Texture development in 3 mol% yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia

We have developed a method of forming textured tetragonal zirconia. A suspension containing 10 vol% solid loading of monoclinic ZrO2 mixed with 3 mol% Y2O3 was prepared, and then a bead-milling process was performed using 50 mu m diameter zirconia beads resulting in a well-dispersed suspension. The mixture suspension of monoclinic zirconia and yttria nanoparticles was slip cast under a magnetic field of 12 T to produce oriented monoclinic zirconia with yttria. The reaction sintering between yttria and the oriented monoclinic zirconia produces a final 3 mol% Y2O3 doped tetragonal zirconia that remains oriented. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.