Zirconia ceramics are high-performance ceramic materials formed by adding stabilizers with zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂) as the main component. Compared with traditional alumina ceramics, zirconia has achieved a qualitative leap in a number of key performance indicators.

Zirconia's bending strength is as high as 900-1400MPa, and its fracture toughness reaches 9-20MPa-m¹/², which is much higher than that of ordinary alumina ceramics (usually only 3-5MPa-m¹/²), which frees it from the stereotype of traditional ceramics as being “fragile”.

The phase transition toughening mechanism is the key to obtaining high toughness in zirconia. When the material is subjected to stress, the substable tetragonal phase grains around the crack tip will be transformed into monoclinic phase, accompanied by a volume expansion of about 3%-5%, which generates compressive stresses and effectively inhibits crack extension. This mechanism gives zirconia ceramics a “damage tolerance” similar to that of metals, which greatly improves reliability.

In terms of hardness, zirconia ceramics have a Vickers hardness of 1200-1400 HV and a Mohs hardness of about 8.0-8.5, which is between quartz and corundum. This property, combined with its low coefficient of friction (typically 0.1-0.2), makes it ideal for wear-resistant components.

Zirconia (ZrO₂) is an important high-performance ceramic material. It not only has the typical advantages of ceramics, such as high hardness, corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance, but also overcomes the shortcomings of ordinary ceramics “brittle”, showing metal-like toughness.

So, is zirconia a ceramic? The answer is yes, it belongs to the special ceramics, often with alumina ceramics and known as the two main advanced structural ceramics.

Zhihao Ceramics has mature experience in zirconia powder control, sintering process and precision machining, and is able to provide customers with product solutions with high densities, low defect rates and high consistency. This is the key reason why many buyers choose us for a long time.

Depending on the type and content of stabilizer, zirconia ceramics can be classified into several types, each with its own characteristics:

As the most commonly used zirconia ceramics, YSZ achieves property tuning by adding yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃) in different proportions.

• 3YSZ (3mol% yttrium oxide): high hardness and strength, suitable for structural and wear-resistant parts

• 5YSZ (5mol% yttrium oxide): balanced overall performance, taking into account mechanical properties and thermal stability

• 8YSZ (8mol% yttrium oxide): best conductivity of oxygen ions at high temperatures, suitable for thermal barrier coatings and solid oxide fuel cells

The addition of magnesium oxide (MgO) as a stabilizer focuses on high-temperature stability and can effectively inhibit low-temperature degradation. However, its mechanical properties are relatively poor, and the sintering temperature is high (about 1800 ℃), which limits the scope of application to a certain extent.

Alumina-toughened zirconia is a composite material formed by introducing alumina particles into the zirconia matrix, achieving a balance between cost-effectiveness and performance. Recent studies have shown that the hydrothermal aging resistance can be significantly improved by doping with cerium oxide (CeO₂), and the monoclinic phase content has been reduced from 31.7% to 9.6%, which greatly extends the service life.

Zhihao Ceramics has developed three series of zirconia products for different application scenarios to meet diversified needs:

YSZ Series: Stabilized with 3mol% yttrium oxide, the fracture toughness is up to 10MPa-m¹/² or more, which is suitable for highly loaded structural and wear-resistant parts. The crack extension resistance is further enhanced by the introduction of the latest spiral eicosahedral lattice structure design.

MSZ: Optimized magnesium-stabilized zirconia formulation to enhance mechanical strength while maintaining high-temperature stability, with operating temperatures up to 1600°C or higher, designed for refractory and sensor applications.

Zhihao Composite Series (ZTA): Combining the high toughness of zirconia with the high hardness of alumina, ZTA provides the best cost-effective solution for customers with comprehensive requirements on cost and performance.

Table: Comparison of key performance parameters of zirconia products of Zhihao Ceramics

Zirconia ceramics have become an important material in several industries due to their unique properties.

• Ceramic bearings: wear and corrosion resistant, suitable for high speed and strong load conditions.

• Cutting tools: Replacement of carbide for longer tool life.

• Fiber optic inserts: high precision and low loss.

• Smartphone back panel: both beautiful and wear-resistant.
• Wearable device housing: scratch-resistant and skin-friendly.
• Semiconductor components: Insulation stabilized to meet high precision requirements.

• Fuel cell diaphragm plate: high temperature resistant electrolyte material.
• Specialty tools: for extreme environments.

ZhiHao ceramics in the above application areas have rich product practice and customer cases, buyers can rest assured that the choice.

• Professional customization ability: provide different formulations and structure design according to customer needs.

• Full chain service: integrated control from raw material, sintering to precision processing.

• Strict quality management: ISO system certification to ensure batch stability.

• Rapid delivery and technical support: meet the dual needs of research and industrial production.

In the rapid development of high-end manufacturing and new materials, choosing a reliable zirconia ceramics manufacturer means higher product performance and lower production risk.

With more than ten years of experience, professional technology and complete product lines, Zhihao Ceramics will provide you with high quality zirconia ceramic solutions.

If you are looking for zirconia ceramic bearings, ceramic cutting tools, customized ceramic parts, welcome to contact Zhihao Ceramics, we will provide you with cost-effective products and professional technical support!