Properties and uses of zirconia ceramics

The scientific name of zirconia is zirconium dioxide, the molecular formula ZrO2, is the main oxide of zirconium, and the minerals containing zirconium elements in nature mainly include oblique zircon and zircon. Zirconia is usually a white odorless and tasteless crystal, insoluble in water, hydrochloric acid and dilute sulfuric acid, chemically stable, and has the characteristics of high hardness, high melting point, high resistivity, high refractive index and low coefficient of thermal expansion, has been widely used in wear-resistant ceramics, refractories, machinery, electronics, optics, aerospace, biology, chemistry and other fields, our common artificial drills and dental implants are also used as the main material

1. High hardness and high wear resistance: the hardness of zirconia products can usually reach more than 7.5 on the Mohs scale, and the hardness of some products such as zirconia ceramics can exceed 9, second only to diamond. High hardness means that it has strong wear resistance, so zirconia ceramics are good anti-wear materials.

2. High melting point: Zirconia has a melting point of up to 2715 °C, and its chemical properties are stable, making it an excellent refractory material.

3. Low thermal conductivity and low expansion coefficient: The thermal conductivity of zirconia is low (1.6-2.03W/(m.k)) among common materials, and the thermal expansion coefficient is close to that of metal. Therefore, zirconia ceramics are suitable for making ceramic materials, such as zirconia ceramic mobile phone appearance structural parts.