What are the zirconia ceramics
Zirconia or zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) is a crystalline oxide of zirconium. It is white or black-colored and is naturally most common in monoclinic crystal structures. Zirconia is among the most frequently studied materials.
Zirconia is a ceramic material with many advanced mechanical properties that make it mainly applicable to a variety of medical devices but also to different industries for parts and products that need to be manufactured with zirconia.
The question arises whether zirconia is ceramic because it contains metal atoms in its structure, similar to other types of ceramic materials. This allows the zirconia to combine the high innate strength of the metal with the biocompatibility of the ceramic.
Zirconia ceramics can be processed into complex geometry in raw or biscuit forms. However, the sintering process required to fully compact the material results in subject shrinkage of about 20%. This contraction implies that it is impossible to maintain a very strict tolerance when processing the presintering.
To achieve a very strict tolerance, the completely sintered material must be processed / ground using diamond tools. In this process, very precise diamond coating tools / grinding wheels are used to grind out the material until the desired shape is formed. This can be a time-consuming and expensive process due to the inherent toughness and hardness of the material.
