Chem. 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., March, 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. trans. 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. trans. Scheller’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, trans. Gmelin’s Hand-bk. 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.
