Zirconia flakes are a high-performance ceramic material primarily composed of zirconia (ZrO2). It is not a single component, and the desired crystal structure and properties are usually obtained by adding stabilizers such as yttrium oxide (Y2O3). Zirconia flakes are a high-performance advanced ceramic material that combines excellent mechanical properties, outstanding aesthetic characteristics, stable chemical inertness, and good biocompatibility. It has successfully elevated the application of ceramics from "sturdy and durable" to a new height of "exquisite, beautiful, and powerful". In summary, zirconia sheets, with their unique combination of high strength, toughness, biocompatibility, and aesthetics, have successfully crossed over from an industrial specialty material. Whether in dental clinics that reshape human smiles, industrial sites that ensure precision manufacturing, or consumer electronics products that beautify daily life, zirconia sheets have become one of the key materials driving technological development and improving quality of life due to their unique value.
Zirconia flakes refer to sheet-like zirconia ceramic components made through processes such as dry pressing, casting, isostatic pressing, and high-temperature sintering.
Performance Characteristics
Zirconia flakes inherit the inherent excellent properties of zirconia ceramics and emphasize the following aspects due to their sheet-like morphology:
- Excellent mechanical properties: strong and tough
- High fracture toughness: This is the core advantage that distinguishes zirconia from other ceramics. Through the mechanism of "phase transformation toughening", it can effectively prevent crack propagation and greatly overcome the brittleness of traditional ceramics. This is crucial for sheet components that are frequently subjected to bending or impact.
- High strength and hardness: It has high bending strength, allowing it to withstand considerable loads even in thin sheet form without deformation or fracture. High hardness endows it with excellent wear resistance and scratch resistance.
- Excellent aesthetics and biocompatibility
- Color and translucency: Dental grade zirconia can be adjusted in color and translucency through doping and sintering processes, making its color and translucency very similar to natural teeth, achieving excellent aesthetic restoration effects.
- Biocompatibility: Zirconia sheets that have obtained medical device certifications (such as ISO 13485, CFDA/FDA) are non-toxic, non allergenic, and non irritating to human tissues. They are recognized as biologically inert materials and can safely come into long-term contact with the human body.
- Low thermal conductivity and excellent thermal stability
- Insulation: Zirconia is an excellent insulation material with extremely low thermal conductivity.
- High temperature resistance: able to maintain the stability of its structure and properties at high temperatures (usually>1100℃), and not easily soften or creep.
- Excellent chemical stability
- It has excellent corrosion resistance to most acids, alkalis, and organic solvents, is rust resistant, and its long-term performance does not deteriorate.
- Other physical characteristics
- Electrical insulation: It is an excellent electrical insulator.
- Magnetic inertness: non-magnetic, not affected by magnetic field interference.
Advantage
- Compared to metal sheets:
- More wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant: longer lifespan, no need for surface treatment such as electroplating.
- Good biocompatibility: suitable for human implantation, with no risk of metal ion precipitation.
- Insulation and thermal insulation: possessing functional characteristics that metals do not have.
- The texture is warm and beautiful.
- Compared to other ceramic tiles such as alumina:
- Higher toughness and less fragility: significantly improved reliability and service life.
- Higher strength: can be made thinner and more delicate.
- Better aesthetic performance: Especially in the field of dentistry, transparency and color are unmatched by aluminum oxide.
- Compared to resin/plastic sheets:
- High hardness and wear resistance: extremely scratch resistant, long-term use without deformation.
- Chemical stability: no aging, no discoloration, solvent resistance.
- High precision and stability: sintering molding, size stability, no moisture absorption and expansion.
Application
- Industrial manufacturing and sealing
- Mechanical seal ring: used in high demand scenarios such as chemical pumps and automotive water pumps, it is corrosion-resistant, wear-resistant, and has a long service life. It is an advanced sealing material that replaces tungsten carbide and silicon carbide.
- Wear resistant plate and lining plate: As the inner lining or wear-resistant plate of equipment, it is used to transport particles, powder materials, and protect the main body of the equipment.
- Ceramic cutting blades: Zirconia slicing blades, scissors, etc., sharp and long-lasting, will not react with food and produce odors.
- Measuring instrument gasket and guide rail: high hardness, wear-resistant, can ensure long-term dimensional accuracy.
- Electronics and Semiconductors
- Semiconductor manufacturing fixtures: such as wafer carrier rings, insulation sheets, etc., resistant to plasma erosion, highly clean, and do not release pollutants.
- Fuel cell separator/connector: In solid oxide fuel cells, as a separator for connecting individual cells, it is necessary to have good conductivity and stability in complex atmospheres.
- Sensor substrate: As a carrier substrate for pressure and gas sensors.
- Consumer Electronics and Daily Life
- Smart wearable appearance components, such as the back cover or middle frame of smart watches and bracelets, provide a warm and skin friendly texture, high glossiness, and excellent scratch resistance, highlighting high-end quality.
- Decorative items: such as the dial and case of high-end watches, as well as fashionable accessories, with long-lasting colors and lasting freshness.
- High performance cutting tools: household and professional ceramic fruit knives, kitchen knives.
Technical Specifications
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