Vol. 337 No. 10 (2026)
DOI https://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2026/10/5716
Rheological characteristics and features of thermal shrinkage during dilatometry of commercial powders of partially stabilized zirconia
Relevance. Partially stabilized zirconia is a sought-after ceramic material for medical application, which is widely used as dental implants, crowns, permanent dentures, etc. Medical products made of partially stabilized zirconia have high biological compatibility, good mechanical and optical properties, and their disadvantage, which leads to a shorter service life, is the degradation of properties in a humid environment and at elevated temperatures (partly consistent with the operating conditions of implants in the body). The full cycle of technology for manufacturing products of partially stabilized zirconia consists in the following main stages: processing of natural raw materials (baddeleyite or zircon), synthesis and preparation of powder, powder compaction and high-temperature processing, which makes it advisable to study the rheological characteristics and processes of thermal shrinkage of partially stabilized zirconia powders. Aim. To investigate rheological characteristics of commercial zirconium dioxide powders, as well as their thermal shrinkage by determining the constants of the Ivensen equation and the apparent activation energy of isothermal sintering. Objects. Partially stabilized zirconia powders of commercial brands: TZ-3YS (Tosoh Corp., Japan) and VK-R80Y3R (MSE Supplies LLC, USA). Methods. The rheological characteristics of partially stabilized zirconia powders were determined based on the provisions of the mechanistic pressing model according to the method of constructing compaction curves with successive discharges during their compaction in closed rigid molds. The processes of thermal shrinkage were studied using optical dilatometry in air. Powder compacts for dilatometry were pre-manufactured by cold static uniaxial single-sided pressing in steel molds. The microstructure and phase composition of the samples after dilatometry were studied by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray phase analysis. Results and conclusions. It is shown that the rheological properties of powder materials during their compaction in closed rigid molds can be determined with high reliability using the method of constructing compaction curves with successive discharges, which allows determining the dependence of its deformation on a single sample (after recalculation – density) from the applied pressing pressure. According to dilatometry data, the authors determined the coefficients of the Ivensen equation, and calculated the apparent activation energy of isothermal sintering during dilatometry.
For citation: Deulina D.E., Shevchenko I.N., Dvilis E.S., Paygin V.D., Tolkachev O.S., Stepichev D.A. Rheological characteristics and features of thermal shrinkage during dilatometry of commercial powders of partially stabilized zirconia. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Assets Engineering, 2026, vol. 337, no. 10, pp. 7–18. http://doi.org/10.18799/24131830/2026/10/5716
Keywords:
Partially stabilized zirconium dioxide, PSZ, cold uniaxial static pressing, rheological characteristics, dilatometry
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