New generation of zirconia-based guide pins for resistant welding

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This proposal dels with the market study for high strength high fracture toughness zirconia ceramics for use as nonconductive pins in welding industry. Zirconia ceramics can exist in three different structural forms (cubic, tetragonal, and monoclinic) depending upon the temperature. Doping zirconia with yttria or ceria serves to stabilize the tetragonal phase down to room temperature and imparts desirable mechanical properties. However, the roles of yttria and ceria are quite different and their addition to zirconia results in different properties. As an example, the addition of ceria results in high fracture toughness but low bending strength and hardness. In contrast, the addition of yttria improves strength but at the expense of fracture toughness. A zirconia composition that has a bending strength equal to or greater than a zirconia stabilized with yttria and a fracture toughness equal to or greater than a zirconia stabilized with ceria is needed. However, past attempts to produce such a composition have not been successful.