Entrapped Gase Effect in the Fast Firing of Yttria-Doped Zirconia

Abstract

Compared to conventional sintering of Y2O3-doped ZrO2 using a slow heating rate of 10-degrees-C/min, microwave sintering and fast firing using a rapid heating rate of about 500-degrees-C/min resulted in lower final sintered densities. It is attributed to the residual chlorine in commercial zirconia powders manufactured by the chloride process. By calcining at 1100-degrees-C for 1 h to remove residual chlorines from the powder compacts, near full densities (> 99% of theoretical) could be obtained by both fast firing and microwave sintering.