Zirconia ceramic is a high-performance material, mainly composed of zirconium dioxide (ZrO2). It offers the advantages of high strength, high toughness, and corrosion resistance. Currently, it has become an important material in high-end industrial sectors, supporting the stable operation of various types of high-end equipment.
This article will provide an introduction to zirconia ceramics, including their definition, properties, and applications. A data table for zirconia is provided herein to help you quickly understand its properties and functional value, matching your industrial material selection requirements.
Zirconia Ceramic ProductsDefinition of Zirconia Ceramic
Zirconia ceramic is an advanced ceramic material primarily composed of zirconium dioxide, with stabilizers such as yttria, calcium oxide, or magnesium oxide.
Main Categories of Zirconia Ceramic
Depending on the stabilizer amounts, zirconia ceramics are divided into 2 main categories: Fully Stabilized Zirconia (FSZ) and Partially Stabilized Zirconia (PSZ).
FSZ features excellent thermal stability. It is suitable for high-temperature thermal insulation applications. PSZ possesses high strength and high toughness.
Among them, 3 mol% yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (3Y-TZP) is most widely used in industrial applications.
Preparation Process of Zirconia Ceramic
The preparation process of zirconia ceramics mainly consists of the following 4 steps.
Powder Preparation
After purification, zirconium dioxide is processed to a uniform particle size of 20nm-1μm. It ensures the powder can fully bond during sintering.
Forming
Different processes, such as dry pressing, isostatic pressing, or injection molding, are chosen based on requirements for dimensions, shape, and precision.
Sintering
The formed green body is placed in high temperatures of 1,400-1,600℃ to allow the powder to fully sinter and bond.
Precision Machining
The sintered products will be ground, polished, calibrated, and surface-treated to get the final product.
Key Properties of Zirconia Ceramics
The excellent performance of zirconia ceramics comes from their unique microstructure and crystalline structure. Their properties directly support their application value in industries.
High Strength and High Toughness
With a fracture toughness that is 2-3 times that of alumina and a flexural strength exceeding 800 MPa, zirconia ceramics can withstand high stress and loads.
Excellent Wear Resistance
Zirconia ceramics possess an extremely high hardness. Their friction coefficient is only 1/3 that of metals. For high-frequency friction applications, the service life of zirconia ceramic parts is much longer than that of metals.
High Temperature Resistance
Zirconia ceramics have a melting point of 2,715℃ and a thermal conductivity much lower than metals. It provides excellent thermal insulation.
Corrosion Resistance
Zirconia ceramics are highly corrosion-resistant. At room temperature, they do not react with common reagents (hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, etc.).
Chemical Stability
With inertness, zirconia ceramics only interact with a few strong oxidizing agents even at high temperatures.
Biocompatibility
Zirconia ceramics are inorganic materials. They have excellent affinity with human tissues without rejection reactions.
Insulation and Dielectric Properties
Zirconia is an excellent insulator at room temperature with a dielectric constant of 12-15.
The table below provides main properties of zirconia ceramics. Quickly browse it for zirconia ceramics’ performance data.
| Property | Unit | Data |
| Fracture Toughness | MPa·m1/2 | 6–15 |
| Flexural Strength | MPa | ≥800, up to 1200 for high-performance varieties |
| Vickers Hardness | HV | 1200–1500 |
| Melting Point | ℃ | 2715 |
| Coefficient of Thermal Expansion | /℃ | 10-11×10-6 |
| Thermal Conductivity | W/(m·K) | 2–3 |
| Dielectric Constant | – | 12–15 |
| Dielectric Loss | – | tanδ<0.001 |
| Elastic Modulus | GPa | approx. 200 |
Applications of Zirconia Ceramics
With its diverse properties, zirconia ceramics are suitable for various high-end industrial applications.
Machinery and Metal Processing
Compared to metal, zirconia ceramics offer advantages of high strength and high toughness, meeting the harsh operating conditions of precision transmission and processing equipment.
Zirconia ceramics can be used to manufacture wear-resistant bearings and bushings. Their high wear resistance and low friction coefficient can reduce equipment energy consumption and the frequency of maintenance, suitable for equipment such as motors, pumps, and reducers.
Zirconia Sealing Rings and Bearing RingsChemical and Metallurgy
Extreme conditions such as high temperatures, corrosion, and high-velocity fluid erosion are common in the chemical field and metallurgy. Zirconia ceramics can deal with them to ensure the stable operation of your equipment.
Zirconia ceramic nozzles withstand high-temperature corrosion and high-velocity fluid erosion. Their wear rate is much lower than that of metal ones. Used in metallurgical injection equipment and chemical reactor material spraying, zirconia nozzles can reduce equipment maintenance costs.
Electronics and Semiconductor Manufacturing
With excellent insulation, zirconia ceramics have become a main material for high-end electronic components. Its high dielectric constant and low dielectric loss meet the needs of 5G communications and new energy vehicle electronics.
Zirconia ceramics substrates offer a stable insulating environment in semiconductor production. They can prevent signal interference, ensuring the precision of wafer processing. It absolutely meets the requirements of high-end semiconductor equipment.
New Energy and Aerospace
Zirconia ceramics satisfy the requirements for high-temperature resistance, thermal insulation, and corrosion resistance in these high-end sectors. They can be used as frame accessories for PV modules and insulating housings for junction boxes to withstand high temperatures and UV radiation. Using zirconia components will enhance the stability of PV modules, meeting the long-term operational requirements.
In the aerospace field, zirconia ceramics can be used to prepare thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) for aircraft engines. They effectively reduce the surface temperature of the engine and ensure the stable operation under high-temperature and high-pressure environments.
Medical Devices
Because of its chemical inertness and biocompatibility, zirconia ceramics are currently one of the most widely and frequently used ceramic materials in the medical device field.
Full-zirconia crowns are for dental restoration. They possess excellent translucency and wear resistance without risk of metal ion leaching. They match the color of natural teeth and last for over 20 years.
Zirconia ceramics can be used to produce femoral heads for artificial hip joints. Their wear rate is only 0.05mm3/106 cycles, 1/100 that of metal ones. It significantly reduces the irritation of the implant to human tissue and meets biocompatibility standards.
Conclusion
Zirconia ceramic is an important member of advanced ceramics. They can replace metals to enhance equipment performance and service life under the harsh operating conditions of high-end industries. As high-end manufacturing continues to upgrade, its applications will continue to expand.
If you are interested in zirconia ceramics and related products, welcome to contact Newthink New Materials. For 14 years, Newthink has focused on the production of advanced ceramic products. Contact us to obtain the latest quotes for zirconia ceramic products.
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FAQs
Why is zirconia ceramic not made of pure zirconium dioxide?
Pure zirconium dioxide will undergo volume expansion during phase transformation, leading to cracks. Stabilizers are required for the manufacture of a stable ceramic material.
What are the applications of zirconia ceramics?
The materials are used in machinery processing, the chemical and metallurgical industry, electronics, new energy, and the medical field.
Are zirconia ceramics fragile?
Zirconia possesses phase-transformation toughening characteristics. It means they possess higher toughness and strength than ordinary ones. They do not easily fracture under normal operating conditions.
Are zirconia ceramics easily scratched?
They are very difficult to scratch. Zirconia ceramics have extremely high hardness and wear resistance, far exceeding that of metals and conventional ceramics.
What are the disadvantages of zirconia?
Pure zirconia is prone to cracking due to phase transformation. Additionally, the ceramic material itself is difficult to machine, and the production costs are relatively high.
