The injection moulding of fine and ultra-fine zirconia powders

Injection moulded components and test bars were prepared from three zirconia powders with specific surface areas of 22, 7 and 4 m2 g−1 at 50–60 vol% ceramic. The organic vehicle was a microcrystalline wax with a large addition of dispersant, either in the form of stearic acid or a proprietary polyester. The flexural strengths of the bars were recorded and the critical defects identified by fractography.