effect of microstructural features and al2o3 doping on aging resistance, mechanical properties and crack propagation in 3y-tzp plate ceramics for dental restorations: a comprehensive peridynamics study

This study investigates the effects of microstructural features, nanoporosity, and micro-cracks on macro-crack propagation in 3y-tzp plate ceramics doped with al2o3 (0 to 0.5 wt%) for dental restoration applications, utilizing peridynamics (pd) theory for the first time. the research employs ordinary state-based pd to offer new insights into these interactions. materials are synthesized through high-energy ball milling of zro2 powders at 1500 °c for 2 h. mechanical properties, including density, average porosity diameter, young’s modulus, poisson’s ratio, and fracture toughness (kic), are rigorously assessed. results indicate that increasing al2o3 content to 0.5 wt% enhances relative density, hardness, young’s modulus, kic, and flexural strength to 99.5%, 15.1 gpa, 280 gpa, 9.97 mpa·m1/2, and 355 mpa, respectively, while low-temperature degradation over 800 h shows that al2o3 doping significantly reduces aging kinetics. pd simulations demonstrate that micro-cracks substantially affect crack propagation, revealing a 15% reduction in macro-crack speeds compared to fem results. this research enhances the understanding of dental ceramics and establishes a foundation for analyzing fractures in dental restoration ceramics using pd.