Toughening of highly translucent zirconia by monoclinic Zro2 and Sio2 particle coating

Abstract

The mechanical properties of highly translucent partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) need to be improved; however, improvement of mechanical properties often decreases translucency. To overcome this problem, a monoclinic ZrO2 (mZrO2)/SiO2 dispersion was prepared and applied as a coating material for PSZ. The influence of surface treatment by the mZrO2/SiO2 dispersion on the surface topography, crystallography, and mechanical properties of highly translucent PSZ was investigated in this study. Following the treatment, the mechanical strength of highly translucent PSZ improved by 170% compared with control, for the best mZrO2/SiO2 dispersion ratio and heating temperature condition, while maintaining its translucency. The proposed coating is promising for improving the mechanical properties of highly translucent PSZ.