Sinterability of Hydroxyapatite/Zirconia Micro-parts Fabricated by Two-component Micro-powder Injection Molding Process

In the present study, we investigated the effect of the sintering temperature on the physical properties of bi-material micro-components of hydroxyapatite (HA) and 3 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (3YSZ) fabricated utilizing a two-component micro-powder injection molding (2C-µPIM) technique. Firstly, HA and 3YSZ powders were individually mixed with binders to prepare the feedstocks. Following micro-injection molding of the HA and 3YSZ feedstocks into the dumbbell shape, the debinding procedure was carried out. The debound samples were sintered at temperatures ranging from 1200°C to 1400°C. According to field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis of the microstructures, sintering resulted in the formation of a bonding between two different types of ceramic in micro-sized HA/3YSZ components. The highest relative density of 98% was achieved after sintering. The sintered HA/3YSZ micro-parts demonstrated a linear shrinkage between 11% and 19% after the sintering process.