Abstract
Purpose: Zirconia blocks for all ceramic dentures are divided into two groups. One is pre-heated block and the other is binder added block. In this study, the possibility of recycling the remained parts of binder added block after CAD/CAM machining with slip casting process was investigated. Methods: Owing to the binder added block contain large amount of organic matter, Binder burn-out was must be carried out before ball milling for preparing the casting slip. Binder burn-out was accomplished at $600^{\circ}C$ for 10 hours. Ball milling was performed with 5mm zirconia ball and 60mm polyethylene bottle. From 0% to 5% at 1% intervals of alumina was added to zirconia powder for preparing slip. Solid casting was achieved with plaster mold. Cast bodies were dried and sintered at $1,500^{\circ}C$ for 1 hour. Linear shrinkage, apparent porosity, water absorption, bulk density, and flexural strength were tested. Microstructures were observed by SEM, EDS and XRD analysis were executed. Results: Optimum slips for casting was prepared with 300g ball, 100g powder, and 180g distilled water. Cast body without alumina showed 26% of linear shrinkage, 6.07 of apparent density, and 470MPa of three point bend strength. On the other hand, as received zirconia block, which was sintered at the same conditions, showed 23% of linear shrinkage, 6.10 of apparent density, and 680MPa of three point bend strength. When 3% of alumina was added to zirconia, sintered body showed 23% of linear shrinkage, 6.10 of apparent density, and 780MPa of three point bend strength. SEM photomicrographs and EDS analysis showed alumina particles uniformly dispersed in zirconia matrix, and XRD analysis showed no phase transformation of tetragonal zirconia particles was occurred when alumina was added. Conclusion: According to the all of this experimental results, 3% of alumina added cast zirconia body showed excellent mechanical properties more than as received binder containing zirconia block.