How does zirconia processing affect the degree of tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation (t ⟶ m) and the development and wettability of the surface? One hundred and twenty-four samples made of sintered zirconium were divided into four groups based on the following treatments: grinding, polishing, sandblasting with Al2O3, or sandblasting with SiC. After surface treatment, the samples were subjected to the following tests: X-ray diffraction, microscopic examination, surface roughness measurements, and surface wettability. The highest values are achieved after the grinding process (Ra = 0.63; Rz = 9.29; Rq = 1.28), and the lowest values are found after polishing (Ra = 0.11; Rz = 0.71; Rq = 0.36). All samples, apart from those sandblasted with Al2O3 (Θ = 121.59°), showed wettability with the polar liquid. The best wettability was noted for sandblasted SiC samples (Θ = 41.22°) and the lowest was noted for polished samples (Θ = 80.61°). All samples showed wettability with an apolar liquid (Θ < 90°). A significant transformation (t ⟶ m) was noted in all tested samples: about 14% for ground, 17% for polished, 13.8% for Al2O3 sandblasting, and 13.1% for SiC sandblasting samples. The type of processing method has a significant impact on the selected parameters of roughness, surface wettability, and phase transformations.
Śmielak et al. (Wed,) studied this question.