Zirconium oxides
Zirconium oxide naturally occurs in the form of the
mineral baddeleyite. For ceramics purposes, however,
it is extracted from zirconium sand and other minerals
containing zirconium in order to satisfy high standards
of purity.
Depending on their specific crystalline structure, zirconium oxides react elastic-like under mechanical stress, thus delivering enormous component strength. Apart from their excellent tribological friction and wear properties when used in contra-moving objects, zirconium oxides have the following additional characteristics:
- Exceptional fracture toughness
- High wear resistance
- High corrosion resistance
- Low heat conductivity
Thanks to such features, zirconium oxides are getting to be increasingly popular as structural materials for high-duty components, e.g., sliding/wear applications at elevated temperatures. Wire drawing cones and crucibles for the refractories industry are only some of the products for which zirconium oxide ceramics are used.