The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 14, 2006
Filed:
Jul. 18, 2003
Masahiro Nawa, Katano, JP;
Kouichi Yamaguchi, Otsu, JP;
Motoyuki Toki, Kyoto, JP;
Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd., Kadoma, JP;
Abstract
A ZrO—AlOcomposite ceramic material having high mechanical strength and toughness as well as excellent wear resistance and hardness is provided. This ceramic material includes a first phase of ZrOgrains containing 10 to 12 mol % of CeOas a stabilizer and having an average grain size of 0.1 μm to 1 μm, and a second phase of AlOgrains having an average grain size of 0.1 to 0.5 μm. The ceramic material has a mutual nano-composite structure formed under a condition that a content of the second phase in the ceramic material is within a range of 20 to 60 vol % such that the AlOgrains are dispersed within said ZrOgrains at a first dispersion ratio of 2% or more, and preferably 4% or more, which is defined as a ratio of the number of the AlOgrains dispersed within the ZrOgrains relative to the number of the entire AlOgrains dispersed in the ceramic material, and the ZrOgrains are dispersed within the AlOgrains at a second dispersion ratio of 1% or more, which is defined as a ratio of the number of the ZrOgrains dispersed within the AlOgrains relative to the number of the entire ZrOgrains dispersed in the ceramic material.