Yttrium Partially Stabilized Zirconia (Y-PSZ) ceramics are what we commonly refer to as white zirconia ceramics.

Yttrium oxide partially stabilized zirconia ceramics are doped with yttrium oxide (Y2O3) as a stabilizer, which strengthens the material by stabilizing the internal grain structure and changing the material from a monoclinic phase to a tetragonal phase. It is a fine-grained material with the highest flexural strength of any ceramic material. It has very high impact and abrasion resistance, while offering low thermal conductivity, often making it a suitable material to replace metals. The addition of yttrium oxide (Yttria) allows the material to be toughened by a phase change, resulting in high toughness. As the material is stressed, the crystal structure becomes energetically more favorable for the transition from tetragonal to monoclinic phases, resulting in a highly localized volume increase of 3% - 5% This increase in volume puts the cracks in a compressed state, which reduces their ability to grow and expand into more cracks. This property explains the low susceptibility of the material to stress fatigue and its high flexural strength.

While zirconia ceramics are well suited for demanding mechanical applications, it may not be suitable for very high temperature applications because it undergoes a crystallographic phase change: when exposed to high temperatures for an extended period of time it will cause the material to change from a strong tetragonal phase to a weaker monoclinic phase. Similarly, it may not be suitable for warm and humid conditions, as its properties degrade when exposed to water vapor.

Thus, yttrium oxide partially stabilizes zirconia ceramics mostSuitable for operation in dry and medium temperature conditionsThe

Yttrium Partially Stabilized Zirconia (Y-PSZ) ceramics are usually white in color, but the color can be changed by special treatment. Therefore, in addition to the common white zirconia, there are a variety of colored zirconia ceramics such as black, blue, and yellow.