Zirconia, or zirconium dioxide, is a white crystalline oxide ceramic that shifts between monoclinic, tetragonal and cubic crystal structures with temperature; stabilizing it with a dopant such as yttrium oxide locks in superior thermal, mechanical and electrical properties for demanding engineering use. German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth first identified the compound in 1789 while studying a zircon sample from Ceylon, and Jons Jacob Berzelius later isolated it as a metal in 1824, though its development as a modern engineering ceramic came much later. Stabilized zirconia is now one of the most studied ceramic materials, used for dental crowns and bridges, oxygen sensors, fuel cell membranes, thermal barrier coatings on jet and diesel engines, and ceramic cutting tools. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Primary UseSourced to the subject's own accountDental crowns, bridges and other restorations; oxygen sensors and fuel cell membranes; thermal barrier coatings for jet and diesel engines; ceramic cutting tools. 1 Origin YearSourced to the subject's own accountMarks Klaproth's 1789 discovery of the chemical compound; its use as a stabilized engineering ceramic is a much later, twentieth-century development. Classification
Material ClassSourced to the subject's own account Connections
Associated With
Ceramics, Materials Zirconia (zirconium dioxide) is a technical/advanced ceramic material.
Zirconia is a widely used biocompatible ceramic material for dental implants and crowns.
In Field
Sources
1. Zirconium Dioxide (Wikipedia)
WikipediaEngineering properties section
Zirconium dioxide is one of the most studied ceramic materials.
material-class sentence
Zirconia, or zirconium dioxide, is a white crystalline oxide ceramic that shifts between monoclinic, tetragonal and cubic crystal structures with temperature; stabilizing it with a dopant such as yttrium oxide locks in superior thermal, mechanical and electrical properties for demanding engineering use.
View the Source Frequently Asked Questions
Why is zirconia stabilized with a dopant such as yttrium oxide?
The dopant locks in a crystal structure with better thermal, mechanical and electrical properties.
Zirconia shifts between monoclinic, tetragonal and cubic crystal structures as temperature changes. Stabilizing it with a dopant such as yttrium oxide locks in superior thermal, mechanical and electrical properties, which is what makes stabilized zirconia useful for dental crowns, oxygen sensors, fuel cell membranes, thermal barrier coatings and ceramic cutting tools.
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