Alumina vs. Zirconia Ceramic Plates: Key Differences

In the field of advanced ceramic materials, alumina ceramic plates and zirconia ceramic plates  have become key materials in many industries due to their unique properties. Although they belong to the same ceramic materials, due to the composition and structure of the are differences in performance, preparation process and application direction show significant differences.

Alumina ceramic plate and zirconia ceramic plate nature of the difference

Alumina ceramic plate, with alumina (Al₂O₃) as the main component, according to the different content of alumina, can be divided into 95%, 99%, 99.5%, and so on, different grades; the higher the content, the more excellent performance. Zirconia ceramic plate is based on zirconia (ZrO₂), often needs to add yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃) and other stabilizers to regulate its crystalline transformation, to obtain stable performance. From the raw material characteristics, alumina resources are abundant, the cost is relatively low, which makes the alumina ceramic plate in the application of large-scale production has an inherent advantage; and zirconium oxide raw materials are scarce, purification difficulties, high cost, limiting the large-scale promotion of zirconia ceramic plate, but also laid the foundation for its application in the field of high-end.

Alumina ceramic plates and zirconia ceramic plates characteristics of the difference.

Hardness and wear resistance, alumina ceramic plate performance is excellent, the hardness can be up to Mohs hardness level 9 or so, second only to diamond, in the field of mechanical seals, ceramic cutting tools, etc., can effectively resist friction loss, prolong service life. Zirconia ceramic plate hardness is slightly lower than alumina ceramic plate, about Mohs hardness level 8, but it makes up for the lack of hardness with high toughness. Zirconia at room temperature in the sub-stable tetragonal phase, by the external force will occur when the martensitic phase transition, absorb energy, thus greatly enhancing the toughness of the material, so that it is not easy to rupture when subjected to impact, in the back plate of cell phones, smart watches and other collision-prone consumer electronics products, such as the case of the field of a wide range of applications.

High-temperature performance both excellent. Alumina ceramic plate can remain stable in the high temperature

environment of about 1600 ℃, commonly used in high temperature furnace lining, spark plug insulator. Zirconia ceramic plates are more resistant to high temperatures, can withstand temperatures of more than 2,000 ℃, and have good heat insulation. In aerospace engine combustion chamber components, automotive exhaust gas purification oxygen sensors, and other high-temperature, high-heat insulation applications play an important role in the scene.
In terms of chemical stability, alumina ceramic plate has good corrosion resistance to most acid and alkali solutions, and is widely used in chemical pipeline lining, food processing equipment and other fields. Zirconia ceramic plates also have good chemical stability, and in some special media, such as a molten metal environment, show better resistance to erosion. In the metallurgical industry, crucibles, sprue sets, and other parts of the manufacture of a unique advantage.

Alumina ceramic plate and zirconia ceramic plate production process differences

The production process, alumina ceramic plates and zirconia ceramic plates both use the powder metallurgy process, but the details are different. Alumina ceramic plate molding methods are varied; dry pressure molding is suitable for the production of simple shapes, large-sized plates, and isostatic pressure molding can be used for uniform density and excellent performance products. Sintering process, alumina ceramic plates can be generally in an air atmosphere sintering can be. Zirconia ceramic plate, because of the need to control the crystalline transformation, molding before the need to accurately allocate the proportion of stabilizer, sintering process on the temperature and atmosphere control is more stringent, often using vacuum sintering or atmosphere-protected sintering, in order to ensure that the product performance is stable. This makes zirconia ceramic plate production difficulty, and the cost is significantly higher than alumina ceramic plates.

Alumina ceramic plate and zirconia ceramic plate application differences

In terms of application areas, the two have their focus. Alumina ceramic plate with high hardness, wear resistance, insulation and other characteristics, used in the electronics industry as a circuit board substrate, encapsulation shell; in the field of machinery manufacturing for the manufacture of molds, rails; in the building decoration industry as high-grade wall tiles, floor tiles. Zirconia ceramic plate with high toughness, biocompatibility and high temperature performance, in the biomedical field for the manufacture of artificial joints, dental implants; in the aerospace and automotive industry to manufacture high temperature parts; in the field of optics to make precision lens components.

Alumina ceramic plate and zirconia ceramic plate cost and price differences

From the cost and price point of view, alumina ceramic plates, due to the low cost of raw materials, the production process is mature, the price is more affordable, and suitable for cost-sensitive, high-demand application scenarios. Zirconia ceramic plate, due to expensive raw materials and, complex production process, the price is higher, mainly used in the performance requirements with very high performance requirements, not sensitive to cost in the high-end market.
In summary, alumina ceramic plates and zirconia ceramic plate have their characteristics in terms of performance, process and application. In the actual choice, one needs to comprehensively consider the needs of specific use scenarios, weighing performance and cost, so as to select the most suitable ceramic materials.

Supplier

RBOSCHCO is a trusted global chemical material supplier & manufacturer with over 12 years experience in providing super high-quality chemicals and Nanomaterials. The company export to many countries, such as USA, Canada, Europe, UAE, South Africa,Tanzania,Kenya,Egypt,Nigeria,Cameroon,Uganda,Turkey,Mexico,Azerbaijan,Belgium,Cyprus,Czech Republic, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Dubai, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia,Germany, France, Italy, Portugal etc. As a leading nanotechnology development manufacturer, RBOSCHCO dominates the market. Our professional work team provides perfect solutions to help improve the efficiency of various industries, create value, and easily cope with various challenges. If you are looking for alumina ceramic plate and zirconia ceramic plate, please send an email to: sales1@rboschco.com

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