We systematically investigated the phase transformation and grain-growth behaviors during sintering in 2 and 3 mol% Y2O3-stabilized tetragonal ZrO2 (2Y and 3Y) and 8 mol% Y2O3-stabilized cubic ZrO2 polycrystals (8Y). In particular, grain-boundary segregation and grain-interior distribution of Y3+ ions were examined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM)- and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM)-nanoprobe X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. Above 1200°C, grain growth during sintering in 8Y was much faster than that in 2Y and 3Y. In the grain boundaries in these specimens, amorphous layers did not present; however, Y3+ ions segregated at the grain boundaries over a width of about 10 nm. The amount of segregated Y3+ ions in 8Y was significantly less than in 2Y and 3Y. This indicates that the amount of segregated Y3+ ions is related to grain growth behavior; i.e., an increase in segregated Y3+ ions retards grain growth. Therefore, grain-growth behavior during sintering can be reasonably explained by the solute-drag mechanism of Y3+ ions segregating along the grain boundary. In 2Y and 3Y, the cubic-phase regions were formed in grain interiors adjacent to the grain boundaries and/or the multiple junctions in which Y3+ ions segregated, which can be explained by a grain boundary segregation-induced phase transformation (GBSIPT) mechanism.
