The present invention concerns a method for obtaining a finished or semi-finished zirconia-based article, the surface of the article having a metallic external appearance and non-zero surface electrical conductivity, wherein the method includes the steps of: taking at least one zirconia article, pre-shaped in its finished or semi-finished form; placing said article in a chamber in which a hydrogen and carbon/nitrogen gas mixture is heated; heating said article and the gas mixture using at least one resistive element traversed by an electric current to obtain dissociation of the hydrogen and carbon/nitrogen based gas molecules and an increase in the temperature of said article; keeping said article in the reactive atmosphere thus created to obtain diffusion of the carbon/nitrogen atoms in the external surface of said article.

The present invention concerns a method for obtaining a finished or semi-finished zirconia-based article, the surface of the article having a metallic external appearance and non-zero surface electrical conductivity, wherein the method includes the steps of: taking at least one zirconia article, pre-shaped in its finished or semi-finished form; placing said article in a chamber in which a hydrogen and carbon/nitrogen gas mixture is heated; heating said article and the gas mixture using at least one resistive element traversed by an electric current to obtain dissociation of the hydrogen and carbon/nitrogen based gas molecules and an increase in the temperature of said article; keeping said article in the reactive atmosphere thus created to obtain diffusion of the carbon/nitrogen atoms in the external surface of said article.

The present invention concerns a method for obtaining a finished or semi-finished zirconia-based article, the surface of the article having a metallic external appearance and non-zero surface electrical conductivity, wherein the method includes the steps of: taking at least one zirconia article, pre-shaped in its finished or semi-finished form; placing said article in a chamber in which a hydrogen and carbon/nitrogen gas mixture is heated; heating said article and the gas mixture using at least one resistive element traversed by an electric current to obtain dissociation of the hydrogen and carbon/nitrogen based gas molecules and an increase in the temperature of said article; keeping said article in the reactive atmosphere thus created to obtain diffusion of the carbon/nitrogen atoms in the external surface of said article.

A refractory object may include a zircon body that is intentionally doped with a dopant including an alkaline earth element and aluminum. The refractory object can have an improved creep deformation rate. In an embodiment, the refractory object can have a creep deformation rate of not greater than about 1.8 E-5 h.sup.−1 at a temperature of 1350° C. and a stress of 2 MPa. In another embodiment, the zircon body may include an amorphous phase including an alkaline earth metal element.

The present invention relates to a surface treatment method for dental zirconia, including sandblasting the surface of three types of dental zirconia (3Y-TZP, 4Y-PSZ and 5Y-PSZ) with alumina particles, and this method optimizes sandblasting conditions for each type of zirconia and enhances mechanical properties by strengthening residual stress. In addition, a dental article including dental zirconia made by the surface treatment method for zirconia, and suitable protocols for the durable bond between resin cements and high-translucent zirconia are suggested.

The present invention relates to a surface treatment method for dental zirconia, including sandblasting the surface of three types of dental zirconia (3Y-TZP, 4Y-PSZ and 5Y-PSZ) with alumina particles, and this method optimizes sandblasting conditions for each type of zirconia and enhances mechanical properties by strengthening residual stress. In addition, a dental article including dental zirconia made by the surface treatment method for zirconia, and suitable protocols for the durable bond between resin cements and high-translucent zirconia are suggested.

A coating fabrication method includes providing engineered granules and thermally consolidating the engineered granules on a substrate to form a silicate-resistant barrier coating. Each of the engineered granules is an aggregate of at least one refractory matrix region and at least one calcium aluminosilicate additive region (CAS additive region) attached with the at least one refractory matrix region. In the thermal consolidation, the refractory matrix region from the engineered granules form grains of a refractory matrix of the silicate-resistant barrier coating and the CAS additive region from the engineered granules form CAS additives that are dispersed in grain boundaries between the grains.

A coating fabrication method includes providing engineered granules and thermally consolidating the engineered granules on a substrate to form a silicate-resistant barrier coating. Each of the engineered granules is an aggregate of at least one refractory matrix region and at least one calcium aluminosilicate additive region (CAS additive region) attached with the at least one refractory matrix region. In the thermal consolidation, the refractory matrix region from the engineered granules form grains of a refractory matrix of the silicate-resistant barrier coating and the CAS additive region from the engineered granules form CAS additives that are dispersed in grain boundaries between the grains.

There is provided at least any of a layered body which has a change in color tone and in which it is unnecessary to select a colorant and the content of the colorant in consideration of a difference in the sintering behavior between layers, a precursor thereof, or a method for producing these. Provided is a layered body which has a structure, in which two or more layers containing stabilizer-containing zirconia and a colorant are layered, and in which types and contents of the colorants contained in the layers are equal to each other, the layered body including at least: a first layer containing a colorant and zirconia which has a stabilizer content of higher than or equal to 3.3 mol %; and a second layer containing a colorant and zirconia which has a stabilizer content different from that of the zirconia contained in the first layer.

There is provided at least any of a layered body which has a change in color tone and in which it is unnecessary to select a colorant and the content of the colorant in consideration of a difference in the sintering behavior between layers, a precursor thereof, or a method for producing these. Provided is a layered body which has a structure, in which two or more layers containing stabilizer-containing zirconia and a colorant are layered, and in which types and contents of the colorants contained in the layers are equal to each other, the layered body including at least: a first layer containing a colorant and zirconia which has a stabilizer content of higher than or equal to 3.3 mol %; and a second layer containing a colorant and zirconia which has a stabilizer content different from that of the zirconia contained in the first layer.