- Zirconia (ZrO₂) – The Toughest "Ceramic Steel"
Applications: Cutting tools, bearings, and sealing rings in mechanical engineering; artificial joints in biomedicine (especially suitable for patients requiring high flexibility); connector ferrules in fiber optic communication; and bulletproof armor and refractory materials. Zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) also significantly improves the performance of alumina.
* Material Properties: Possesses unparalleled room-temperature toughness among ceramics, achieved through a "phase transformation toughening" mechanism—the metastable tetragonal phase transforms into a monoclinic phase under crack tip stress, expanding in volume to absorb energy and hinder crack propagation. It also exhibits high strength, wear resistance, and good biocompatibility.
