Sintered Properties of Stainless Steel-doped Y-TZP Ceramics

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Faculty of Built Environment, Engineering, Technology and Design, Taylor’s University, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
² Centre of Advanced Manufacturing & Material Processing (AMMP), Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

^* Corresponding author: KelvinWaiJin.Chew@taylors.edu.my

Abstract

Yttria stabalised Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystalline (Y-TZP) has been extensively renowned for its vast outstanding contribution in medical field such as primary function for implant biomaterial which acts as restoration of damaged body parts. Nonetheless in the past decades, there have been various reported cases that point the failure of hip transplants involving material of zirconia ceramic. This eventually leads to the birth of this research project where it studied the properties effects of Y-TZP as it was added or doped with stainless steel 316 (SS316). In this research project, the parameter of weight percentage for stainless steel 316 (SS316) to be doped with Y-TZP were as follows; 0 wt%, 0.1 wt%, 0.5 wt% and 1 wt%. The outcome of this experiment then were measured and analysed as according to properties of relative density, Vickers hardness and fracture toughness. The experiment was conducted by firstly mixed the Y-TZP and SS316 powders together as according to the weight percentage of SS316 as well as addition of ethanol solution that act for medium of enhancement. The mixture then underwent compacting pressure bench press as well as Cold Isostatic Pressure (CIP) in order to produce the green sample. After that, the green sample underwent sintering process via pressureless sintering method at mentioned ranges temperature of 1250°C, 1300°C, 1400°C and up to 1500°C. Subsequently, the sample then underwent grinding and polishing process before proceeding to the measurement and analysis process. The outcome of the measurement and analysis process revealed that as the content of SS316 doped with Y-TZP increases as well as the increased in sintering temperature, the relative density and fracture toughness profound to be increased while Vickers hardness indicated as decreased.