The fascinating world of Tosoh Zirconia

. . . where value and potential are limited only by ones imagination

Tosoh Yttria-stabilized ZirconiaYSZ

Zirconia Powder Nano Powder
Zirconia Fine Beads
Zirconia compounds for Injection Molding
Color Zirconia
Zirconia Hollow Ball
Zirconia Grinding and Dispersion Media

The unlimited possibilities for Zirconia

Zirconia is a unique advanced ceramic a chemical compound having the formula ZrO2.
Products manufactured from Tosohs yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) powder exhibit
superior mechanical properties such as high strength and flexibility. As a technological
breakthrough, YSZ surpasses the strength limitations of traditional fine ceramics. Heat
insulating properties and oxygen-ion conductivity indicate zirconia has potential for use in a
wide variety of applications everything from telecommunications to the new energy of the
future and environmental products.

Market share proof of quality

Tosoh is a pioneer in the development of YSZ and has become a major supplier to the
world. Earning a solid reputation for consistent high purity and quality that customers can
depend on, Tosoh continues to focus resources in R&D and customer services for the
ultimate evolution of Zirconia.

Grinding Media
SUPERIOR STRENGTH and DURABILITY,
Tosohs zirconia grinding media is primarily
spherical and comes in a variety of sizes from 0.03
mm to 25 mm. It is used to process materials for
not only machines and industrial parts, but also
plays a vital role in the production of materials that
comprise the micron-thin layers of electronics for
mobile phones, as well as the processing
of pigments in printing inks.

Indispensable for fiber-optic networks (ferrules, sleeves)

The information age of today and tomorrow is being built on global fiber-optic
networks. Zirconia is an indispensable material used in the connectors within
those networks.

STRONG, FLEXIBLE, and EASY to PROCESS, zirconia is rapidly

becoming the world standard for fiber-optic connectors providing the
maximum amount of data transmission with minimal loss.

Dental Materials
Combining STRENGTH and NATURAL BEAUTY
Replicating the natural look and feel of real teeth
without compromising strength, Zirconia is now
gaining attention as a new dental material.

Mechanical Parts
Zirconia first appeared under the name Ceramic Steel.
In addition to strength, zirconia is RESISTANT

to RUST,
CORROSION, and CHEMICAL REACTIONS, and
therefore is used in a variety of machines and other
industrial equipment. 10X standard ceramics,
and 100X MORE HEAT INSULATION THAN
zirconia excels in heat shielding applications.

IRON,

Providing value in daily life

INCREDIBLY DURABLE and SOFT to the TOUCH, zirconia is used in
consumer goods, such as luxury watches. For professional chefs, zirconia
knives dont rust and stay extremely sharp while resisting stains and odors.

Environmentally friendly and energy conservation

OXYGEN-ION CONDUCTIVITY is a UNIQUE QUALITY
of zirconia.This fascinating characteristic makes zirconia useful in
environmental applications for solid oxide fuel cells, which generate
pollution-free electricity, as well as oxygen and NOx sensors used in
the automotive field.

The future of ZIRCONIA IS JUST BEGINNING

A Global Brand Earned with Quality You Can Trust

Zirconia Powders TZ Series

Using the latest hydrolysis processes and nano-technologies, Tosoh produced the TZ Series
of zirconia powders. Through complete control over materials and production processes,
Tosoh can maintain consistent high purity and quality. The TZ Series, the ultimate zirconia
powder, delivers added value and product improvements for the customer.

Basic Grades

Tosoh Zirconia Powder Series

Easy Moldability Grades S

Fine Ceramics

TZ-3Y-E

"S" grades have a smaller surface area that contributes to

a smooth flow for the compound or slurry during injection

Partially-stabilized zirconia powder with uniform dispersion of

molding, tape casting, and other molding methods.

