Properties of Zirconia and Common Preparation Methods

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What is zirconia

Zirconium is a primary oxide with the chemical formula ZrO2. Normal conditions produce a white, odorless crystal. It’s insoluble in hydrochloric and dilute acid, but it’s soluble in distilled water. Chemical properties do not exist. Its properties include high melting points, high resistivity and high refractive indices, as well as low thermal expansion coefficients. This makes it a ceramic sunscreen, ceramic insulating materials and ceramic insulation. It is also used as the primary raw materials for artificial drills.

How to prepare zirconia

1. Chemical Method (Alkali Metal Method)

The zircon concentration powder is added to caustic soap at high temperatures to produce sodium azirconate. The sodium zirconate, washed in concentrated hydrochloric to produce zirconium dioxide (ZH), Cl2, is then dried with a slurry of ammonia water. The zirconium oxide SH2OX is dissolved in water and then ammonia-water is added to precipitate the Zr(OH). You can burn Zr(OH1S), to get zirconia.

It is possible to add hydrochloric, or sulfuric, acid to the precipitate after melting zircon (Na2ZrO3, or Na2SiO3, or undecomposed products) by adding water to leaching. Zr(OH). Leach acid, remove precipitation and then add ammonia-water to prepare Zr (OH). The zircon can also be added to alkaline earth metal carbonates or oxides, then calcined into calcium zirconate. Finally, it is boiled in hydrochloric to remove the impurities and obtain zirconia.


2. Electrofusion method for Zirconia preparation

Reduced desalinization is achieved by melting zircon and reducing its size in an electric furnace. In an electric furnace, at 2700 degrees, zircon is completely decomposed, resulting in liquid ZrO2 or SiO2. At the same time SiO2 can decompose into gaseous siO2 and oxygen, which is a reverse reaction.


Two methods are available for the preparation of stable zirconia using the electric melt method: primary melting and secondary melting. For the primary electric melting method, you need to mix zircon powder with graphite and stabilizers (usually calcite CaCO3). Add them to an electric furnace and melt. After the ZrO2 is fused, it is quenched in order to promote crystallization. In the second electric melting method the zircon powder is mixed with graphite, then melted and quenched in an electric furnace. Then, it is lightly burnt (about 1450degC) until mZrO2 has been obtained. The mZrO2 mixed in the specified proportion is added to an electric arc melting furnace, quenched, and then lightly burned (about 1400degC) to obtain m-ZrO2.


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