Zirconia (ZrO₂) Ceramics

Zirconia (ZrO₂), also known as zirconium oxide ceramic, is one of the most advanced technical ceramics available today. With outstanding mechanical strength, fracture toughness, wear resistance, and chemical stability, zirconia material has become indispensable across high-tech industries. Known as the "ceramic steel," zirconia ceramics combine the hardness of technical ceramics with mechanical reliability that surpasses most oxide ceramics.

At Great Ceramic, we specialize in precision machining and customized fabrication of zirconia ceramic components, ensuring performance-driven solutions for industries such as electronics, aerospace, chemical engineering, automotive, and medical devices. Our advanced processing capabilities, strict quality control, and engineering expertise enable us to provide the best zirconia ceramics tailored to client specifications.

Whether you are searching for zirconia ceramic material properties, high-precision zirconia ZrO₂ ceramic tubes, or customized black zirconia ceramic parts, Great Ceramic stands out as a trusted partner in advanced ceramics manufacturing.

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Advantages of Zirconia Ceramic

Zirconia ceramic properties offer a compelling combination of characteristics that make it superior to many other materials:

  • High Fracture Toughness: Zirconia offers a fracture toughness of up to 10 MPa·m½, far exceeding that of alumina ceramics. This makes zirconia a preferred material where resistance to cracking is crucial.

  • High Hardness: Zirconia has a Vickers hardness of approximately 1200 HV, making it suitable for applications requiring extreme wear resistance.

  • Flexural Strength: With strength levels up to 1500 MPa, zirconia ceramic is stronger than many engineering steels.

  • Zirconia ceramic max temperature: Operates reliably up to 1000°C in continuous service and can withstand short-term exposure to even higher temperatures.

  • Excellent Corrosion Resistance: Zirconia resists acids, alkalis, and molten metals, ensuring durability in chemically aggressive environments.

  • Phase Transformation Toughening: The zirconia structure undergoes stress-induced phase transformation, which prevents crack propagation and enhances toughness.

  • Low Thermal Conductivity: Zirconia has one of the lowest thermal conductivities among ceramics, making it an excellent thermal insulator.

Zirconia is widely used in demanding sectors, from ceramic zirconia knives to aerospace components. Its unique balance of strength, durability, and processing flexibility makes it superior in many cases when comparing zirconia vs ceramic alternatives.

Zirconia material is highly resistant to corrosion from acids, alkalis, and organic solvents, ensuring longevity in harsh chemical environments.

Medical-grade zirconia ceramic is biologically inert, making it ideal for dental and medical implants without triggering allergic reactions or adverse tissue responses.

At Great Ceramic, we enhance these inherent advantages through our proprietary processing techniques, delivering best zirconia ceramics with consistent performance and reliability.

Industrial Applications of Zirconia Ceramics

Zirconia ceramics have found widespread applications across numerous industries due to their versatile properties:

What is zirconia used for in medical fields? It's the material of choice for dental restorations, including crowns, bridges, and implants. Its tooth-like appearance, biocompatibility, and strength make it superior to traditional porcelain-fused-to-metal alternatives. Great Ceramic produces medical-grade components that meet stringent regulatory requirements for surgical instruments, orthopedic implants, and prosthetics.

In industrial settings, zirconia ceramics serve in wear-resistant components, cutting tools, bearings, pumps seals, and valve seats. Their resistance to abrasion and corrosion significantly extends component lifespan in demanding environments. We supply zirconia ceramics tube factories with precision components for material handling and processing applications.

The oxygen ion conductivity of zirconium oxide ceramic makes it valuable in oxygen sensors, fuel cells, and battery technologies. Its electrical properties combined with high temperature resistance enable applications in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and various electronic components.

From ceramic zirconia knife sets that maintain sharper edges longer than steel alternatives to precision watches and jewelry, zirconia ceramic material enhances product performance and aesthetics. Our ceramic zirconia knives offer exceptional sharpness retention and corrosion resistance without metallic taste transfer.

The thermal insulation properties of zirconia material make it ideal for thermal barrier coatings on turbine blades, while its hardness and durability serve well in protective components and specialized sensors.

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echnical ceramics used in medical devices
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Grades of Zirconia Material Available

At Great Ceramic, we provide a variety of zirconia materials, each engineered for different performance requirements:

Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Ceramics (Y-PSZ)

Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Ceramics (Y-PSZ) are a class of high-performance ceramic materials that utilize yttria (Y₂O₃) as a stabilizer to partially stabilize the tetragonal crystal structure. They are also the most common zirconia ceramics. Yttria doping effectively addresses the phase transformation cracking that occurs in pure zirconia at high temperatures, resulting in excellent mechanical properties and long-term stability.

