were carried out for these composites. Especially, their local structures of Ce-K, Y-K and Zr-K edges for these 12Ce-ZrO2/3Y-ZrO2 composites were examined by XAFS measurements.