JP2010120796A - High toughness and translucent colored alumina sintered compact, method for producing the same and its use - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that, though a method where a transition metal oxide is added to alumina so as to produce colored translucent alumina has been known heretofore, owing to the low fracture toughness value of the sintered compact, it has not been suitable for use requiring high toughness value such as a dental member. <P>SOLUTION: The colored translucent alumina sintered compact comprises a transition metal oxide and at least one or more kinds of oxides selected from the group consisting of the group 1A alkali metal oxides, the group 2A alkaline earth metal oxides, SiO<SB>2</SB>, B<SB>2</SB>O<SB>3</SB>, P<SB>2</SB>O<SB>5</SB>and GeO<SB>2</SB>and has fracture toughness of ≥4.5 MPa×m<SP>0.5</SP>, and in which the maximum value of the total light transmission (sample thickness: 1 mm) to the wavelength of 300 to 800 nm is ≥60%. The sintered compact is composed of anisotropic grains, and preferably comprises the anisotropic grains with the major axis length of ≥10 μm and an aspect ratio of ≥1.5 by ≥20%. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a colored alumina sintered body having high toughness and excellent translucency. It can be used for dental materials such as orthodontic brackets and dental restoration mill blanks that require high toughness as well as decorative, jewelry and craft applications.

  In recent years, translucent alumina sintered bodies have been used not only for decorative products, jewelry and crafts, but also as dental materials such as orthodontic brackets and dental restoration mill blanks. With the expansion of use as a dental material, not only aesthetic properties based on translucency but also improvement of mechanical properties such as fracture toughness are important issues in translucent alumina sintered bodies. In particular, recently, there is an increasing need for translucent ceramic brackets characterized by coloring, and the toughness of translucent alumina sintered bodies (hereinafter referred to as colored translucent alumina sintered bodies) characterized by coloring is increasing. It is desired.

  Colored translucent alumina has long been manufactured by Bernoulli method, chocolate lasky method, etc. as artificial gems such as ruby and sapphire. However, since these production methods can obtain a single crystal, it is necessary to machine the single crystal in actual use.

  In order to reduce the labor required for machining, methods have been devised in which transition metal oxides such as chromium oxide, cobalt oxide and iron oxide are mixed with alumina powder and the powder is molded and sintered (Patent Documents 1 to 6). For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method in which alumina powder is mixed with cobalt oxide, nickel oxide, chromium oxide, manganese oxide or the like and sintered in a hydrogen or vacuum atmosphere. Patent Document 2 discloses a colored translucent alumina sintered body by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) using a transition metal such as iron oxide, titanium oxide, vanadium oxide, nickel oxide, chromium oxide, and cobalt oxide. A manufacturing method is disclosed. By these methods, colored translucent alumina sintered bodies such as blue, green, yellow, and pink are obtained.

However, the conventional method for producing a colored translucent alumina sintered body is in accordance with a method for producing hydrogen in a vacuum atmosphere (for example, Patent Document 7) or a method using HIP (for example, Patent Document 8). The fracture toughness value of the colored translucent alumina sintered body produced by these methods is as low as about 3 to 4 MPa · m ^0.5 (Patent Document 8), and mechanical properties are required. The high fracture toughness value required for the application was not obtained.

  Regarding the increase in toughness of the alumina sintered body, reports have been made on the introduction of heterogeneous phases (Patent Document 9, Non-Patent Document 1) and anisotropic grain growth of alumina particles (Patent Document 10, Patent Document 11). However, although a high fracture toughness value is obtained, translucency is not expressed. This is because the introduction of a heterogeneous phase causes light scattering at the heterogeneous interface, and the sintered body structure containing anisotropic particles formed by a conventional method has a reduced translucency (Patent Document 12).

  Thus, until now, a colored translucent alumina sintered body having both high fracture toughness and translucency has not been obtained.

JP 59-169799 A JP 63-239154 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-133973 JP-A-4-193760 JP 2002-12471 A JP 2002-293613 A US Pat. No. 3,026,210 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-261648 JP-A-64-87552 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-1365 JP-A-9-87008 JP 2001-322866 A American Ceramic Society Bulletin 59, 49 (1976)

  The present invention provides a colored alumina sintered body having both high toughness and translucency and a method for producing the same.

