Applications of ZrO2 in the Decoration Field
ZrO2 ceramics, as an excellent advanced ceramic material, are widely used in various industrial fields due to their high-temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, strong toughness, and good biocompatibility.
But In the seemingly impractical field of decoration, zirconia is also widely used in ceramic decorative materials due to its good aesthetic luster. Compared to traditional decorative silicate ceramic materials, such as ceramic vases and floor tiles, ZrO2 ceramic materials have brighter colors, higher hardness, and are more wear-resistant, less prone to damage, and less likely to fade. The color and hardness of ZrO2 can rival that of jewelry materials, making it almost indistinguishable from real jewels while being much cheaper, offering high cost performance.
Zirconia Gemstones
ZrO2 gemstone materials can be divided into two types: natural cubic zirconia (c-ZrO2) and synthetic cubic zirconia. Due to the difficulty in finding c-ZrO2 formed under natural conditions, it possesses rare properties similar to those of gemstones. Naturally formed c-ZrO2 in various colors can be as valuable as rare natural gemstones. Synthetic c-ZrO2 also has excellent optical luster and is very cheap, making it a substitute for diamonds and other jewelry.
Zirconia Ceramic Jewelry
1、 Gold and Silver Jewelry Inlaid with ZrO2
Silver jewelry inlaid with ZrO2 comes in many varieties, such as industrial ZrO2, high-purity ZrO2, ultrafine ZrO2, stabilized ZrO2, zircon sand, etc. Westerners particularly like silver-plated rhodium jewelry inlaid with c-ZrO2.
2、 Pure ZrO2 Decorative Items
As people's quality of life improves, their aesthetic requirements continue to increase, leading to higher demand for the colors of zirconia ceramic products. Colored ceramics are very popular due to their bright colors, brilliant luster, and non-allergenic properties.
In recent years, more and more product casings are made of ZrO2 ceramic materials. However, the monotone color cannot meet people's aesthetic needs for product appearance, significantly limiting the application of zirconia ceramics. Therefore, many researchers are devoted to developing various colored ZrO2 to expand its applications, which has broad development prospects.
Y-TZP ceramics, stabilized with Y2O3, are usually white jade in color, but introducing one or more coloring ions can produce beautiful colors such as black, blue, dark green, pink, chocolate, and more. The general method for coloring ceramics is to dope them with transition metal or rare earth metal oxides, such as CoO, Cr2O3, NiO, etc. However, different synthesis methods and the choice of coloring agents can affect the color and mechanical properties of the synthesized colored zirconia ceramics, making the study of suitable synthesis methods and coloring agents highly valuable.
3、 Functional ZrO2 Decorative Items
Nowadays, many wearable watch cases and mobile phone cases are made of ZrO2 ceramic materials. International brands like Chanel and RADO have used ZrO2 ceramics for their watch cases. In the field of mobile phone backplates, the application of zirconia is already widespread, with many products from Huawei, Xiaomi, and Apple using zirconia ceramic materials.
In the watch industry, the development of watches has evolved from focusing primarily on timing accuracy to also symbolizing status. With the advent of communication devices with timing functions, the mechanical watch industry, to avoid becoming merely "jewelry," began seeking breakthroughs in technology or materials, opting for new ceramic materials like zirconia.
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