X-ray Line Broadening Study on Shock-modified Zirconia

Abstract

Zirconia (Zr02) powder compacts have been subjected to controlled, quantitative high pressure shock loading at peak pressures from 5-27 GPa and preserved for post-shock analysis. The overlapping broadened X-ray diffraction peak profiles have been separated by least-squares fitting procedures. The separate lines have been analysed in the usual manner to determine the residual lattice strain and the coherent crystallite sizes. Maximum modification effects are observed near 20 GPa with strain values near 3 x 10-3 and size values near 200 A.