GRINDING OF TRANSFORMATION TOUGHENING CERIA-STABILIZED TETRAGONAL ZIRCONIA POLYCRYSTALS

Tetragonal zirconia polycrystals undergo phase changes under the influ ence of stress and temperature. Grinding, with its associated stress a nd temperature, can trigger these transformations. Hence, the choice o f grinding parameters should be based not only on the force pattern an d surface finish but also on the surface damage due to phase transform ations. In the present work, the grinding parameters are assessed for sintered ceria stabilized tetragonal zirconia by conducting grinding s tudies, the nature of surface production being discussed.