Extra-strong wear-resistant materials based on nanostructured crystals of partially stabilized zirconium dioxide

The preparation, properties and applications of nanostructured materials, namely, crystals of partially stabilized zirconium dioxide (PSZ), are summarised. PSZ is formed due to the self-organization of the nanostructure during the cubic-to-tetragonal phase transformation of single crystals, and as a result the bulk of the material is built of densely and orderly packed domains with characteristic sizes of 10–20nm. Unique mechanical and physicochemical properties of PSZ crystals, such as extremely high impact strength and wear resistance combined with low friction factor, thermal stability, bioinertness, and biocompatibility, make them very attractive for many technical and medical applications.