Whose fracture toughness is stronger? 3Y-TZP vs Si3N4.

The femtosecond lasers were used to cut an ultra-sharp V-notch with a tip radius less than 0.5 μm on 3Y-TZP and Si3N4 ceramic samples. The KIc were measured accurately with the improved single-edge V-notched beam (SEVNB) method. The test results show that the true KIc of the 3Y-TZP is lower than that of the Si3N4 ceramic. However, the KIc measured by SENB method and the bending strength show that the mechanical property of 3Y-TZP is better than that of Si3N4 in the application without crack source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]