Zirconium for use in jewelry. Zirconia is a component in some abrasives, such as grinding wheels and sandpaper. A small fraction of the zircon is converted to the metal, which finds various niche applications. Because of zirconium's excellent resistance to corrosion, it is often used as an alloying agent in materials that are exposed to aggressive environments, such as surgical appliances, light filaments, and watch cases. The high reactivity of zirconium with oxygen at high temperatures is exploited in some specialised applications such as explosive primers and as getters in vacuum tubes. The same property is (probably) the purpose of including
Zirconia Toughened Alumina to withstand heavy loads without succumbing to degradation; giving ZTA many uses in load bearing applications. ZTA’s toughness also means that it has many uses in cutting tools. ZTA and other Alumina are often used is metal cutting applications. Certain engine components, labware, industrial crucibles, refractory tubes can be manufactured using ZTA. Also, certain abrasive applications, such as sandblasting, can also be manufactured using ZTA. Zirconia Toughened Alumina Zirconia toughened alumina is a ceramic material comprising alumina and zirconia. It is a composite ceramic material with zirconia grains in the alumina matrix. It is also known in industry as ZTA.