Zirconium Oxide (ZrO₂)
Unlike other ceramic materials, zirconium oxide (ZrO2 – also known as zirconia) is a material with very high resistance to crack propagation. Zirconium oxide ceramics also have very high thermal expansion and are therefore often the material of choice for joining ceramics and steel.
Another outstanding property combination is the very low thermal conductivity and high strength. In addition, some types of zirconium oxide ceramics can conduct oxygen ions. Components made from this material are significantly more expensive than components made of alumina ceramics.
Application Examples
Due to their biocompatibility, zirconium oxide ceramics are used, for example, as a material for crowns and bridges in the dental industry, as tools for wire forming, as an aid in welding processes, as technical cutters in the textile industry, as an insulating ring in thermal processes and as an oxygen measuring cell in lambda sensors. Other fields of application include electronics, applications for pumps, valves & seals, aviation and energy generation, where zirconium oxide is used as an insulator and in high-performance components.
In the future, the material could play a key role in environmental and energy technology, e.g. in fuel cells, which rely on durable and stable materials.
Our ZrO₂ Portfolio - Material Properties
| Property | ZN40 | MZ429 | HTZ500 |
| Sintering | DB1 | DB1 / HIP | DB1 / HIP |
| Density | 5,79 g/cm3 | 6,06 / 6,07 g/cm3 | 5,95 / 5,96 g/cm3 |
| Zirconia grain size | 35 µm | 0,4 / 0,3 µm | - / 0,5 µm |
| Young modulus (GPa) | 210 | 220 | 220 |
| Hardness HV1 (GPa) | 11 | 13 | 13 |
| Toughness K1c (IFR) | n.a. | 5 MPa·√m | 12 MPa·√m |
| Bending strength (4PB) | 500 MPa | 1000 / 1500 MPa | 1000 / 1720 MPa |
| Weibull | 20 | 20 / 10 | 20 / 10 |
| Thermal expansion coefficient | 10,2 * 10-6·K-1 | 10,5 * 10-6·K-1 | 10,6 * 10-6·K-1 |
| Thermal conductivity (W/m·K) | 3,0 | 3,0 | 3,6 |
1 DB=Direktbrand (single-stage sintering)
Where HTZ500 outperforms common ZrO₂ Materials
- Very high strength and reliability
- Damage tolerance and fracture toughness (3x higher than standard zirconia, 4x higher than ATZ, 5x higher than standard alumina)
- Increased cutting edge stability
- Grinding resistance, less damage
- Aging resistance (stability under hydrothermal conditions)
- Meets the requirements of ISO 13356
- Strength is more than twice the value required by the standard
