THE EFFECT OF TALC, ZIRCONIUM OXIDE AND TITANIUM OXIDE ADDITIONS ON THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF FELDSPATHIC PORCELAIN

Objective: The primary goal of this research is to evaluate how the physical characteristics of feldspathic porcelain are influenced and its mechanical durability reinforced through the incorporation of talc, titanium oxide, and zirconium oxide—materials frequently utilized in the ceramics sector—at various concentrations. Materials and Methods: Talc, zirconium dioxide, and titanium dioxide were added to the base feldspathic porcelain powder at concentrations of 2 wt% and 5 wt%. The investigation aimed to assess color stability, flexural strength, hardness, and crack propagation. Subsequent microstructural analysis was conducted using SEM. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey HSD, and Tamhane T2 tests (p<0.05). Results: Mechanical testing revealed that while all experimental groups demonstrated increased flexural strength relative to the control, this elevation was statistically significant only for the 2% zirconium dioxide group (p<0.05). With respect to hardness, every experimental group containing additives yielded significantly superior results compared to the control samples (p<0.05). Conversely, concerning crack propagation, a decrease (improvement) relative to the control was observed exclusively in the 5% talc group, whereas all other variations resulted in greater crack lengths. Conclusions: The obtained results revealed that all reinforcement materials used improved the hardness and flexural strength of feldspathic porcelain. Particularly, talc-reinforced groups presented more advantageous data compared to other groups in terms of color stability and crack propagation. Statistical analyses confirm that there are significant differences.