Strengthening of composite materials of the fluorohydroxyapatite–zirconia system by titanium nitride

Abstract

Composite materials of the ZrO₂–fluorohydroxyapatite (FHA)–titanium nitride (TiN) system have been synthesized and studied. In the course of sintering even in a protective inert medium, the reaction between the components begins at 700°C to give calcium titanates, titanium oxides, and oxygen-deficient zirconia compounds. As a result of working through the procedure of synthesis of ultrafine powders and selecting sintering regimes, including the hot-pressing method, dense composite materials of the FHA–ZrO₂ system containing TiN were obtained with a bending strength of up to 273 MPa and a crack resistance of up to 3.3 MPa m^1/2.