Properties of Al2O3 / ZrO2 composite for biomedical applications

The paper presents the results of testing a composite based on Al2O3 with the addition of zirconium oxide ZrO2 of 0 %, 5 %, 10 %, 15 %, and 20 %. ZrO2 powder was stabilized with 8% mol Y2O3. The composites were made by compaction of the mixed powders at 60 kN with subsequent sintering of the obtained moulded pieces at 1600 °C for five hours. The examinations of the composites included: determination of density and porosity, microscopic examination, X-ray diffraction (XRD), hardness measurements by the Vickers method, and determination of crack resistance. Microscopic examinations were carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A SEIFERT 3003 T-T X-ray diffractometer and radiation of a cobalt anode lamp were used to examine the phase composition.