LAUSR

Abstract Mechanical properties and local martensitic phase transformation of individual nanocrystalline zirconia microspheres were assessed by complementary (in situ) electron microscopy techniques. Particles were deformed by compression in a SEM and the local structure was determined by ex situ SAED of a FIB prepared lamella. The local texture and amount of transformed grains can be explained by a continuum-like behavior modelled by FEM calculations: The phase transformation is found for grains which are preferentially oriented with respect to the deviatoric stresses and show the rotation of the maximum shear stress during the experiment.