As a result of intensive investigations on the improvement of coloring, translucency and fracture toughness of the alumina sintered body, the inventors have made transition metal oxides, Group 1A alkali metal oxides, Group 2A alkaline earth metal oxides, By having a sintered particle structure having anisotropic particles using at least one oxide selected from the group of SiO ₂ , B ₂ O ₃ , P ₂ O ₅ , GeO ₂ , excellent aesthetics The present inventors have found that a sintered body having high coloring and excellent translucency and high fracture toughness can be obtained, and the present invention has been completed.

The sintered body of the present invention is selected from the group consisting of transition metal oxides, group 1A alkali metal oxides, group 2A alkaline earth metal oxides, SiO ₂ , B ₂ O ₃ , P ₂ O ₅ , and GeO _2. The maximum value of total light transmittance (sample thickness 1 mm) with respect to light containing at least one kind of oxide, fracture toughness of 4.5 MPa · m ^0.5 or more, and wavelength of 300 to 800 nm is 60% or more. This is a high toughness colored translucent alumina sintered body.

  The transition metal oxide contained in the alumina sintered body of the present invention is not particularly limited, and those that develop the desired color can be used. Examples thereof include cobalt oxide that develops blue color and chromium oxide that develops red color. .

  The total content of transition metal oxides in the alumina sintered body of the present invention is preferably in the range of 100 ppm to 3 wt%, particularly preferably 300 ppm to 1 wt%. If it is less than 100 ppm, the effect is reduced, and if it exceeds 3 wt%, the solid solution limit is reached, and transition metal oxide particles are precipitated in the sintered body, resulting in a decrease in translucency.

The alumina sintered body of the present invention is further at least one selected from the group consisting of group 1A alkali metal oxides, group 2A alkaline earth metal oxides, SiO ₂ , B ₂ O ₃ , P ₂ O ₅ , and GeO _2. The above is contained in the range of 20 to 1000 ppm in total. 1A group alkali metal oxides such as Na ₂ O, 2A group alkaline earth metal oxides, SiO ₂ , B ₂ O ₃ , P ₂ O ₅ , GeO ₂ act as glass phase forming agents, and anisotropic growth of alumina particles Promote. Particularly, oxides having a high glass phase forming ability are Na ₂ O and Na ₂ O + SiO ₂ .

On the other hand, MgO is a group 2A alkaline earth metal oxide. However, since the effect of adding MgO works as a grain growth inhibitor, when MgO is used as the group 2A alkaline earth metal oxide, the group 1A alkali metal oxidation is performed. In addition, it is necessary to add at least one component from the group of 2A group alkaline earth metal oxides other than MgO, SiO ₂ , B ₂ O ₃ , P ₂ O ₅ and GeO _2. It is preferable to use 2A group alkaline-earth metal oxides other than these.

  The content of the substance forming the glass phase contained in the alumina sintered body of the present invention is preferably 20 to 1000 ppm in total, and if it is less than 20 ppm, the effect is dilute, and if it exceeds 1000 ppm, the sintering is inhibited. .

  Although rare earth oxides such as erbium oxide and europium oxide have the effect of coloring the alumina sintered body, it is preferable not to use it because it inhibits the sintering and lowers the translucency and fracture toughness.

Fracture toughness of the sintered body of the present invention is 4.5 MPa ^{· m 0.5} or more, in particular 5 MPa ^{· m 0.5} or more, and further preferably not 6 MPa ^{· m 0.5} or more.

  The bending strength of the sintered body of the present invention is not particularly defined, but is preferably 350 MPa or more. Fracture toughness and bending strength are evaluated according to the methods specified in JIS.

  The sintered body of the present invention has a high translucency with a maximum value of total light transmittance at a wavelength of 300 to 800 nm of 60% or more at a sample thickness of 1 mm, particularly 65% or more, more preferably 70% or more. Is preferred.

  The alumina sintered body of the present invention preferably contains anisotropic particles having a major axis length of 10 μm or more and an aspect ratio of 1.5 or more as sintered particles. The aspect ratio of the anisotropic particles is preferably 3 or more. The larger the aspect ratio of the anisotropic particles, the higher the fracture toughness. A typical example of the alumina sintered particles constituting the alumina sintered body of the present invention is shown in FIG.

