How do zirconia ceramics achieve the manufacture of complex structures?
Publish Time: 2025-02-07
Zirconia ceramics, with its high strength, high toughness, good wear resistance and corrosion resistance, show wide application potential in many fields such as aerospace, electronics, and medical. Especially in occasions where complex structures are required, zirconia ceramics have become a highly regarded material in the manufacturing industry with its unique performance advantages.
1. Raw material selection and purification
The first step in the manufacture of complex structures of zirconia ceramics is to start with the selection and purification of raw materials. High-quality zirconia raw materials are the basis for the production of high-performance ceramics. Modern purification technologies, such as chlorination and thermal decomposition, alkali metal oxidation decomposition, lime melting, etc., are widely used to remove impurities in raw materials and improve the purity of zirconia. High-purity zirconia powder lays a solid foundation for subsequent molding and sintering processes.
2. Diversity of molding processes
The molding process of zirconia ceramics is a key link in realizing the manufacture of complex structures. At present, commonly used molding methods include slip casting, hot die casting, tape casting, dry pressing, and isostatic pressing.
Slip casting is suitable for manufacturing products with complex shapes and large sizes. Through physical dehydration and chemical coagulation, ceramic powder particles are deposited and formed on the wall of the gypsum mold. This method can accurately replicate the shape of the mold and realize the manufacture of complex structures.
Hot die casting is to mix ceramic powder with a binder at a higher temperature to obtain a slurry for hot die casting, inject it into a metal mold, and demold it after pressure cooling to obtain a wax blank, which is then sintered at high temperature to form porcelain. This method is suitable for manufacturing products with precise dimensions and uniform internal structures, especially for small or medium-sized zirconia ceramics with complex structures.
Casting is to mix ceramic powder with organic binders, plasticizers, dispersants, etc. to obtain a viscous slurry, which is discharged through a casting machine and dried to obtain a film blank. This method is suitable for manufacturing thin-film ceramic products. Complex multi-layer structures can be achieved through multi-layer stacking and cutting.
Dry pressing and isostatic pressing are to use a press or a special molding machine to make the powder into a dense blank under a certain pressure and pressing method. Dry pressing is suitable for products with simple shapes and moderate sizes, while isostatic pressing is particularly suitable for manufacturing zirconia structural ceramics with special shapes and large sizes. Since the pressure on the isostatically pressed green body is uniform in all directions, the green body after forming has high density and good uniformity, which is conducive to maintaining the complex structure during the subsequent sintering process.
In summary, the manufacture of complex structures of zirconia ceramics is a complex and delicate process involving multiple links such as raw material selection and purification, selection and optimization of molding process, sintering and post-processing.
