Tetragonal Zirconium Oxide Prepared under High Pressure

Tetragonal zirconium oxide, stable at room temperature, was synthesized at 15 to 20 kb and 12000 to 17000C. Rapid quenching produced a mixture of the monoclinic and tetragonal phases. The high-pressure specimens, when heated to 1200 degrees C in air and quenched, reverted to the all-monoclinic form.