The content of anisotropic particles in the alumina sintered body of the present invention is preferably 20 vol% or more, more preferably 50 vol% or more. As the content of anisotropic particles increases, the fracture toughness of the sintered body increases. On the other hand, when the content of anisotropic particles is close to 100 vol%, the fracture toughness reaches 10 MPa · m ^0.5 or more, but the bending strength tends to decrease to 300 MPa or less. Need not increase excessively.

  The anisotropic particles in the alumina sintered body of the present invention are particularly preferably plate-shaped (anisotropic plate-shaped particles).

  The sintered structure of the alumina sintered body of the present invention is composed of equiaxed particles other than anisotropic particles, and the anisotropic particles contribute to the improvement of fracture toughness, while the equiaxed particles are anisotropic particles. It works to connect the gaps and contributes to strength maintenance.

  Next, the manufacturing method of the alumina sintered compact of this invention is demonstrated.

The sintered body of the present invention has a transition metal oxide in a total amount of 100 ppm to 3 wt%, a group 1A alkali metal oxide, a group 2A alkaline earth metal oxide, SiO ₂ , B ₂ O ₃ , P ₂ O ₅ , GeO. After the alumina powder containing at least one kind selected from the group of ₂ in a range of 20 to 1000 ppm in total is molded and then sintered under normal pressure, it is further manufactured by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) treatment Can do.

In the production method of the present invention, the raw material alumina powder to which the different components are added is a high-purity alumina powder having a purity of 99.99% or higher, and a specific surface area of 5 to ²⁰ m ² / g, a fine particle ratio of 1 vol. What consists of the above fine particle is preferable. By using high-purity alumina powder as a starting material, the content of different components becomes uniform and a high-quality sintered body can be obtained. The fine particle ratio of the alumina powder is important, and if it is 90 vol% or less, the temperature for densification increases due to sintering, which is not preferable.

In the production method of the present invention, transition metal oxide, 1A group alkali metal oxide such as Na ₂ O, 2A group alkaline earth metal oxide, SiO ₂ , B ₂ O ₃ , P ₂ O ₅ , GeO ₂ are alumina powder. And may be dispersed by a mixing / pulverizing apparatus. The mixing / pulverization method may be a wet method using water, ethanol or the like, or a dry method.

  The oxides of the different components can be added as oxide powder, but a precursor that becomes an oxide by firing may be added. In the case of an alkali metal oxide, a water-soluble salt such as NaCl can be used. These raw materials may be mixed to a predetermined amount, dried and fired.

  The method for forming the powder in the production method of the present invention is not particularly limited, and for example, any method such as a die press, rubber press, slip casting, injection molding and the like can be applied.

  In the production method of the present invention, an alumina powder molded body having the above composition is fired at normal pressure and then subjected to hot isostatic pressure (HIP) treatment.

  The atmospheric sintering in the production method of the present invention is preferably performed at a temperature of 1250 ° C. to 1450 ° C. in an atmosphere such as air, oxygen, or vacuum. In the normal pressure sintering, the sintered body is densified to the density necessary for the next HIP treatment (about 95% of the theoretical density). When the density after atmospheric pressure sintering is 95% or less of the theoretical density, the pressure medium gas of the HIP treatment penetrates into the sintered body and the removal of pores is not achieved.

  In normal pressure sintering, it is preferable that the residual pores in the sintered body be efficiently removed by HIP treatment. In particular, grain boundary pores are easier to remove than intragranular pores. Therefore, if the sintering temperature of atmospheric sintering is too high, pores are likely to be taken into grains due to grain growth. Removal by processing is difficult. Moreover, the translucency of the sintered compact after HIP processing improves, so that the crystal grain of the primary sintered compact used for HIP processing is finer. Therefore, it is preferable to perform atmospheric pressure sintering at a temperature of 1250 ° C. to 1450 ° C. from the viewpoint of obtaining a density of 95% or more of the theoretical density, inhibiting the formation of intragranular pores, and obtaining fine crystal particles.