3 mol % yttria. TZ-3Y-E exhibits superior sintering properties

Therefore, "S" grades are highly recommended for producing

and higher aging resistance at a lower sintering temperature

large parts with a mechanical press or CIP.

of 1300oC. Sintered bodies produced with TZ-3Y-E show a

fine crystal grain structure resulting in greater improvements
in strength, fracture toughness, as well as resistance to wear

Binder Grades B

and aging. TZ-3Y-E has numerous applications such as

materials for industrial parts and everyday products.

Tosoh's binder added grades are perfect for mechanical

pressing and CIP. "B" grades can be used "as is," thereby
eliminating the binder addition and spray drying steps in

Solid Electrolyte with Oxygen-ion Conductivity

customers' processes.

TZ-4Y TZ-6Y TZ-8Y TZ-10Y

Fully stabilized zirconia powder with uniform dispersion of

ATZ Grades A

4~10 mol % yttria. Sintered bodies produced from these

powders exhibit oxygen-ion conductivity and heat insulating.
These grades have proven to be suitable for use in oxygen
sensor applications, electrolytes in solid oxide fuel cells,
materials for heat insulation, and many others.

A grades contain uniformly dispersed 3 mol % yttria, 20

wt% alumina, and exhibit extremely high mechanical
strength after HIPing. This grade is most commonly used to
produce industrial parts used in high strength, high wear
resistance applications.

Legend for grade names

E x a m p l e T Z Y 20A B E

:
:
:
:
:

mol % of yttria
easy moldability grades
ATZ grades - 20 wt% alumina
binder grades
easy sintering grades

Color Zirconia
Tosoh's color zirconia shows a deep tone that emulates
jewels. Also it can be used for optical anti-reflection and
other mechanical parts.

Tosoh also supplies a high purity, non-stabilized zirconia powder, TZ-0.

For the development of custom powders, please contact the nearest
Tosoh sales office.

Powder Characteristics and Properties

TZ-3Y-E

TZ-3YS-E

TZ-4Y

TZ-6Y

TZ-8Y

TZ-3YB-E TZ-3YSB-E
TZ-3YSB-C

Y2 O3 mol
Actual Particle
Size m

TZ-8YS

TZ-10YS

TZ-8YSB

0.04
0.09
40nm 90nm

0.04
40nm

TZ-3Y20A

TZ-0

TZ-3Y20AB

10

0.04
40nm

3.90.3

1822

0.1

0.04

0.04

62

153

143

5.50

2000

0.09
90nm

Powder Characteristics

Y2 O3 wt%

5.20.5

AI2O3 wt%

0.10.4

7.00.6

10.30.6

13.30.6
0.1

wt%

0.02

Fe2O3 wt%

0.01

SiO2

0.04

Na2O wt%
Specific Surface
Area m2/g

163

15.90.7

0.06
72

0.12
163

72

Typical Properties of Sintered Body

Densityg/cm3

6.05

6.05

6.02

5.90

5.80

Bending Strength
R.T. MPa
*1

1200

1000

500

300

200

HIPing

HardnessHv10*2

1250

*1 : JIS R16013-point bending test

1400

*2 : JIS R1610Loads : 98.07N

Tosoh Zirconia Process

All TZ Series powders are supplied in
granule form for easy handling.
100nm

Zircon sand

ZrOCl28H2O
YCl3

TEM photos

TZ-3YS-E

100nm

10m
SEM photo

Zirconia Powder

Hydrolysis
Spray Drying
Drying

TZ-3Y-E

Calcination

Milling

Easy Sintering (TZ-3Y-E)

TZ-3Y-E can be sintered at a lower temperature of 1300.
6.1

0.7

TZ-3Y-E
0.6

TZ-3YS

TZ-3YS-E

5.9

0.5

TZ-3Y
5.8

0.4

5.7

0.3

Grain Size

Density g/cm3

6.0

Grain Size
5.6

0.2

5.5

1300

1350

1400

1450

0.1

1500

Sintering Temperature
Molding method : Cold isostatic pressing
Molding pressure : 1,000kg/cm2
Holding timesintering: 2hrs

Transformation
Ratio to Monoclinic

Transformation
Ratio to Monoclinic

TZ-3Y-E has superior hydrothermal aging resistance.

