Preparation of ZrO2 microspheres by spray granulation

Zirconia microspheres with high sphericity and hardness were successfully massively produced through a cost-effective spray granulation method by using an optimized slurry with high solid content and low viscosity which was formulated with a mixed dispersant . The influence of slurry solid content, binder addition as well as drying temperature on the shape and size of the sintered microspheres were studied. Furthermore, the formation mechanism of different granulated particles was analyzed based on the illustrated migration processes in the ZrO 2 droplets with different contents of water and additives. Under the optimized conditions, the sintered ZrO 2 spheres with tetragonal phase exhibit high sphericity with highest nano-hardness of 9.5 GPa, indicating it is possible to be used in the engineering fields. Such spray granulation method could directly serve for the industrial production of zirconia and other ceramic materials since it is a stable process with high yield, good granulating quality and strong controllability.