What are the application cases of zirconia sintering technology in the industrial field?

Zirconia ceramics processed through different sintering processes have highly representative application cases in many industrial fields such as semiconductors, energy and chemicals, automobiles, and aerospace due to their high wear resistance, corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, and dimensional stability. The details are as follows: Semiconductor field Wafer carriers and fixtures: The zirconia ceramic carrier plate made by a semiconductor company in Jiangsu through a sintering process has a flatness error that can be controlled within 1 μm and a surface finish of 3 Below nanometers, it can prevent wafers from being scratched during high-temperature transportation; at the same time, its low thermal expansion coefficient can ensure dimensional stability in high-temperature processes and adapt to the high cleanliness requirements during wafer processing. In addition, sintered zirconia is also used to make vacuum chamber components. It resists plasma erosion with its extremely low outgassing rate and is suitable for the harsh environment of semiconductor manufacturing. Precision motor shafts and needle gauges: Using a gradient sintering process, the ceramic rods made from nano-sized zirconia raw materials and sintered in an argon atmosphere at 1650°C for 72 hours can achieve an accuracy of 2 micron cylindricity and are used as motor shafts, needle gauges and other components in semiconductor equipment. After a packaging factory introduced such components, the product yield rate increased from 96.5% to 99.2%, reducing annual losses by more than 10 million yuan. Energy and chemical industry Ultra-pure liquid delivery pump body: The 8YSZ transparent zirconia ceramic prepared by the Chinese Academy of Sciences team using hot isostatic pressing sintering process. After being treated with 100-200MPa argon pressure and 1000-1600°C high temperature, it has no internal pores and can be used in ultra-pure liquid delivery pumps in semiconductor fabs. It can achieve zero metal pollution delivery and meet the ultimate requirements for the purity of the delivery medium in semiconductor production. Corrosion-resistant pump valves and fuel cell components: Low-temperature sintered zirconia ceramics added with rare earth oxides can be used to produce corrosion-resistant pump valves and sealing rings in the chemical industry. Its lifespan in resisting acid, alkali and organic solvent corrosion is more than 5 times that of 316L stainless steel. After a chemical plant used it as a pipeline lining, the maintenance cycle was extended from half a year to two years; and electrolyte sheets made of yttrium-stabilized zirconia through a specific sintering process, as oxygen ion conductors, can also support SOFC/SOEC Fuel cells efficiently convert energy. Automotive industry: Core component of automotive oxygen sensor: The sintered zirconia ceramic has strong chemical stability and can adapt to high temperature working conditions. It is the core component of automotive oxygen sensor. It can accurately sense the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas to control the fuel combustion ratio and help vehicles, especially new energy vehicles, achieve energy conservation and emission reduction. Engine ceramic bearings: Zirconia ceramics processed by hot-pressing sintering and other processes have a bending strength of up to 1200MPa. They are used to make bearings in automobile engines. Compared with traditional metal bearings, they can withstand the high temperature and high-speed operating impact of the engine compartment, extend the service life by 2-3 times, and reduce the replacement frequency of parts. Aerospace field This field has extremely high requirements for high temperature resistance and rapid prototyping of components. Zirconia ceramics using discharge plasma sintering process activates the powder surface through pulse current and can be densified in 5-15 minutes, significantly reducing the sintering temperature. It is suitable for making high-temperature-resistant pump bodies in the aerospace field and meets the needs of parts in spacecraft that require rapid sintering and can withstand extreme temperatures. In addition, zirconia ceramic parts made by oscillating pressure sintering can achieve 1455MPa at 1300°C. The flexural strength can also meet the mechanical performance requirements of aerospace equipment in high temperature environments. High-end bearings and bushings in the field of general precision machinery: Sintered zirconia ceramics can replace silicon carbide for high-speed bearings at medium and low temperatures (<800°C). It has both toughness and cost advantages. In precision machine tools and other equipment, it can withstand friction and impact during high-speed operation. Compared with traditional ceramic bearings, it has a lower failure rate and meets the high-precision operation requirements of equipment. Precision grinding media: The sintered zirconia ceramic has high density and extremely low impurity content. When used as a grinding ball for nano-scale powder grinding, the contamination rate is only 1/100 of that of metal grinding balls. It is widely used in nano-scale powder grinding processes in coatings, electronic slurries and other industries to ensure the purity and fineness of the ground powder.