Method of making partially stabilized zirconia

Claim 1

METHOD OF MAKING IMPROVED POLISHING MATERIAL PARTICULARLY SUITED FOR POLISHING GLASS AND THE LIKE, WHICH COMPRISES THE FOLLOWING STEPS: PREPARING A DRY BATCH BY INTIMATELY ADMIXING HIGH PURITY ZIRCONIUM OXIDE, ALL OF THE PARTICLES OF WHICH ARE SMALLER THAN 10 MICRONS, AND A QUANTITY OF A MIXTURE OF AGENTS FOR STABILIZING THE ZIRCONIA, THE MIXTURE OF STABILIZING AGENTS FOR THE ZIRCONIA EQUALING BETWEEN 7 AND 9 MOLE PERCENT OF ZIRCONIUM OXIDE, ALL PARTICLES OF THE MIXTURE OF STABILIZING AGENTS BEING SMALLER THAN 10 MICRONS, AND AT LEAST 1 MOLE PERCENT OF SAID 7 TO 9 MOLE PERCENT BEING DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHER 6 TO 8 MOLE PERCENT OF THE MIXTURE OF STABILIZING AGENTS, SUBJECTING SAID DRY BATCH TO A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 2050 AND 2600*F., FOR A SOLID-STATE REACTION TO OCCUR BETWEEN SAID ZIRCONIUM OXIDE PARICLES AND THE MIXTURE OF STABILIZING AGENTS, MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE FOR A TIME PERIOD SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE UTILIZATION OF ALL OF THE MIXTURE OF STABILIZING AGENTS, COOLING THE BATCH AND RECOVERING PARTIALLY ZIRCONIA FOR USE AS A POLISHING MATERIAL ALL OF THE PARTICLES OF WHICH ARE LESS THAN ABOUT 10 MICRONS IN SIZE.