Yield stress of fully stabilized zirconia single crystals with a high yttria content

The yield stress of cubic stabilized zirconia single crystals with yttria c oncentrations between 24 to 32 mol % has been studied for temperatures of 1 400 degreesC by compression experiments on the [112] crystalographic axis a t constant compressive strain rate. The yield stress reaches a value of 300 MPa, remaining constant for the higher concentration studied, and being al so independent of the annealing time in air. The plastic behavior is discus sed in terms of the interaction of dislocations with the free yttrium defec ts.