Zirconia is a common inorganic material with a chemical formula of ZrO2 and has a wide range of applications. Zirconia’s high temperature stability, wear resistance and corrosion resistance properties make it an ideal material for many applications, such as materials science, biomedicine, etc.
Properties of Zirconia
Chemical properties
It has high chemical stability, is not easy to react with other elements, and has excellent corrosion resistance. In addition, zirconia has high purity and chemical purity and will not pollute the environment.
Physical properties
Zirconia is a white powder with high density and high hardness. It has a melting point of about 2700°C, a low coefficient of thermal expansion, and excellent thermal conductivity. In addition, zirconia has high compressive strength and high modulus of elasticity.
Crystal structure
Zirconia has three different crystal structures, namely monoclinic, cubic and tetragonal. Each of the three crystal structures has its own unique properties and applications. Among them, monoclinic zirconia is the most common form, which has excellent stability and thermal stability.
Monoclinic system:
The monoclinic system is the most common crystal structure of zirconia, and its crystal structure presents an asymmetric hexahedral network. This crystal structure is characterized by excellent stability and thermal stability, allowing it to be used in many applications in high temperature environments. In addition, monoclinic zirconia has good mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, so it is widely used in materials science, aerospace and other fields.
Cubic system
Cubic is one of the crystal structures of zirconia, and its crystal structure exhibits a grid of cubes. Cubic zirconia has good optical and dielectric properties, and can be used in optical devices, electronic components and other fields. In addition, cubic zirconia can also be used as ceramic membrane materials, solid electrolytes and other applications.
Etragonal system
Tetragonal is a crystal structure of zirconia in which the crystal structure exhibits a square grid. Zirconia with this crystal structure has good thermal conductivity and high thermal stability, and can be used in high-temperature electronic components, gas turbines, etc. In addition, tetragonal zirconia can also be used as optical components such as infrared windows and radar windows.
Different crystal structures of zirconia have different physical, chemical and electrical properties, and are also used in different fields. For example, monoclinic zirconia can be used in many applications in high temperature environments, and cubic zirconia can be used in optical devices, electronic components, etc.
Application of Zirconia
High temperature material
As a material with high thermal stability, zirconia is widely used in the manufacture of materials in high-temperature environments, such as aerospace, automobiles, etc. For example, in the field of aerospace, zirconia can be used as a manufacturing material for components such as rocket nozzles and radiant heat shields. In addition, zirconia can also be used as an additive in high-temperature alloys, which can enhance the oxidation resistance and high-temperature strength of the alloy.
In high-temperature material applications, the performance requirements of zirconia mainly include high thermal stability, high-temperature strength and oxidation resistance. However, in practical applications, the high-temperature performance of zirconia may be affected by factors such as lattice structure changes, redox reactions, etc., so the challenges brought about by these factors need to be considered during the design and fabrication of materials.
Magnetic material
Due to its excellent magnetic properties, zirconia is widely used in the manufacture of magnetic materials. For example, in storage devices such as magnetic heads and magnetic disks, zirconia can be used as the main component of magnetic coatings. In addition, zirconia can also be used in applications such as magnetic capacitors and magnetic isolation materials. In the application of magnetic materials, the performance requirements of zirconia mainly include high magnetic properties, low hysteresis loss and good thermal stability.
1. High magnetic
It refers to the strong magnetization degree of the material under the action of a magnetic field. For magnetic materials, high magnetism can make them exhibit stronger magnetism in a magnetic field, thereby improving the application performance of magnetic materials. Therefore, for the application of zirconia in magnetic materials, high magnetic properties are a very critical performance requirement.
2. Low hysteresis loss
It refers to the degree of loss of magnetic energy of the material when the magnetic field changes. Hysteresis loss is a very important form of energy loss in magnetic materials, which will cause thermal energy loss in magnetic materials in practical applications and affect the magnetic properties and stability of materials. Therefore, low hysteresis loss is another key performance requirement for the application of zirconia in magnetic materials.
3. Thermal stability
The application of zirconia in magnetic materials also requires good thermal stability to ensure its long-term stable performance in high temperature environments. In practical applications, magnetic materials often face high-temperature environments, and the high thermal stability of zirconia can ensure that materials do not lose their magnetic properties at high temperatures.
Although zirconia has high magnetic and thermal stability among magnetic materials, there are still some limitations and challenges.
For example, zirconia itself has weak magnetism and needs to be combined with other magnetic elements or compounds to improve its magnetic properties. In addition, the hysteresis loss and magnetic saturation magnetic induction of zirconia also need to be further optimized to meet the needs of different application scenarios. Therefore, in the future, it is necessary to further study and optimize the performance of zirconia in terms of material synthesis, surface modification, and magnetic regulation to realize its application potential in magnetic materials.
In addition, in terms of catalyst applications, the performance requirements of zirconia mainly include high surface area, good stability and catalytic activity. Due to its stability and high surface area, zirconia is widely used in catalysts, such as zirconia catalysts exhibit excellent catalytic performance in ethylene oxidation, methane catalytic cracking, redox reaction, denitrification and other reactions.
However, the catalytic activity and selectivity of zirconia still need to be further improved, especially under the conditions of high temperature and high pressure, its stability and activity will be affected. Therefore, in the future, it is necessary to further improve the catalytic performance of zirconia, and study new synthesis methods, surface modification and structure regulation technologies to meet the needs of different catalytic reactions.
Conclusion
There are many excellent properties, such as high thermal stability, excellent mechanical properties and chemical stability, which make it an ideal material for many applications. In the future, with the continuous development of science and technology, the demand for zirconia will continue to increase, so its research and application will continue. Especially in the research of new preparation methods, structure and performance regulation, etc., the application prospect of zirconia is worth looking forward to. Its development has gone through a long history, but its potential and prospects are still unlimited.
References
- https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E6%99%B6%E4%BD%93%E7%BB%93%E6%9E%84
- https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E4%BA%8C%E6%B0%A7%E5%8C%96%E9%94%86
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zirconium_dioxide
- https://www.wundermold.com/what-zirconium-dioxide-how-hard/
- https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Zirconium-dioxide#section=Deprecated-CAS
- http://www.leibaozr.com/news/industry/2015-06/85.html
