Zirconia

A high-toughness ceramic for close-tolerance wear parts, precision motion and contact-stress applications.

Y-TZP and stabilized zirconia precision ceramics

Technical specifications

Typical reference data for first-round screening.

Values are typical engineering references. Final material selection should confirm grade, process route, geometry, tolerance and test method.

Density	5.9-6.1 g/cm3 typical
Hardness	11-13 GPa typical
Max service temperature	800-1000 C, stabilized grade dependent
Thermal conductivity	2-3 W/m-K typical
Flexural strength	800-1200 MPa typical
Fracture toughness	6-10 MPa m^0.5 typical
Electrical behavior	Electrical insulator in many grades

Typical applications

Precision shafts, sleeves and guide rollers
Valve balls, seats, plungers and metering parts
Close-tolerance components under repeated contact load
Wear components where alumina chips or cracks

Advantages

Superior fracture toughness among common technical ceramics
High flexural strength for precision components
Good surface finish and dimensional control
Strong resistance to crack propagation under load

Comparison notes

Choose zirconia when contact stress, edge loading and crack resistance dominate.
Compared with SiC, zirconia is tougher but less suitable for very high thermal conductivity or continuous ultra-high-temperature service.

Application review

Not sure if ZrO2 is the right material?

Send the working temperature, medium, wear mode, load, drawing, current failure problem and quantity. We can compare Zirconia against other ceramic options.

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