100
80

TZ-3Y
1500

60
40

40
30
20

TZ-3Y-E1300

10
0

20
0

TZ-3Y-E1350

12

24

36

48

60

Aging Timehr
6

12

18

24

Moreover, when TZ-3Y-E was sintered at 1300,

monoclinic transformationstructural degradation
did not occur during 72 hours of aging in water at

Aging Timehr

140.

High quality, fine grained sintered bodies, which exhibit

superior hydrothermal aging resistance, can be produced
from TZ-3Y-E when sintered under 1350.

The lower the sintering temperature, the finer the grains.

TZ-3Y-E1300

TZ-3Y-E1350

TZ-3Y1500

72

30 micron with Great Potential

Zirconia Fine Beads TZ-B Series

Tosohs high-end manufacturing technology has yielded Zirconia

90m

Fine Beads that exhibit superior strength and fracture toughness.

The TZ-B Series is now used in many applications such as blasting,
shot peening, and placing sand.

TZ-B90

Typical Applications

Advantages

Shot blasting (matte finishing, deburring, etc.)

Due to the TZ-B Series well shaped round surface and

narrow size distribution, elaborate blasting can be

Shot peening

achieved without damaging products.

Filler for various resins
Through its high density and superior hardness, the TZB Series needs less processing time than common

Placing sand (sintering, annealing)

metal or glass beads.

Spacer

The TZ-B Series higher crushing strength and wear

Properties of TZ-B90

resistance results in less bead loss.

The TZ-B Series is resistant to rust and corrosion.

Standard Grades
Grades
TZ-B 30
TZ-B 53W
TZ-B 53
TZ-B 90
TZ-B 125
TZ-B 180
TZ-B 250

20
25
38
75
106
150
212

Sizes
38 m95
106 m95
75 m95
106 m95
150 m95
212 m95
300 m95

Chemical Composition

ZrO 2 , Y2O3

Specific Density

6.05 g/cm3

Bulk Density

3.50 g/cm3

Crushing Load

1050 MPa

Size distribution of TZ-B90

The number of sample: 100

Unit: m

20 25
25 32
32 38
38 45
45 53
53 63
63 75
75 90
90 105
105 125
125 150
150 180
180

Please contact the nearest Tosoh sales office with requests

for other sizes.

10

20

30

40

50

60

Durability Comparison
Weight loss due to
breakagewt %

15

Test data shows the result of shot blasting

SUS304 using various types of beads
equivalent to TZ-B90. During the 50 blasts,
the crushing ratio of TZ-B90 hardly rose.
This shows the superior crushing strength
that the TZ-B Series provides.

Test condition
Dry air blastingDirect pressure

Glass

10

Pressure : 0.38MPa
Distance of nozzles : 100mm
Work : SUS304

Zircon

ZirconiaTZ-B90

0
0

10

Shots

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Proven Technology and Achievements

Zirconia Compounds for Injection Molding PXA Series

Tosoh supplies optical fiber connector ferrule blanks and various
injection molded components produced by Tosoh Ceramics Co.,
Ltd. Starting material for the Tosoh zirconia compound PXA
Series is based on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) powder.
Tosoh offers customized special compounds to realize
customers need, such as ceramic compounds based on
materials other than zirconia. Please contact the nearest Tosoh
sales office for more information.

Standard Grades

Advantages
Besides easy de-waxing and sintering, and superior

PXA-100P

handling features, the PXA Series minimizes shrinkage

Compound for de-waxing in air; extensively used for

variance.

ferrule blanks.

