High strength and toughness in chromatic polymer-infiltrated zirconia ceramics.
To evaluate the microstructure and mechanical behavior of polymer-infiltrated zirconia ceramics as a function of Fe2O3concentration (0-0.3mol%).



Polymer-infiltrated zirconia ceramics with different concentrations of Fe2O3were prepared by infiltration and polymerization. XRD was employed to determine phase structure. The microstructure and fracture mechanism was observed by SEM. Flexural strength and fracture toughness were measured by three-point bending method and single-edge-notched beam method, respectively. Data were analyzed by Weibull distribution. A nanoindentation system was employed to determine elastic modulus and hardness.



With increasing content of Fe2O3, the flexural strength, fracture toughness, elastic modulus and hardness are all greatly enhanced and the chromatic behavior also improves significantly. As a tradeoff made between strength and elastic modulus, specimen containing 0.2mol% Fe2O3is found to be the better one, with flexural strength and fracture toughness values being 336.8MPa and 3.91MPam1/2, respectively. Moreover, it maintains a relatively low elastic modulus of 88.2GPa and a moderate hardness of 4.8GPa, close to those of natural enamel.



This polymer-infiltrated zirconia ceramic material is a dental material of biomimetic chromatic and mechanical properties.
State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China. Electronic address: ljing12@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn.
Jing
J
Li
State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China.
Ben-Cang
BC
Cui
State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China.
Yuan-Hua
YH
Lin
School & Hospital of Stomatology, Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Peking University, Beijing 100081, PR China.
Xu-Liang
XL
Deng
State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China.
Ming
M
Li
State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China.
Ce-Wen
CW
Nan
D002516:Ceramics; D003776:Dental Porcelain; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D006244:Hardness; D008422:Materials Testing; D018583:Pliability; D011108:Polymers; D015040:Zirconium
D005290:Ferric Compounds; D011108:Polymers; D003776:Dental Porcelain; D015040:Zirconium; C028541:zirconium oxide
3Y-TZP; Fe(2)O(3); Mechanical properties; Polymer-infiltrated ceramic; Weibull analysis