materials

Zirconia

While there are many different types of Zirconia, this versatile material is generally characterized by its hardness, wear resistance, and excellent thermal shock resistance.

8.0

Relative Cost of Material

7.5

Machining Degree of Difficulty

Summary

Zirconia comes in many forms, and each has its own benefits for different applications; Yttria and Magnesia Zirconia are both extremely common in many industries, as well as Zirconia Toughened Alumina (ZTA), Alumina Toughened Zirconia (ATZ), Partially Stabilized Zirconia (PSZ), and many other forms. The main characteristics of Zirconias are their excellent thermal shock characteristics, as well as high hardness and abrasion resistance. They are a close CTE match to iron, making them a good pairing with some ferrite components, and like many other ceramics are good thermal and electrical insulators with high corrosion resistance.

While each type of Zirconia cuts differently, Mindrum Precision has extensive experience making tight tolerance components out of these materials for a variety of industries. As Zirconia is a more expensive material much of the machining cost is dependent on scrap rate, which means that a more experienced shop will often deliver both a better product for a more competitive price. Click here for our contact information or to request a quote, and we will show you why more engineers are trusting us with their mission-critical needs.

Applications

Zirconia is used in many applications, and specifically those that require either high thermal shock resistance or a CTE match to iron or ferrite components. This includes high-temperature nozzles, crucibles, heating elements, or insulating components to house copper wire. In addition to aerospace and scientific research applications, Zirconia is also frequently used in fiber optics to make ferrules other connectors and sleeves as well.

Properties

Material PropertyZirconia
Density (g/cm^3)5 - 6.15
Hardness (MPa)5500 - 15740
Tensile Strength (MPa)115 - 711
Modulus of Elasticity (GPa)100 - 250
Flexural Strength (MPa)600 - 900
Compressive Strength (MPa)1200 - 5200
Poisson's Ratio0.22 - 0.32
Dielectric Constant (@1MHz)10 - 23
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (1 x 10^-6/°C)6.0 - 8.9
Thermal Conductivity (W/m K)1.7 - 2.7
Specific Heat (J/kg*K)420 - 540
Maximum Working Temperature (°C)500 - 1500
*Note: Properties vary by manufacturer. The above information should be used for general reference purposes only.

related Materials

  • Alumina – A similarly corrosion resistant, high-strength insulating ceramic with a lower CTE
  • Sapphire – Technical, high-cost material with excellent strength and mechanical properties
  • Ferrite – Iron-based ceramic-like material with excellent magnetic qualities and a CTE match to some Zirconias.

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