Environment and time dependent hardness in zirconia

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Abstract
The microhardness of monoclinic ZrO2 single-crystals was measured in different environments: air, water, and toluene. An indentation creep process at room temperature was observed for the measurements in moist media pointing for a water-activated plastic relaxation mechanism. This effect is discussed employing the models previously proposed to explain similar behaviors in ZrO2 and other nonmetallic materials. A possible correlation with the conditions for the nucleation in phase transitions is proposed.