New nanostructured ceramics from baddeleyite with improved mechanical properties for biomedical applications

A method for the preparation of novel nanostructured zirconia ceramics from natural zirconia mineral—baddeleyite—using CaO as the stabilizer is described in the present work. Optimal synthesis conditions, including calcia content, planetary mill treatment regime, sintering time and temperature, corresponding to the highest values of hardness H, Young modulus E, and fracture toughness K C are found. The values of the mechanical properties H = 10.8 GPa, E = 200 GPa, and K C = 13.3 MPa m1/2 are comparable with or exceed the corresponding properties of commercial yttria-stabilized ceramics prepared from chemically precipitated zirconia.