High temperature mechanical spectroscopy of fine-grained ceramics

Mechanical loss measurements were performed at high temperature in fine-grained ceramics, such as zirconia and alumina. At high temperature, the mechanical loss increases exponentially with temperature, which accounts for material creep. The results are analyzed with a model of grain-boundary sliding lubricated by an intergranular glassy phase. When the amount of the intergranular glassy phase is higher, the mechanical loss level is globally higher and so is the creep rate. On the other hand, doping finegrained ceramics with nano-sized reinforcements such as multiwall carbon nanotubes results in a decrease in the high-temperature mechanical loss. In this case grain-boundary sliding is more difficult and as a consequence better creep resistance is observed.