Key Features

  • High Strength and Toughness: Y-TZP exhibits exceptionally high flexural strength (typically 900–1200 MPa) and fracture toughness (6–10 MPa·m½) among advanced ceramics, making it one of the closest structural ceramics to metal.
  • Phase Transformation Toughening Mechanism: Under external forces, a portion of the tetragonal phase can transform into a monoclinic phase, resulting in a phase transformation toughening effect that significantly improves the material's fracture toughness and crack growth resistance.
  • Excellent wear resistance: With a Mohs hardness close to 9, it exhibits excellent wear resistance, making it suitable for long-term friction and high-precision wear-resistant components.
  • Good biocompatibility: Its chemical inertness and non-toxicity make it widely used in biomedical applications, such as dental and orthopedic implants.
  • Excellent corrosion resistance and chemical stability: It is stable in acids, bases, and salt solutions, making it suitable for use in corrosive environments.
  • Excellent thermal properties: Its low thermal conductivity (approximately 2–3 W/m·K) provides excellent thermal insulation properties; its linear expansion coefficient is close to that of steel, facilitating metal-ceramic bonding.

Main Applications

  • Medical: Dental restorations (all-ceramic crowns and bridges), hip and knee replacements, etc.
  • Mechanical Engineering: Wear-resistant bearings, sealing rings, cutting tools, valves, and pump components.
  • Electronics and Energy: Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrolytes, oxygen sensors, etc.
  • Aerospace: High-temperature structural components and thermal insulation materials.

Production and Processing

Yttria-stabilized zirconia ceramics are typically made from nano-sized zirconia powder doped with 3-8 mol% yttria. They are produced through isostatic pressing or injection molding, followed by high-temperature sintering to achieve a dense microstructure. To meet the demands of precision parts, high-precision machining processes such as diamond grinding, ultrasonic machining, or laser cutting are often required.

Magnesia-Stabilized Zirconia Ceramics (Mg-PSZ)

Magnesia-Stabilized Zirconia ceramics (MgO-PSZ) are partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) stabilized with magnesium oxide (MgO). They combine the high strength and toughness of zirconia with phase transformation toughening, resulting in excellent crack resistance and wear resistance, making them a key material in structural ceramics.

Key Features

  • High Strength and Toughness: Mg-PSZ exhibits high flexural strength (reaching 600–800 MPa) and fracture toughness (typically 6–8 MPa·m½), significantly superior to conventional ceramics.
  • Phase Transformation Toughening: Through a stress-induced phase transformation from a partially stabilized tetragonal to monoclinic phase, MgO-PSZ effectively inhibits crack propagation and enhances crack resistance.
  • Excellent Wear Resistance: With a Mohs hardness of approximately 8–9, Mg-PSZ offers strong wear resistance, making it suitable for long-term friction or high-load conditions.
  • High-Temperature Resistance: MgO-PSZ maintains structural stability at high temperatures, with an operating temperature range of 1000–1200°C.
  • Excellent Corrosion Resistance: Stable against most acidic and alkaline media, suitable for corrosive environments such as chemical and metallurgical industries.
  • Thermal Properties: Low thermal conductivity, moderate thermal expansion coefficient, and a certain degree of thermal shock resistance.

Main Applications

  • Industrial Wear-Resistant Components: Ball valves, sealing rings, pump and valve components, and wear-resistant linings.
  • Cutting and Tools: Cutting tools, forming dies, and nozzles.
  • Metallurgy and Energy: High-Temperature Crucibles, molten steel continuous pouring nozzles, and refractories.
  • Engineering Structural Components: High-Strength bearings, bushings, and impact components.

Production and Processing Technology

Mg-PSZ utilizes high-purity zirconium oxide powder doped with approximately 8–10 wt% magnesium oxide. A dense microstructure is achieved through isostatic pressing and high-temperature sintering. The presence of a stable cubic phase and a partially transformable tetragonal phase within its grains contributes to its high toughness. Due to its extremely high hardness, processing typically requires precision grinding with a diamond wheel or laser processing.

Alumina-Toughened Zirconia Ceramics (ZTA)

Zirconia-Toughened Alumina (ZTA) is a composite ceramic material consisting of a high-content alumina (Al₂O₃) matrix doped with a certain proportion of zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) particles. The addition of zirconium oxide significantly improves the fracture toughness and crack resistance of ZTA, making it an excellent choice for applications requiring high strength, high wear resistance, and high corrosion resistance.

