Effect of Sodium Silicate on the Sintering and Properties of Zirconia Ceramics

Dependences of the formation of the microstructure and phase composition of partially stabilized zirconia ceramics on the sintering temperature and the content of the sintering additive have been studied. It has been shown that introduction of an additive forming a low-temperature melt based on sodium silicate Na2SiO3 reduces the sintering temperature by 200°C. Dense nanocrystalline materials with a crystal size of 100–200 nm, a flexural strength to 600 MPa, and a sintering temperature of 1200–1250°C were obtained.