Functionally graded zircon-molybdenum materials without residual stresses

A layered, zircon-molybdenurn functionally graded material was obtained by starting from commercial powders of molybdenum (median particle size (d(50) ) of similar to 3 mu m) and zircon (d(50) approximate to 0.8 mu m). Convent ional processing led to a material that was free of internal residual stres s. The sintering behavior of green compacts with compositions that correspo nded to the different layers was studied via dynamic sintering. The thermal expansion coefficients of each layer were measured using conventional dila tometry, The presence of residual stresses was determined using Vickers ind entations, Both thermal expansion mismatch and differential shrinkage betwe en the layers were negligible.