Key Features

  • Enhanced Fracture Toughness: ZTA particles undergo a stress-induced phase transformation during crack propagation through a phase transformation toughening mechanism, hindering crack growth and significantly increasing its fracture toughness compared to pure alumina ceramics.
  • Excellent Strength and Hardness: Combining the high hardness of alumina (Mohs hardness approximately 9) with the high strength of zirconium oxide, ZTA achieves a flexural strength of 500–800 MPa.
  • Excellent Wear Resistance: The composite structure provides excellent wear resistance, making it widely used in industrial components subject to severe wear.
  • Excellent Corrosion Resistance: Stable in most acidic and alkaline environments, suitable for harsh environments such as chemical and metallurgical applications.
  • Balanced Thermal Properties: Compared to pure alumina, ZTA offers improved thermal shock resistance and a thermal expansion coefficient closer to that of metal, facilitating metal-ceramic bonding.

Typical Applications

  • Mechanical and Engineering: Bearings, valves, seals, pump components
  • Wear-Resistant Components: Ball mills, grinding media, cutting tools
  • Electronic and Electrical: Insulators, substrates, high-strength insulating parts
  • Medical Devices: Artificial joints, dental restorations
  • Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering: High-Temperature Crucibles, Nozzles, Wear-Resistant Linings

Production and Processing

ZTA is produced by uniformly mixing alumina powder with a specific proportion of zirconium oxide powder (typically 10–20%), dry pressing, isostatic pressing, or injection molding, and then sintering at high temperatures. The resulting microstructure shows a uniform distribution of zirconium oxide particles within the alumina matrix, resulting in a toughened finish. Due to its high hardness, machining typically requires diamond tools or laser processing to ensure precision.

Alumina-Toughened Zirconia Ceramics (ATZ)

Alumina-Toughened Zirconia Ceramics (ATZ) are composite ceramics composed of a zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) matrix doped with a certain proportion of alumina (Al₂O₃) particles. Unlike ZTA (zirconia-toughened alumina), ATZ is primarily composed of zirconium oxide. The addition of a small amount of alumina further enhances its strength, hardness, and wear resistance while maintaining good fracture toughness.

Key Features

  • Higher Strength and Toughness: Building on the high strength and phase transformation toughening mechanism of Y-TZP zirconia, the addition of alumina particles further enhances the material's microstructural stability, resulting in a flexural strength of 1000–1400 MPa and a fracture toughness of 7–10 MPa·m½.
  • Excellent Wear Resistance and Hardness: The high hardness of alumina (Mohs hardness of approximately 9) imparts exceptional wear resistance to ATZ, far surpassing that of pure Y-TZP.
  • Excellent Thermal Properties: The addition of alumina reduces the material's coefficient of thermal expansion, enhances thermal stability, and improves thermal shock resistance. It can be used at temperatures up to 1500°C.
  • Excellent Chemical Stability: It remains chemically inert to acids, bases, and most corrosive media, making it suitable for demanding applications.
  • Suitable for Precision Applications: Its high strength and wear resistance make it widely used in precision components requiring high reliability and long life.

Typical Applications

  • Medical: Bioceramic materials such as dental implants, dental restorations, and hip joints.
  • Mechanical and Engineering: High-strength bearings, seals, pump and valve components, and cutting tools.
  • Electronics and Energy: High-strength insulators and solid oxide fuel cell components.
  • Aerospace: Wear-resistant nozzles and high-temperature structural parts.

Production and Processing

ATZ is typically made from a high-purity Y-TZP powder matrix with a small amount (typically 10–20 wt%) of alumina added. The material is formed by isostatic pressing, injection molding, or tape casting, followed by high-temperature sintering. In the sintered microstructure, alumina is evenly dispersed in the zirconia matrix, strengthening the grain boundaries and enhancing wear resistance. Due to its high hardness and toughness, processing requires diamond grinding, ultrasonic machining, or laser precision cutting.

Zirconia Material Properties

Great Ceramic offers a variety of zirconia ceramics materials for customers to choose from. The following values are typical material properties and may vary depending on product configuration and manufacturing process. For more details, please feel free to contact us.

Mechanical Properties

Properties Unit Y-PSZ Mg-PSZ ZTA
Colour —— White Yellow White
Density g/cm³ 6.05 5.7 4.1~4.38
Hardness GPa 12.5 11.8 15
Compressive Strength MPa 2100 1750 2350
Flexural Strength MPa 850 900 700
Fracture Toughness MPa・m1/2 4~5 ＞7.0 3.5
Modulus of Elasticity GPa 200 200 310
Poissons Ratio —— 0.3 0.3 0.26

Thermal Properties

Properties Unit Y-PSZ Mg-PSZ ZTA
Maximum Use Temperature ℃(No load) 1000 1000 1500
Thermal Conductivity @ 25°C W/(m・K) 2 2.2 20
Thermal Expansion a at 20–400°C 1 x 10-6/°C 10 10.2 8
Specific Heat J/(kg・K) 460 400 720
Thermal Shock Resistance ℃(Put in water) 300 350 300

