Abstract: | Validation of the Resistance of ZrO2‐Mini Balls against Hot Vapour Sterilisation Mini‐balls are used in bearings of dental drills. As the bearings as well as the drills are hot vapour sterilised, the bearings are operated under non‐lubricated conditions. In the present study, Raman scattering experiments show that hot vapour sterilisations of Y2O3 stabilised ZrO2‐Mini‐balls lead to a phase transition from tetragonal to monoclinic ZrO2. This phase transition finally causes the failure of ZrO2‐Mini‐balls under the tribological conditions typical for dental drills. If, however, the ZrO2‐Mini‐balls are stabilised using CeO2, such hot vapour sterilisation induced phase transitions could not be observed. Subsequent tribological experiments prove that CeO2 stabilised ZrO2‐Mini‐balls, produced in a Sol‐Gel process, are resistant to slip‐rolling conditions, if large pores can be avoided. |