Zirconium Oxide (or Zirconia) products demonstrate good mechanical properties and stability at elevated temperatures. Zirconium oxides also have excellent chemical inertness and are resistant to corrosion. All of these properties make zirconium oxide ideal for use in refractory products, ceramics materials, and electronic applications.
Zirconium Oxide is also a highly versatile material when combined with other elements. The addition of yttrium oxide unlocks the tetragonal polymorph and further enhances the mechanical properties and forms materials suitable for advanced ceramic applications. These include cutting tools, abrasives, milling media and even medical implants including dental prosthetics. Further addition of yttrium oxide yields the cubic polymorph and can lead to function ceramics which can conduct oxygen ions. Applications include materials for fuel cells, used in oxygen sensors, and cubic zirconia for jewelry. PZT, Glass, bone cement.
Zirconium Oxide doped with magnesium oxide can produce partially stabilized materials that offer thermal resistance and tough materials, ideal for use in refractories.
Zirconium Oxide for electronic applications typically combines zirconia with other metal oxides such as Lead and Titanium oxide to form Lead Zirconium Titanate (PZT). PZT’s are used in ultrasound devices, guidance systems, and sensors. Zirconium oxide can also be used in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells either as zirconia or in yttria-stabilized form.
- Refractories
Zirconium Oxide’s excellent thermal resistance and mechanical properties at elevated temperatures make it the perfect material for refractory applications.
- Advanced ceramics
Yttrium-doped zirconium oxide provides advanced mechanical properties for use in cutting tools, abrasives, and milling media due to its high wear resistance.
- Medical products
Zirconium oxide can be used as a radiopacifier in surgical cement due to its low solubility and biocompatibility. Dental implants can also be manufactured from Zirconium Oxide by carefully controlling the level of yttria added to fine-tune mechanical strength vs. optical properties.
- Glass-ceramics
Cubic zirconia is a fully stabilized Zirconium oxide and can be used for jewelry, however, due to zirconia’s excellent refractive index, it can be used in optical glass formulations to improve its properties.
- Electronics
Zirconium Oxide, whether on its own or combined with dopants, finds itself in electronic applications, such as PZTs and fuel cells.
INNOVACERA offers a wide range of Zirconium Oxides and Yttria Stabilized Zirconium Oxides.
We’d love to hear about your applications and discuss how our materials can offer you a solution.
What is Zirconium Oxide used for
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