Zirconium dioxide for aesthetic reasons, or of 2) strong, extremely durable dental prostheses constructed entirely from monolithic zirconia, with limited but constantly improving aesthetics. Zirconia stabilized with yttria (yttrium oxide), known as yttria-stabilized zirconia, can be used as a strong base material in some full ceramic crown restorations. Transformation toughened zirconia is used to make ceramic knives. Because of the hardness, ceramic-edged cutlery stays sharp longer than steel edged products. Due to its infusibility and brilliant luminosity when incandescent, it was used as an ingredient of sticks for limelight. Zirconia has been proposed to electrolyze carbon monoxide and oxygen from the atmosphere
Cubic zirconia Swarovsi and ICT inc. By 1980 annual global production had reached 60 million carats (12 tonnes)and continued to increase with production reaching around 400 tpa in 1998. Because the natural form of cubic zirconia is so rare, all cubic zirconia used in jewelry has been synthesized, or created by humans. Currently the primary method of cubic zirconia synthesis employed by producers remains to be through the skull-melting method. This method was patented by Josep F. Wenckus and coworkers (1997). This is largely due to the process allowing for temperatures of over 3000 degrees to be achieved, lack of contact between