LOW-TEMPERATURE DEGRADATION OF Y-TZP MATERIALS

Seven yttria-tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (TZP) materials were examined to determine if they were susceptible to low temperature degradation. Flexure specimens were exposed to approximately 800 Pa of water vapour pressure for 50 h between 200 and 400-degrees-C. Only one of the TZPs was unaffected by these low temperature treatments. Three underwent catastrophic degradation after all the low temperature treatments, while the final three had property losses of varying degrees, depending on the treatment temperature.