Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Microwave Sintered ZrO(2) Bioceramics with TiO(2) Addition

The microwave sintered zirconia ceramics with 0, 1, 3, and 5 wt% TiO(2) addition at a low sintering temperature of 1300°C and a short holding time of 1 hour were investigated. Effect of contents of TiO(2) addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of microwave sintered zirconia bioceramics was reported. In the sintered samples, the main phase is monoclinic zirconia (m-ZrO(2)) phase and minor phase is tetragonal zirconia (t-ZrO(2)) phase. The grain sizes increased with increasing the TiO(2) contents under the sintering temperature of 1300°C. Although the TiO(2) phase was not detected in the XRD pattern, Ti and O elements were detected in the EDS analysis. The presence of TiO(2) effectively improved grain growth of the ZrO(2) ceramics. The Vickers hardness was in the range of 125 to 300 Hv and increased with the increase of TiO(2) contents. Sintering temperature dependence on the Vickers hardness was also investigated from 1150°C to 1300°C, showing the increase of Vickers hardness with the increase of the sintering temperature as well as TiO(2) addition.