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Fused Zircon

Jul 20, 2022
The three-phase electric arc furnace can be used to directly produce fused stabilized zirconia. The chemically purified zirconia and high-purity stabilizer are mixed and finely ground in a non-polluting ball mill according to the proportion, and then added to the electric arc furnace for electric melting in batches. Electrofusion stabilized zirconia was obtained.
 
The main application areas of fused zirconia are as follows.
 
(1) Refractory materials and casting
 
There are China Ruitai Technology Co., Ltd., SAINT-GOBAIN subsidiary SEFPRO Company, Japan Asahi Glass Company (ASAHI GLASS), Italy REFEL Company and Hungary MOTIM Company. These products are mainly made in electric arc furnaces from fused monoclinic zirconia (or baddeleyite) containing alumina and silica.
 
Aluminum Zirconium Silicon (AZS) refractories are graded by zirconia content, which defines the corrosion resistance of the product. Generally, the industry produces 33% zirconium corundum bricks, 36% zirconium corundum bricks and 41% zirconium corundum bricks. Sometimes zircon sand with monoclinic zirconia is also added to the furnace in order to adjust the zirconia content.
 
(2) Investment casting
 
This is another major dedicated market for zirconia. The casting of specialty products, such as aerospace engines, uses zirconia as a coating on the model, which protects the mold from thermal shock and is used in precision investment casting.
 
(3) Dyes and Pigments
 
In the ceramic industry, colored glazes are required for the production of sanitary ceramics, tableware, floor tiles and wall tiles, and these shaft materials can be fired at high temperature. Zirconia is used to prepare pigments such as praseodymium yellow, vanadium blue, and iron coral powder. Baddeleyite is also used in the preparation of ceramic pigments.
 
The metallic pigments are added to the monoclinic zirconia or baddeleyite and the mixture after being ground and fired. The product is washed with water and then milled to a fine powder. This product is added to a ceramic shaft stock with some alumina and feldspar, mainly silica fume. Most of the ceramic pigment production has shifted to Asia, leaving limited production in the US and Europe.
 
(4) Abrasives
 
Zirconium oxide is mixed with aluminum oxide to form coarse abrasive particles, which are used to bond and coat abrasives for grinding wheels for grinding steel and metal alloys. Saint-Gerben, through its Norton subsidiary, is a major producer of abrasives. Other suppliers include Elfusa, Washington Mills, Treibacher and others.
 
(5) Advanced ceramics and special products
 
Stabilized zirconia can be used to make high-performance setter kiln furniture for electronic ceramic firing processes, namely electronic setter plates. Stabilized zirconia is also used in oxygen sensors and fuel cell separators because of its unique ability to allow oxygen ions to move freely in the crystalline structure under high temperature conditions. This high ionic conductivity (as well as low variable electronic conductivity) makes it one of the most useful electrical ceramic materials.

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