Method for preparing ziconia ceramics using hybrid composites as precursor materials shaped by CAD/CAM process

Abstract

This invention is a novel method for making zirconia ceramic from hybrid composite biomaterials. The inorganic particles of zirconium oxide with a desired size and controlled shape were synthesized in an alcohol solution in the presence of water and a morphologic catalyst. Zirconium alkoxides and/or zirconium oxychloride, Yttrium alkoxide, Yttrium nitrate hexahydrate and Yttrium chloride, were used as the precursor materials for the preparation of zirconium oxide colloidal suspensions. Particle surface modification by the introduction of polymerization precursors was carried out in colloidal suspension. Highly-filled and well dispersed composite biomaterials with thermoplastic and/or thermo-hardening matrices are easily obtained using several polymerization techniques, like catalytic polymerization, controlled free radical polymerization, and polycondensation. This new method makes it possible to prepare composite biomaterials with monodispersed and spherical colloidal particles that are well dispersed and highly compacted in the polymeric matrix and with an easy control of the number of grafted polymeric chains per particle. The obtained biomaterials have the advantage of being sintered isotropically with a weak and controlled shrinkage. These properties offer the possibility of shaping these materials using CAD/CAM technology in the composite state followed by a sintering process leading to TZP (tetragonal zirconia polycrystal) ceramic.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.