Shape memory zirconia-based ceramic micropillars studied by in situ Laue microdiffraction

Ceria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia offers interesting possibilities as a ductile ceramic. This ductility is due to martensitic transformation-induced plasticity. However, the microscopic mechanisms at the origin of the onset of transformation and the influence of factors such as stress level and crystal orientation need to be well understood. In addition, the recoverability by heating (monoclinic to tetragonal phase transformation, m-t) can deepen the understanding of the transformation mechanism. We aim to perform a spatially resolved investigation of strain, crystal orientation and phase nature using Laue microdiffraction on single and bi-crystalline CSTZ micropillars. We plan to perform cycles of in situ compression and in situ heating to promote the direct t-m and m-t phase transformation, respectively.