Nano-sized ceramics of coated alumina and zirconia analyzed with SANS

The sintering behaviour of two new types of coated ceramics, made from alumina grains coated with a zirconia shell and from zirconia grains coated with an alumina shell, was analyzed with small angle neutron scattering (SANS). Measurements were performed both for the plain samples, and with contrast variation using D₂ O as immersion liquid. The size distribution and the volume fraction of grains and pores were determined from the corrected scattering curves using a direct model fitting, applying two different approaches, a sphere model and a combined sphere/spherical shell model. Results are discussed in context with the macroscopic density of the samples. The sintering behaviour of the two ceramics types was found to be very different.