Several fabrication processes, corresponding nanostructural features and multifunctionality as well has been investigated for oxide ceramic based nanocomposites with metal nanodispersion (i.e., ceramic/metal nanocomposites). Transition metal (Ni, Co, etc) dispersed alumina and zirconia based nanocomposites have been synthesized by reducing and hot-press sintering of ceramic and metal oxide mixtures prepared by several method. Improved fracture strength (1.1 and 1.9 GPa for and nanocomposites, respectively) of these composites have been achieved according to their nanostructures. In addition, ferromagnetic characteristic has been kept. The variation of magnetization with an applied stress has found to be more sensitive as smaller as the magnetic metal dispersion is. This result thus suggests the possibility of fracture and/or stress sensing of the composites by simple magnetic measurement.

An optimum route to fabricate the ferrous alloy dispersed nanocomposites such as /Fe-Ni and /Fe-Co with sound microstructure and desired properties was investigated. The composites were fabricated by the sintering of powder mixtures of and nano-sized ferrous alloy, in which the alloy was prepared by solution-chemistry routes using metal nitrates powders and a subsequent hydorgen reduction process. Microstructural observation of reduced powder mixture revealed that the Fe-Ni or Fe-Co alloy particles of about 20 nm in size homogeneously surrounded , forming nanocomposite powder. The sintered /Fe-Ni composite showed the formation of Fe phase, while the reaction phases were not observed in /Fe-Co composite. Hot-pressed /Fe-Ni composite showed improved mechanical properties and magnetic response. The properties are discussed in terms of microstructural characteristics such as the distribution and size of alloy particles.