Patent ID: 9481594
Filing Date: 2016-11-01
CPC Classification: C03B,C04B

Claim Text:
1. A process comprising the following successive steps: a) mixing of raw materials so as to form a suitable feedstock so that a block obtained in step d) comprises more than 85% of ZrO b) melting of said feedstock until a molten material is obtained, c) optionally, casting of said molten material, d) cooling of the molten material to solidification in the form of a block having at least 80% of the zirconia, in percentages by weight, being monoclinic at ambient temperature, and e) optionally, heat treatment, wherein the process further comprises a compression operation wherein a compression pressure of greater than 0.2 MPa is applied to at least one portion of the outer surface of the block obtained in step d), the compression operation beginning at a temperature above the temperature at which, in said block, the tetragonal zirconia is transformed into monoclinic zirconia, or “phase transformation temperature”, and ending at a temperature below said phase transformation temperature.