Micro-Raman studies on materials based on zirconium dioxide

Micro-Raman studies have been made on zirconium dioxide ceramics and crysta ls by the use of argon and helium-neon lasers. The Raman results for the cr ystals are appreciably affected by the wavelength, which is due to a lumine scence spectrum more intense than the background (this is not usually chara cteristic of zirconium dioxide ceramics). When a crystal is indented, the m onoclinic phase is detected only near the edges of the indent so that proce ss cannot be the cause of the rise in the surface around the indent. It is concluded that the crystals differ from the ceramics in that the monoclinic -tetragonal transition is not the mechanism that governs the mechanical beh avior.