zirconia Chem.
(zəˈkəʊnɪə)
Also 8 circonia, 9 zircona.
[mod.L. (Klaproth), f. zircon: see above and -ia1.]
An earth, usually obtained as a white powder by heating zirconium to redness in contact with air; zirconium dioxide, ZrO2; used in certain incandescent burners.
| 1797 Monthly Mag. Mar. 206 The hyacinth..consists of..more than six-tenths of its weight of a peculiar earth, now known under the name of jargon, zircon, or circonia. 1800 tr. Lagrange's Chem. I. 160 When exposed to a violent heat, zirconia becomes fused, and assumes a somewhat greyish colour. 1812 Davy Chem. Philos. 361 Zircona is soluble in the mineral acids. 1871 tr. Schellen's Spectrum Anal. 19 The oxyhydrogen light..attains a still higher intensity, if a piece of magnesium or zirconia be substituted for the cylinder of lime. |
| attrib. 1849 Watts tr. Gmelin's Handbk. Chem. III. 343 The zirconia-salts are not precipitated by zinc. 1875 Knight Dict. Mech., Zirconia Light, one in which a stick of oxide of zirconium is exposed to the flame of oxyhydrogen gas. |