Effect of Slurry Viscosity and Dispersant Agent on the Sintering of 3Y-TZP Ceramics Fabricated by Slip Casting.

Dental zirconia implants are typically manufactured by mechanical machining of a zirconia block into a tooth shape. Many cracks are created by this machining process on the surface of the green body, which induces deterioration of mechanical strength and reliability of the sintered zirconia implant. In this study, we fabricated a dense zirconia specimen by slip casting and sintering. The zirconia slurry for slip casting was prepared by mixing yttria-stabilized zirconia powder with an average particle size of 20 nm, distilled water, and dispersant. Slurry viscosity was controlled by varying pH, dispersant concentration, and solid content; the lower viscosity being achieved at pH 11 controlled by ammonium hydroxide. With a dispersant content of 0.4-0.8 wt%, the viscosity was reduced from 190 cP to 40 cP at pH 11. After casting and sintering at 1550 °C for 2 h, the sintered body reached a density of 5.70-6.01 g/cm³ and a grain size of 300-700 nm, depending on the slurry preparation conditions.