Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 February 2011
Experiments were conducted to determine the mechanical characteristics of an yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia containing 3 mol % Y2O3. Specimens were pulled in tension at elevated temperatures over a range of strain rates. It is demonstrated that this material exhibits good superplastic ductility, with tensile elongations >100% when the tests are conducted at low strain rates. Internal cavities are formed during deformation and it is shown that the cavitated area decreases with decreasing strain rate. At fast strain rates, of the order of 10−3 s−1, the cavities tend to link preferentially in a direction perpendicular to the tensile axis.