A significant issue arose when a yttrium-stabilized cubic zirconia white ceramic, specifically engineered to prevent corrosion, displayed unexpected flaws such as cracking and yellowing during use. This ceramic component, which had issues, sourced from an Asian supplier, was delivered to our customer. To uncover the root cause, we completed a detailed analysis using XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy) on both a defective sample and a pristine counterpart.

Analysis and Findings

• Fracture Surface Examination:
  • The broken surfaces, similar to the original sintered particle surfaces, provided crucial insights into the cubic zirconia particles and the binder materials used in the sintering process. These surfaces often reveal key details about ceramic-related issues.
• Elemental Composition:
  • Defective Ceramic: Higher concentrations of nitrogen, aluminum, and zinc were found on the fracture surfaces.
  • Pristine Ceramic: Higher silicon content was seen on the fracture surfaces.
  • Sodium Presence: Detected on both good and broken surfaces during use. However, in the broken material, sodium leached from the interparticle interfaces, leading to increased carbon concentration and causing yellowing.

Hypothesis

The ceramic showed either a higher chance of leaching during use or contained larger and more interconnected micro-voids between ceramic particles compared to the material that was structurally sound.

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