Microstructural, Tribological, and Degradation Properties of Al₂O₃- and CeO₂-Doped 3 mol.% Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Bioceramic for Biomedical Applications

Among the ceramic materials available for load-bearing bioimplant applications, yttria-stabilized zirconia (Y-TZP) holds great potential owing to its superior mechanical properties (e.g., fracture toughness ~ 4.5 MPam^1/2). However, the degradation concern of Y-TZP over long exposure to body fluids limits its applications. To overcome this limitation, the current work focuses on developing stabilized zirconia ceramics doped with Al₂O₃ and CeO₂ through an easily available low-cost sintering technique. The microstructural, tribological, and degradation properties of Al₂O₃- and CeO₂-doped 3Y-TZP bioceramic were investigated. The volumetric wear and roughness values of Al₂O₃- and CeO₂-doped 3Y-TZP samples were found to be much lower compared to undoped 3Y-TZP samples. Relative densities of above 97.5% of the theoretical densities (> 6.1 g/cm⁻³) were obtained in 3Y-TZP sintered at 1450 °C. Low-temperature degradation resistance was observed when immersing the samples in Ringer’s solution at 37 °C over a period of 24 weeks. The weight loss and SEM images of the samples were analyzed to generate the samples’ degradation patterns. The results indicate that the incorporation of dopants is technically beneficial in terms of ceramic sample aging.