Recently, QIAN Weifeng, a Ph.D. student from our School, under the guidance of Professor CHEN Yongnan, published a paper titled "Hierarchically Structured Ceramic Coatings based on Zirconia and Magnesium Oxide with High Toughness" in the international materials science journal Advanced Functional Materials (ranked as a Q1 Top journal in the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) journal classification, with an Impact Factor of 18.5). Professor CHEN Yongnan is the corresponding author (first corresponding author), and Chang’an University is the first corresponding affiliation.
Paper Information
One of the major challenges in the application of ceramic materials is the trade-off between strength and toughness. This study addresses this challenge by constructing a hierarchically structured ceramic coating (HSCC). Inspired by the natural structure of seashells, the research team developed a nano-scale "brick-and-mortar" architecture, in which the composition and ratio of the reinforcing phase (the "brick") and the ductile phase (the "mortar") were precisely controlled to establish a micron-scale bilayer structure with outer strength and inner toughness within the coating.
The findings reveal that the HSCC exhibits high thermal stability in both phase composition and microstructure up to 700°C. Compared to conventional crystalline coatings, it demonstrates a 65% improvement in shear strain resistance. Zirconium atoms play a crucial role in stabilizing the interfaces of the reinforcing phase and facilitating the deformation of the ductile phase. This enables the hierarchical structure to effectively harness the deformation capacity of the ductile phase and the strength of the reinforcing phase through homogeneous interfacial interactions.
This research provides a viable design strategy and practical approach for enhancing the toughness and reducing the brittleness-induced failure tendency of ceramic functional composites.
Research Content
Paper Information: W. Qian, B. Ning, S. Wang, T. Xie, Y. Chen, Q. Zhao, N. Wang, S. Wang, H. Zhan, Hierarchically Structured Ceramic Coatings Based on Zirconia and Magnesium Oxide with High Toughness. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2024, 2418312.
Paper link: https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202418312
