Research in the field of materials using concentrated solar energy has been matter of interest for

centuries. In fact, the first researcher in the topic was Ehrenfried Walter Von Tschirnhaus in Germany

during the 17th century, who designed, constructed and worked with lenses and mirrors aimed at

concentrating solar energy and melting iron and obtaining ceramics. However, the greatest

developments have taken place in the last decades of the XXth and beginning of the present century,

with particular focus on metal chemical fuels-commodities, synthesis of hard refractory ceramics or the

production of lime for the cement industry.

Despite the growing interest on the application of solar energy in different processes, particularly in

those that require from significant quantities of energy, the production of zirconium oxide was never

reported in the literature using this route. The production of this ceramic oxide is habitually carried out

in industry by different processes that include the thermal dissociation/calcination of zirconium silicate

or the decomposition by fusion with the support of sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate or calcium

oxide, among others. Nevertheless, the thermal dissociation involves temperatures that exceed 1250

°C, which might be attained with the competition of solar energy. Thus, this research proposed the

application of concentrated solar energy in the production of zirconium oxide.

Experimental work was conducted in the 1.5 meters in diameter parabolic concentrator of Odeillo (Font

Roméu-Odeillo-Via, France), with values of direct normal irradiation values above 950 W/m2

in short

periods of time (5 min). Different experiments were carried out, including the thermal decomposition

of the zirconium silicate and the preparation of mixtures of zirconium silicate sand with sodium

carbonate or CaO. Results indicate that baddeleyite was obtained in all the cases, which clearly indicates

that solar energy might replace the conventional sources of energy used in the production of zirconia.