  The HIP treatment in the production method of the present invention is performed for the purpose of eliminating residual pores in the sintered body and imparting translucency. The treatment temperature is preferably 1200 ° C. or more and the treatment pressure is 50 MPa or more, particularly preferably the temperature is 1300 to 1800 ° C. and the pressure is 100 to 200 MPa. If the temperature is lower than 1300 ° C., the growth of anisotropic particles by the glass phase forming agent is insufficient. If the temperature is higher than 1800 ° C., the anisotropic particles are coarsened and it is difficult to obtain the effects of the present invention. The treatment temperature is most preferably 1350-1750 ° C.

  As the pressure medium for the HIP process, a commonly used argon gas can be used. Other gases such as nitrogen and oxygen are also applicable.

  In the composition and processing conditions of the present invention, since the formation of anisotropic particles starts from a high temperature, intragranularity that impedes translucency by advancing densification with fine sintered particles in atmospheric pressure sintering. Densification proceeds without generating pores. Furthermore, in the subsequent HIP treatment, the growth of anisotropic particles characteristic of the sintered body of the present invention is promoted, and high translucency is maintained, coloring with high aesthetics and high toughness alumina sintered body is obtained. It is done.

  The colored translucent alumina sintered body of the present invention has both high toughness and translucency, and is used not only for conventional ornaments, jewelry and crafts, but also as a high toughness value and fashion that does not break during processing. It is suitable for dental materials such as orthodontic brackets and dental restoration mill blanks that require coloring aesthetics.

  The conventional colored translucent alumina sintered body has low toughness and lacks chipping during processing and impact resistance during stress application. The alumina sintered body of the present invention is a colored alumina sintered body having translucency, and has a toughness 1.5 to 2 times that of the conventional one, and therefore requires a particularly high toughness value. Suitable for dental material applications.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although an Example and a comparative example demonstrate this invention concretely, this invention is not limited to these Examples.

The method for evaluating the sintered body of the present invention will be described below.
(1) Fracture toughness The fracture toughness test was measured by the SEPB method based on JIS R1607 “Fracture toughness test method for fine ceramics”. An average value of 5 was adopted.
(2) Bending strength The bending test was measured by a three-point bending test based on JIS R1601 “Bending strength test method of fine ceramics”, and an average value of 10 pieces was adopted.
(3) Total light transmittance The total light transmittance is a double beam spectrophotometer based on JISK7105 “Testing method for optical properties of plastics” and JISK7361-1 “Testing method for total light transmittance of plastics and transparent materials”. (Measured by JASCO Corporation, V-650 type). The measurement sample was processed to have a sintered body thickness of 1 mm and mirror-polished to a surface roughness Ra = 0.02 μm or less. The light emitted from the light source (deuterium lamp and halogen lamp) was transmitted and scattered through the sample, and the total light transmission amount was measured using an integrating sphere. The measurement wavelength region was measured in the region of 200 to 800 nm, and the total light transmittance in this case was the maximum value at a wavelength of 300 to 800 nm.
(4) Long axis length of particles, aspect ratio, proportion of anisotropic particles The sintered body is mirror-polished, the grain boundary is made to stand out by chemical etching, and the gold coating is shown in a scanning electron microscope or optical micrograph. Observed and calculated from image analysis of this photograph. Each particle was approximated to a rectangle, and the long side was measured as the long axis length and the short side was measured as the short axis length. The aspect ratio was obtained by dividing the major axis length by the minor axis length. Particles having a major axis length of 10 μm or more and an aspect ratio of 1.5 or more were picked up, and the volume ratio was determined from the area occupied by the particles. The number of measured particles at that time was 100 or more. The chemical etching was performed by a method in which the sintered body was immersed in a supersaturated sodium borate solution at 80 ° C. and adhered to the surface, heated at 900 ° C. for 0.5 hours, cooled, and then washed with a hydrochloric acid solution.
(5) Density of sintered body The density was determined by Archimedes method for measuring the weight of the sintered body in water. The relative density was calculated with a theoretical density of 3.98 g / cm ³ .

Example 1
High purity alumina powder (α-Al ₂ O ₃ : manufactured by Daimei Chemical Industries, purity 99.99% or more), cobalt oxide (CoO: manufactured by rare metal, purity 99.9%), chromium oxide (Cr ₂ O ₃ : Rare metallic, purity 99.99%), manganese oxide (MnO: high purity chemical, 99.9%), vanadium oxide _(V 2 _{O 5:} Wako pure chemical primary reagent), nickel oxide (NiO: Rare metallic, 99 .99%) and sodium metasilicate (Na ₂ O.SiO ₂ , manufactured by ALDRICH), ball milled in ethanol, and dried to obtain a raw material powder. The addition amounts of transition metal oxide and sodium metasilicate were 500 ppm and 50 ppm, respectively, with respect to alumina.

