Toughened ceramic and methods of toughening ceramic

Abstract

Disclosed is a ceramic composition comprising a plurality of at least semi-coherent particles with an average diameter ranging from 1 nm to 50 nm included within a matrix, wherein the matrix comprises one metal carbonate salt, metal oxide or metalloid oxide, the particles and the matrix share at least one metal element and the metal element is 10% to 80% of the total content of said matrix, and the composition has a lattice mismatch of less than 5%. Disclosed are also an article and methods for making the ceramic composition of the present invention.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ceramic composition comprising a plurality of particles with an average diameter ranging from 1 nm to 50 nm included within a matrix, wherein:
 a. said matrix is a crystalline matrix comprising a metal carbonate salt;   b. said particles are semi-coherent particles;   c. said particles and said matrix share a metal element; and   d. said ceramic composition has a lattice mismatch of less than 5%, wherein said metal carbonate salt is calcium carbonate, and wherein a calcium content is 30 mol % to 99 mol % of the total metal content of said matrix; and wherein a content of said metal element within said particles is between 30 and 100 mol % of the total metal content of said particles.   
     
     
         2 . The ceramic composition of  claim 1 , wherein said composition is characterized by an enhanced strength, compared to a similar composition without said particles. 
     
     
         3 . The ceramic composition of  claim 1 , having a Young's modulus of at least 50 GPa. 
     
     
         4 . The ceramic composition of  claim 1 , having a hardness of at least 1 GPa. 
     
     
         5 . The ceramic composition of  claim 1 , wherein the lattice mismatch is between 0.05 and 5%. 
     
     
         6 . The ceramic composition of  claim 1 , wherein a concentration of the metal element in said matrix is in the range of 1 mol % to 40 mol % of the total metal content of the matrix 
     
     
         7 . The ceramic composition of  claim 1  wherein a concentration of calcium within said matrix is at least 50% of the total metal content of said matrix. 
     
     
         8 . The ceramic composition of  claim 1 , wherein said semi-coherent particles are characterized by a coherency between 50 and 99% with the matrix. 
     
     
         9 . The ceramic composition of  claim 1 , wherein the metal element is selected from Mg, Al, Zr, Zn, Ti, Ba, Sr, Fe, Mn, and Cr. 
     
     
         10 . The ceramic composition of  claim 1 , wherein said metal element comprises Mg. 
     
     
         11 . The ceramic composition of  claim 1 , wherein said particles have an average diameter in the range of 20nm to 40 nm. 
     
     
         12 . The ceramic composition of  claim 1 , comprising at least two layers. 
     
     
         13 . An article comprising the ceramic composition of  claim 1 .