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Journal of Ceramic Science and Technology | Early View
Advance online publication · articles published ahead of an issue
Surface Ablation and Mechanical Abrasion of Polymer-Infiltrated Ceramic: Comparative Effects on Surface Microstructure, Roughness, and Adhesive Repair Bond Durability
H.M. Khuthija Khanam, A. Barakat, S. Abdul Rahman AlTowayan, A. Begum Meer Rownaq Ali, T. Almuraikhi, A. Alhoumaidan
Pages 1-10 · DOI: 10.4416/JCST2026-00011
In this study, we compared the effectiveness of airborne-particle abrasion (APA) and Er:YAG laser irradiation (2 W, 4 W) on the surface roughness (Ra), topography, and repair bond strength (RBS) of hybrid ceramic (HBC) repaired via composite bonding using a universal adhesive (UA) with or without a universal primer (UP). A total of 120 HBC discs were embedded in acrylic resin before random allocation into four surface-conditioning groups. Group 1: Control; Group 2: APA (50 µm Al2O3); Group 3: Er:YAG laser (2 W); and Group 4: Er:YAG laser (4 W). Ra was measured with a contact profilometer, and …
Comparative Effects of Femtosecond, Er, Cr:YSGG, and Ho:YAG Laser Irradiation versus Hydrofluoric Acid Etching on Surface Roughness and Repair Bond Strength of Lithium Disilicate Ceramic
G.I. Basunbul, R.S. Al-Hamdan
Pages 1-8 · DOI: 10.4416/JCST2026-00010
This study comparatively evaluated hydrofluoric acid (HFA) etching, Er, Cr:YSGG laser (ECL), Ho:YAG laser, and femtosecond (FS) laser irradiation on surface roughness (Ra), surface topography, and repair bond strength (RBS) of lithium disilicate ceramic (LDC) bonded to resin composite. A total of 130 rectangular LDC specimens were fabricated and randomly allocated into five groups (n = 26): untreated control (G1), 9.5 % HFA etching (G2), ECL irradiation (G3), Ho:YAG laser (G4), and FS laser (G5). Ra was assessed using a contact profilometer (n = 8), surface morphology by field emission scannin …
Effect of Ultrafast Fiber Laser, Diode Laser, and Airborne Particle Abrasion on Surface Topography and Repair Bond Strength of Cerasmart Flexible Hybrid Ceramic: An In Vitro Comparative Study
S. Alresayes, E.M. Alhamdan
Pages 1-8 · DOI: 10.4416/JCST2026-00009
This in vitro study evaluated surface topography, roughness (Ra), and repair bond strength (RBS) of Cerasmart flexible hybrid ceramic blocks (FHBC) after conditioning with airborne particle abrasion (APA), diode laser (DL), and ultrafast fiber laser (UFL) irradiation versus an untreated control. 104 disc-shaped specimens were randomly allocated into four groups (n = 26): Group 1: control; Group 2: APA (50 µm Al2O3, 2.5 bar, 10 mm, 15 s); Group 3: DL (810 nm, 1.0 W, 33.5 J/cm², 60 s); Group 4: UFL (1 064 nm, 20 W, 100 kHz, 1.820 J/cm², 7 s). Ra was measured via contact profilometry; topography …
Research on Highly Sensitive Amorphous Silicon-Carbon Nanocomposite Strain Sensors for Motion Capture
Bing Liang, Tingna Zhou, Ling Zeng
Pages 1-18 · DOI: 10.4416/JCST2026-00007
Amorphous silicon-carbon nanocomposite strain sensors are promising for wearable motion capture because they can combine chemically tunable mixed-bond networks with mechanically compliant conductive pathways. In this work, four flexible sensor groups, denoted S1 – S4, were fabricated by varying carbon enrichment and network-conversion intensity in precursor-derived amorphous silicon-carbon sensing layers. Comparative characterization showed that all active layers remained predominantly amorphous while exhibiting progressive changes in carbon-domain disorder, Si-C related bonding fraction, nano …
Application of Silicon Nitride Ceramics in Sports Protection: Whiskers Toughening Mechanism and Impact Fracture Behavior
Xiaoqin Xu
Pages 1-12 · DOI: 10.4416/JCST2026-00004
Silicon nitride (Si3N4) ceramics have emerged as promising candidates for high-performance sports protection equipment due to their exceptional combination of mechanical properties, including high hardness, excellent wear resistance, and superior fracture toughness. This study systematically investigates the application potential of silicon nitride ceramics in sports protection through comprehensive characterization of whisker-reinforced composites. Silicon carbide (SiC) whiskers were incorporated into the Si3N4 matrix at varying concentrations (0 – 30 vol%) to enhance fracture toughness and i …
Reducing Dielectric Loss in CaCu3Ti4O12 Ceramics by Spark Plasma Sintering-Enabled Control of Grain-Boundary Potential Barriers
Zhisong Zhou, Jingdong Chen, Xiaogang Wang, Bo He, Qing Ma, Wenyan Wang
Pages 1-12 · DOI: 10.4416/JCST2026-00003
CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) ceramics exhibit a giant dielectric constant but often suffer from high dielectric loss that limits their practical use. In this work, Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) was employed as a rapid, interface-aware densification route to regulate the microstructure and electrical response of CCTO without chemical doping. Dense ceramics were fabricated at 1 000 °C under 50 MPa with holding times of 5 – 30 min and compared with a conventionally sintered reference prepared at 1 100 °C for 12 h. The SPS samples showed finer and more homogeneous grains, reduced secondary-phase signatures, …
Zirconia-Toughened Alumina Insert Washers for Suspension Components: Coupled Tribocorrosion-Erosion Behavior in Road-Splash Media
Zhi Yang
Pages 1-12 · DOI: 10.4416/JCST2026-00002
Zirconia-toughened alumina composites with zirconia contents of 10, 20, and 30 vol% were systematically investigated as candidate insert washer materials for suspension components operating in aggressive road-splash environments. Nearly fully dense ceramics (> 99.5 %) were fabricated by means of pressureless sintering at 1 550 °C, exhibiting a progressive trade-off between hardness and fracture toughness. The incorporation of zirconia increased fracture toughness from 3.6 MPa·m1/2 for monolithic alumina to a maximum of 8.1 MPa·m1/2 at 20 vol% zirconia, while hardness decreased from 18.2 to 17. …
Partial Discharge (PD) in high-voltage cable insulation is a primary precursor to catastrophic failure, motivating non-intrusive online monitoring that remains robust in noisy substations. Ultrasonic sensing offers immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and supports defect localization via Time of Flight (ToF), yet most deployed transducers rely on Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT), whose high lead content is increasingly constrained by the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) requirements. This review synthesizes material science, transducer engineering, and field evidence to assess …
Effect of Conventional and Rapid Sintering on the Mechanical and Hydrothermal Aging Properties of 5Y-TZP Dental Zirconia
Yena Jang, Jae Chul Bang
Pages 1-10 · DOI: 10.4416/JCST2025-00016
This study investigated the effects of sintering methods on the mechanical properties and hydrothermal aging resistance of 5 mol% yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (5Y-TZP), a material widely used for dental restorations due to its aesthetic translucency. Specimens were fabricated using both conventional sintering (CS) and rapid sintering (RS) at two temperatures (1 450 °C and 1 600 °C), and their flexural strength, fracture toughness, and Vickers hardness were compared. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and SEM analyses confirmed that all sintered specimens exhibited dense microstructu …
