Sintering of Nano-sized Zirconia Powder Processed by Powder Injection Moulding

The nano-sized Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (Nano YSZ) powder with an average particles size of 50nm is initially heat treated and then mixed with wax-based binder system. The prepared feedstock is then formed into a shape by powder injection moulding process. The green parts are then thermally debound and sintered. The sintering behavior of the nano-sized particles is presented and compared with those of BASF feedstock. It is found that Nano YSZ can achieve 98% of its theoretical density. Homogenous microstructure is obtained with an average grain size of 500nm. The hardness value of the sintered Nano YSZ is similar to those obtained from BASF feedstock.