Electrical Properties

Properties Unit Y-PSZ Mg-PSZ ZTA
Dielectric Constant 1MHz 30 28 10.2
Dielectric Strength(6.35mm) ac-kV/mm 9 9.4 9
Dielectric Loss 1MHz 16 x 10-4 10 x 10-4 20 x 10-4
Volume Resistivity @ 25°C Ω・cm ＞1013 ＞1012 ＞1014
Volume Resistivity @ 500°C Ω・cm ＞103 ＞103 ＞104

Zirconia Ceramics application cases

Great Ceramic's zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) ceramics are renowned for their exceptional high strength, excellent fracture toughness, good wear resistance, and chemical stability. They are widely used in industries requiring the highest mechanical properties and durability. Compared to other structural ceramics, zirconia ceramics possess near-metallic toughness and a unique phase transformation toughening mechanism, making them an advanced ceramic material that combines both hardness and reliability.

Major Applications of Zirconia Ceramics:

  • Zirconia tubes and rods (standard and custom dimensions)
  • Zirconia ceramic seals, valves, and pump components
  • Zirconia ceramic substrates and plates
  • Zirconia bearings and bushings
  • Zirconia cutting tools and knives
  • Custom-machined zirconia structures for high-tech industries
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Magnesium Oxide Stabilized Zirconia Ceramic Sleeves
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Surface metallized ceramic
Preparation and properties of zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) ceramics

Zirconia Ceramic Machining

Zirconia ceramics are known for their exceptional toughness, high strength, and remarkable wear resistance, making them one of the most advanced ceramic materials for precision engineering. Great Ceramic provides comprehensive zirconia ceramic machining capabilities, delivering outstanding performance, durability, and accuracy tailored to customer needs.

During processing, we employ diamond grinding, precision milling, and fine polishing techniques to achieve micron-level tolerances and superior surface finishes. These capabilities ensure that zirconia ceramic parts meet the stringent structural precision and aesthetic requirements demanded by industries such as medical devices, aerospace, and advanced machinery.

With years of technical expertise and advanced equipment, Great Ceramic not only supplies standard parts but also specializes in customized, complex structural components that require high reliability and long service life.

Precision Ceramic CNC Machining

CNC Grinding & Milling

CNC milling, turning, and grinding to micron-level tolerances.

Ceramic Grinding & Polishing

Lapping & Polishing

Surface polishing for smooth finishes and optical-grade surfaces.

Technical Ceramic Laser Cutting

Ceramic Laser Cutting

Laser drilling and cutting for complex geometries.

Ceramic and Metal Brazed Assemblies

Metallization & Welding

Metallization (Mo/Mn, W) for ceramic-to-metal brazing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, zirconia is ceramic—specifically, it's classified as an advanced or technical ceramic. Unlike traditional clay-based ceramics, zirconia ceramic is derived from zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) through sophisticated processing techniques that yield superior mechanical and thermal properties.

Zirconia is ceramic, not a metal. While it contains zirconium, which is a metallic element, in its oxidized form (ZrO2), it becomes a ceramic material with properties distinctly different from metals, including exceptional hardness, electrical insulation, and corrosion resistance.

Not exactly. While zirconia is a type of ceramic, not all ceramics are zirconia. Traditional ceramics are typically based on silicate materials, while zirconia ceramic represents a specific advanced ceramic material with significantly enhanced properties, particularly in terms of strength, toughness, and thermal resistance.

The question of zirconia vs ceramic depends on the application. For applications requiring high strength, fracture toughness, and wear resistance, zirconia ceramic is generally superior to traditional ceramics. However, for less demanding applications or where cost is a primary factor, traditional ceramics may be sufficient.

Zirconia ceramic has diverse applications including dental restorations (crowns, bridges), cutting tools, wear-resistant components, oxygen sensors, fuel cells, thermal barrier coatings, precision instruments, ceramic zirconia knives, and various industrial components that require high performance under demanding conditions.

Yes, zirconia is all ceramic—it consists primarily of zirconium dioxide in various crystalline phases (stabilized with additives like yttria), without metallic components in its basic form. Some composites may combine zirconia with other materials, but pure zirconia ceramic is 100% ceramic.

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Why Choose Great Ceramic for Zirconia Materials?

  • Customization: From standard zirconia rods and tubes to complex components.
  • Precision Machining: State-of-the-art diamond grinding ensures micron accuracy.
  • Material Expertise: Decades of experience in zirconia ZrO₂ ceramic processing.
  • Quality Assurance: Strict inspection and testing protocols.
  • Global Reach: Supplying clients in Europe, North America, and Asia.

When it comes to zirconia material properties and customized solutions, Great Ceramic delivers the most reliable zirconia ceramics on the market.

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