Bending strength of zirconia/porcelain functionally graded materials prepared using spark plasma sintering

J Dent. 2014 Dec;42(12):1569-76. doi: 10.1016/j.jdent.2014.09.012. Epub 2014 Oct 2.

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to fabricate functionally graded materials (FGMs) consisting of yttria-stabilised tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) and porcelain using spark plasma sintering (SPS) and examine the influence of their microstructures and thermal stress on their bending strengths.

Methods: Two types of four-layered Y-TZP/porcelain FGMs having a constant layer thickness and a varying layer thickness, Y-TZP/porcelain composite materials having a microstructure corresponding to each layer in FGMs and monolithic materials of Y-TZP and porcelain were fabricated by SPS. The Y-TZP/porcelain volume fraction of each layer in FGMs was varied over 100/0-70/30. Three-point bending test, X-ray diffraction, density measurement, microstructure observation, and thermal stress estimation were performed to characterise the materials.

Results: The bending strength of the Y-TZP/porcelain composite materials decreased with the volume fraction of the porcelain. About FGMs, when the 100%Y-TZP layer was on the tensile stress side during the bending test, the bending strength was almost the same as that of the 100%Y-TZP monolithic material. On the other hand, when the 100%Y-TZP layer was on the compressive stress side, the bending strength of FGM having a constant layer thickness was almost the same as that of the 70%Y-TZP+30%porcelain composite material, while the bending strength of FGM with a varying layer thickness was significantly higher than that of the 70%Y-TZP+30%porcelain composite material.

Clinical significance: The FGMs prepared and analyzed in this research can potentially be used for crowns and bridges as well as for inlays and onlays.

Conclusion: The SPS method could effectively fabricate the Y-TZP/porcelain FGMs, and the bending strength results revealed that the graded structure was very efficient to raise the bending strength.

Keywords: Bending strength; Functionally graded material; Porcelain; Spark plasma sintering; Thermal stress; Y-TZP.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aluminum Silicates / chemistry
  • Ceramics / chemistry*
  • Dental Materials / chemistry*
  • Dental Porcelain / chemistry*
  • Elastic Modulus
  • Electrochemical Techniques
  • Humans
  • Materials Testing
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Particle Size
  • Plasma Gases / chemistry*
  • Pliability
  • Potassium Compounds / chemistry
  • Powders / chemistry
  • Pressure
  • Quartz / chemistry
  • Stress, Mechanical
  • Surface Properties
  • Temperature
  • Vacuum
  • X-Ray Diffraction
  • Yttrium / chemistry*
  • Zirconium / chemistry*

Substances

  • Aluminum Silicates
  • Dental Materials
  • Plasma Gases
  • Potassium Compounds
  • Powders
  • yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconia
  • Dental Porcelain
  • feldspar
  • Quartz
  • Yttrium
  • Zirconium