The mechanical and thermal properties of porous zirconia ceramics fabricated through a solid-state foaming method

We have already fabricated ceramic mono-foams by expanding once-sintered dense shells utilizing the superplastic deformation of 3YSZ, 8YSZ, alumina and titania based ceramics. In the present study, granular coating method was applied to make a porous ceramics through the superplastically foaming method based on 3YSZ. Both mechanical strength and thermal conductivity were measured and compared with those of fully densified as well as conventional porous 3YSZ ceramics. Porous ceramics with porosity over 35% can be fabricated with less than 15 vol% of foam agent. The mechanical strength and thermal conductivity were superior or comparable to those for conventionally fabricated porous ceramics with the same porosity level.