Due to the high quality of Tosohs zirconia powders, the

PXA-201P

PXA Series exhibits great strength, fracture toughness

Compound for de-waxing in nitrogen with good flow;

and wear resistance.

used for precision parts as well as larger parts with

an irregular shape. De-waxing in nitrogen is

Tosoh has developed the recycling process of unused

recommended for these larger parts.

green bodies based on the PXA Series.

PXA-211P
Compound for de-waxing in air; performance
equivalent to PXA-100P. Flow is equivalent to PXA201P.
Excellent

Tosoh, in addition to powder production, is an injection

molding compound manufacturer with extensive
Based on this know-how, Tosoh has developed the
PXA Series delivering high quality, easy sintering, and
superior handling features.

TZ Series

Injection molding

PXA-100P
De-waxing Easiness

experience in the mass production of sintered bodies.

PXA-211P
PXA-201P

Beginning Flow

FERRULE SLEEVE

Excellent

PXA-230 Series
Ceramics powder
Zirconia,
alumina etc.

Ceramics

Compound

Molded
components

These compounds can be de-waxed in air and

feature excellent de-waxing properties with good
flow.

PXA Series

Special Grades
PXA-300 Series
Color zirconia compounds.
PXA-400 Series
Zirconia compounds based on fully stabilized
zirconia powder.
PXA-800 Series

PXA is a trademark of Tosoh Corporation.

Ceramics compounds other than zirconia.

Jewel-like Dignity and Elegance

Color Zirconia
Integrity and depth of color in zirconia exudes elegance
equal to precious stones. Superior wear resistance means
the brightness never fades. Color Zirconia will provide the
sparkle that customers need for development of new
products. In addition to colored powder, compounds for
injection molding and sintered products are also available.

Typical Applications
Watch parts (case, band)
Exterior parts for cellular phones
Optical anti-reflection parts for image recognition
Various machine parts

TZ-Black

TZ-Blue

Color stability can be achieved within a wide sintering

TZ-Yellow

LightnessL

Densityg/cm3

temperature range.
6.1
Density

6.0

5.9

18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

1300

1350
1400
1450
1500
Sintering Temperature

Lightness

1300

1350
1400
1450
1500
Sintering Temperature
Molding method : Cold isostatic pressing
Molding pressure : 1,000kg/cm2
Holding timesintering: 2hrs

Hollow Balls for Jewelry

Zirconia Hollow Ball

Using unique molding technologies, Tosoh has
developed Zirconia Hollow Ball. Zirconia Hollow Ball is
perfect for jewelry such as necklaces or other
accessories.

Tosoh can develop special compounds to suit customers'

needs.
Please contact the nearest Tosoh sales office for more
information.

Eco-Products with Superior Grinding Efficiency

Zirconia Grinding and Dispersion Media YTZ

YTZ Grinding Media, produced from yttria-stabilized zirconia powder, exhibits high crushing strength,
fracture toughness and wear resistance. It is produced by Nikkato Corporation, one of Japans leading
ceramic manufacturers and a pioneer in the development of strength-enhanced zirconia ceramics. Starting
with the raw materials, YTZ Grinding Media has been researched and examined from all possible
perspectives to produce superior quality.

Ceramic Media Properties

YTZ Qualities

Due to the unique properties of ceramics, YTZ Grinding

YSZ powder used for materials is produced through the

Media is resistant to rust and corrosion, and thus compatible

latest hydrolysis process, known as the Tosoh process and

with water-based processing.

achieves consistent high quality.

Additionally, YTZ Grinding Media, produced from yttria-

YTZ Grinding Media consists of high purity YSZ without any

stabilized zirconia YSZ powder, exhibits superior grinding

kind of heavy metals. Moreover YTZ Grinding Media

efficiency because of higher density, and has superior wear

exhibits high wear resistance, which combined with its

resistance due to high crushing strength and fracture

smooth surface minimizes product contamination from both

durability.

media wear and mill parts.

