Study the Effect of Adding Copper Oxide to Zirconia

Abstract

Zirconia (partial stabilized Zirconia: ZrO₂ plus 5.4 wt% Y₂O₃) and 1% polyvinyl alcohol were used as a binder during modeling and compression processes. The best pressure for compressing the samples was chosen corresponding to the best wet density 2.821 g/cm3 against a pressure of 250 bar, and this pressure was approved for compressing all the prepared samples. Samples of Zirconia were prepared by adding percentages of copper oxide of 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9 and 1 after that conducting a heat treatment at a temperature 1350^oC for two hours at a rate of rise and fall its value is 5^oC/min. Some physical and mechanical properties such as density, total shrinkage amount, diameter, Vickers hardness, Brazilian fracture strength, porosity and water absorption were calculated. Through the results, a decrease in the density, hardness, and Brazilian fracture strength appeared with the increase in the percentage of copper oxide, and there was an increase in the diameter of the samples with the increase in the percentage of copper oxide.