Fabrications of Black Aesthetic Zirconia Ceramics Using Perovskite Pigment

Abstract

A novel perovskite-structured black pigment was synthesized for the fabrication of black aesthetic zirconia ceramics. The influences of pigment content and sintering parameters on the density, mechanical strength and chroma of final black zirconia ceramics were investigated. The results showed that the doping content of black agent should be not less than 2.5 wt.% to yield sufficient blackness. The optimal sintering temperatures for the fabrication of black zirconia were 1400~1450 °C. Higher sintering temperatures would result in the decomposing black agent, consequently decreasing the density, chroma and mechanical strength of final products. The black zirconia ceramics with 2.5 wt.% doping agent prepared at 1450 °C yielded the final density of 6.02 g/cm3 and bending strength of 960±30 MPa. The L, a and b values of the black zirconia were 48, -0.12 and 0.25, respectively.