Media Shape

Surface Condition

Available Sizes
Ball (, mm)

0.03(30micron), 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4,

0.5, 0.65, 0.8, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20,

4 mm

200m

25
Please contact the nearest Tosoh sales office for requests for
different sizes.

Cylinder (inch)

Microscope

SEM

YTZ Grinding Media is almost perfectly spherical with

3/8, 1/2

narrow size distribution. This provides precision in grinding

and dispersion.

YTZ Properties
Chemical Composition

Z rO 2 , Y2O3

Specific Density

6.0 g/cm3

Bending Strength

1200 MPa

HardnessHv10

1250

Modulus of Elasticity

210 GPa

Fracture Toughness

6.0 MPam0.5

Cross Section

Microstructure

1mm

1m

Microscope

SEM

YTZ Grinding Media consists of extremely uniform fine

grains and has virtually no internal defects, resulting in
outstanding wear resistance. The risk of media chipping
as well as media replacement is minimized, resulting in
significant cost and waste reduction.

Typical Applications

Environment, Safety and

Comprehensive Quality System

Through its comprehensive quality system, YTZ Grinding

Media has a solid reputation for the grinding and dispersion

YTZ Grinding Media is produced under a stringent audit

of pharmaceutical and foodstuffs as well as those of ultra-

system, and has obtained ISO9001 quality assurance

fine materials for electronic parts or inks.

and ISO14001 environmental management system

certification.

Dielectric, piezoelectric and magnetic materials

Traceability

Pigment, inks, dyes, paint and coating materials

Customers
High purity advanced ceramic materials, frits and glazes
Pharmaceutical, dental, cosmetic and foodstuffs

YTZ

YTZ Grinding Media can be

completely traced from raw

Zirconia
Powder

materials to the finished

products.

Grinding Efficiency

Wear Resistance

10

Wear Loss of Media

Specific Surface Area of BaTiO3m2/g

Grinding Efficiency and Wear Resistance

8
6
4
2
0

YTZ

Mg-PSZ

Al2O3

Zircon

Media Materials

Glass

YTZ

Mg-PSZ

Al2O3

Zircon

Glass

Media Materials

The test data above is a result of wet milling BaTiO3 powder with a starting surface area of 1.8m2/g. Grinding was
conducted with several types of media in a vertical sand mill over a set period of time. As can be seen, YTZ has
superior grinding efficiency with the highest wear resistance. The highest surface area of the ground material was
achieved with YTZ over the same period of time under identical conditions. This is a clear indication of the high
milling efficiency that YTZ provides.

YTZis a trademark of Nikkato Corporation.

TOSOH CORPORATION
Advanced Ceramics Department
3-8-2, Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8623, Japan
Tel : +81-3-5427-5170 Fax : +81-3-5427-5217
E-mail : zirconia@tosoh.co.jp

TOSOH USA, INC.

3600 Gantz Road

Grove City, OH 43123 -1895 USA
USA Toll Free : +1-866-844-6953 Fax : +1-614-875-8066
E-mail : info.tusa@tosoh.com

TOSOH EUROPE B.V.

Crown Building-South, Hullenbergweg 359

1101 CP Amsterdam Z.O., The Netherlands
Tel : +31-20-5650010 Fax : +31-20-6915458
E-mail : info.tse@tosoh.com
Visit us at www.tosoh.com/zirconia

The information provided and recommendations made herein pertain solely to matters of composition of the
products based on the test believed to be reliable. The accuracy of this information is not guaranteed. Depending
on the measurement methods or instruments, the result may vary from information provided herein. Since the
purchasers actual use of the products is beyond the control of Tosoh Corporation and its related, subsidiary and
affiliated companies (collectively, related companies), Tosoh Corporation and its related companies are neither
responsible nor liable for results obtained from the use of the products. Tosoh Corporation and its related
companies make no representations or warranties as to the appropriateness of the products for any use intended
or made by the purchaser. Each purchaser must conduct its own testing, safety and regulatory evaluation(s).

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