  The amount of transition metal oxide added was 500 ppm with respect to alumina. Table 1 shows impurities contained in the high-purity alumina powder used as a raw material. The total amount of these was 20 ppm or less. In addition, about what was not described in Table 1, it was below the detection limit (<1 ppm).

  Using a uniaxial press device and a mold, the powder having the composition shown in Table 2 is applied to a plate-shaped product of 40 mm × 50 mm and 5 mm thickness by applying a pressure of 50 MPa. And hardened. These were sintered in the atmosphere at 1300 ° C. for 2 hours to obtain a primary sintered body. The primary sintered body was treated with an HIP apparatus in an argon gas medium at a temperature of 1450 to 1650 ° C. and a pressure of 150 MPa for 1 hour. The sintered body thus obtained was measured for the proportion of anisotropic particles having a major axis length of 10 μm or more and an aspect ratio of 1.5 or more, fracture toughness, bending strength, and total light transmittance. The results are shown in Table 2.

  It was revealed that a colored translucent alumina sintered body having both high fracture toughness and high translucency can be obtained.

Comparative Example 1
Using the high-purity alumina powder described in Example 1, only chromium oxide and cobalt oxide were added, and thereafter, a sintered body was produced under the same conditions as in Example 1. Table 3 shows the results of coloring, fracture toughness, bending strength, and total light transmittance (maximum value at a sample thickness of 1 mm and a wavelength of 300 to 800 nm) of the sintered body. The anisotropic particles did not grow, and only low-toughness sintered bodies were obtained.

Sintered body structure of the present invention (Sample No. 1-1) Total light transmittance of the sintered body of the present invention (sample thickness 1 mm) Sintered body structure of Comparative Example (Comparative Example 1 Sample No. 2-1)

Claims (10)

Transition metal oxide, 1A group alkali metal oxide, 2A group alkaline earth metal oxide, at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of SiO ₂ , B ₂ O ₃ , P ₂ O ₅ , GeO ₂ In addition, an alumina sintered body having a fracture toughness of 4.5 MPa · m ^0.5 or more and a maximum value of total light transmittance (sample thickness 1 mm) for light having a wavelength of 300 to 800 nm of 60% or more. The total amount of transition metal oxide is selected from the group of 100 ppm to 3 wt%, group 1A alkali metal oxide, group 2A alkaline earth metal oxide, SiO ₂ , B ₂ O ₃ , P ₂ O ₅ , GeO ₂ The alumina sintered body according to claim 1, wherein at least one of them is contained in a total amount of 20 to 1000 ppm. 3. The alumina sintered body according to claim 1, wherein the sintered particles include anisotropic particles having a major axis length of 10 μm or more and an aspect ratio of 1.5 or more. 4. The alumina sintered body according to claim 1, wherein the proportion of anisotropic particles having a major axis length of 10 μm or more and an aspect ratio of 1.5 or more is 20 vol% or more. 100Ppm～3wt% transition metal oxides, 1A Group alkali metal oxides, 2A group alkaline earth metal _oxide, at least one of selected from _{SiO 2, B 2 O 3,} P 2 O 5, GeO 2 groups A method for producing an alumina sintered body, characterized in that after forming an alumina powder containing the above in the range of 20 to 1000 ppm in total and then sintering at normal pressure, it is further subjected to hot isostatic pressing (HIP) treatment. The production method according to claim 5, wherein high-purity alumina powder having a specific surface area of 5 to ²⁰ m ² / g and a fine particle ratio of 1 µm or less of 90 vol% or more is used. The production method according to any one of claims 5 to 6, wherein the atmospheric pressure sintering is performed at a temperature of 1250 to 1450 ° C. The manufacturing method of Claim 5 thru | or 7 which performs a hot isostatic press (HIP) process at the temperature of 1350-1750 degreeC, and the pressure of 50 Mpa or more. A dental material using the alumina sintered body according to claim 1. The dental material according to claim 9, which is either an orthodontic bracket or a dental restoration mill blank.

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