Influence of Ar-ion implantation on the structural and mechanical properties of zirconia as studied by Raman spectroscopy and nanoindentation techniques

L Kurpaska; J Jasinski; E Wyszkowska; K Nowakowska-Langier; M Sitarz

doi:10.1016/j.saa.2018.01.074

Influence of Ar-ion implantation on the structural and mechanical properties of zirconia as studied by Raman spectroscopy and nanoindentation techniques

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2018 Apr 15:195:184-190. doi: 10.1016/j.saa.2018.01.074. Epub 2018 Jan 31.

Authors

L Kurpaska¹, J Jasinski², E Wyszkowska³, K Nowakowska-Langier³, M Sitarz⁴

Affiliations

¹ National Centre for Nuclear Research, st. Andrzeja Soltana 7, 05-400 Swierk, Poland. Electronic address: lukasz.kurpaska@ncbj.gov.pl.
² Czestochowa University of Technology, Institute of Logistics and International Management, av. Armi Krajowej 19, 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland.
³ National Centre for Nuclear Research, st. Andrzeja Soltana 7, 05-400 Swierk, Poland.
⁴ Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH University of Science and Technology, av. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland.

PMID: 29414577
DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2018.01.074

Abstract

In this study, structural and nanomechanical properties of zirconia polymorphs induced by ion irradiation were investigated by means of Raman spectroscopy and nanoindentation techniques. The zirconia layer have been produced by high temperature oxidation of pure zirconium at 600 °C for 5 h at normal atmospheric pressure. In order to distinguish between the internal and external parts of zirconia, the spherical metallographic sections have been prepared. The samples were irradiated at room temperature with 150 keV Ar⁺ ions at fluences ranging from 1 × 10¹⁵ to 1 × 10¹⁷ ions/cm². The main objective of this study was to distinguish and confirm different structural and mechanical properties between the interface layer and fully developed scale in the internal/external part of the oxide. Conducted studies suggest that increasing ion fluence impacts Raman bands positions (especially characteristic for tetragonal phase) and increases the nanohardness and Young's modulus of individual phases. This phenomenon has been examined from the point of view of stress-induced hardening effect and classical monoclinic → tetragonal (m → t) martensitic phase transformation.

Keywords: Ion implantation; Nanoindentation; Raman spectroscopy; Zirconia.