Coupling between elastic strains and phase transition in dense pure zirconia polycrystals

A deep understanding of the solid-state phase transition processes zirconia is a mandatory requirement for development new zirconia-based materials useful many industrial applications. For five decades, monoclinic $\ensuremath{\Leftrightarrow}$ tetragonal described as martensitic one and it well known that associated with large unit cell volume variation promotes appearance elastic strains also microcracking. In present paper, we study, through in situ high temperature x-ray diffraction experiments, coupling between strain relaxation into pure bulk polycrystal. Quantitative analysis signal allows us to disentangle, respect variation, microcracking processes, demonstrate postelaboration thermal treatment induces an increase stored energy. Finally, show such polycrystals exhibiting crystal size distribution which crystals are under internal stresses, process evolves from first order second when decreases.