Tosoh Corporation

Koji Matsui

Toshihiko Arakawa

Kuniyoshi Ueda

Akemi Kato

Michiharu Ogawa

Nobukatsu Oomichi

Michiharu Oogai

Kohei Hosoi

There is provided a raw material for a zirconia sintered body formed by pressureless sintering and having a high fracture toughness value measured by an SEPB method, a sintered body formed from the raw material, and a method for producing at least one of the raw material and the sintered body. Also provided is a sintered body that includes zirconia that contains a stabilizer and having a monoclinic fraction of 0.5% or more. Such a sintered body is produced by a method including using a powder that contains a stabilizer and zirconia with a monoclinic fraction of more than 70%, wherein monoclinic zirconia has a crystallite size of more than 23 nm and 80 nm or less.

Sintered body, powder and method for producing the same

A novel zirconia sintered body is provided which contains Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 in a solid solution state, and has tetragonal crystal grains oriented at an orientation degree of not higher than 45%. A process for producing the zirconia sintered body is also provided. This zirconium sintered body deteriorates less, and excellent in stability of surface smoothness, and can be produced by a simple process.

Zirconia sintered body, process for production thereof, and application

A zirconia fine powder consisting of primary particles having a BET specific surface area of from 40 to 200 m.sup.2 /g and a mean particle size of at most 0.1 .mu.m as measured by an electron microscope, wherein the ratio of the mean particle size as measured by an electron microscope to a mean particle size calculated from the BET specific surface area, is at least 0.9.

Zirconia fine powder and method for its production

A novel optical fiber connector part is provided which comprises a ferrule having a capillary hole for holding an optical fiber, the ferrule being formed from a zirconia-alumina composite oxide containing yttria at a content ranging from 2 to 4 mol % in zirconia. In the optical fiber connector part, a sleeve for connecting and holding the ferrule may be formed from zirconia and/or a zirconia-alumina composite oxide. A process for producing the optical fiber connector part is provided wherein the granular zirconia-alumina composed of a particulate zirconia-alumina mixture having an average particle diameter of not more than 1 .mu.m is used as raw material. The granular zirconia-alumina preferably contains alumina at a content ranging from 0.1% to 50% by weight. The process comprises spray-drying a slurry containing a particulate zirconia-alumina mixture having an average particle diameter of not more than 1 .mu.m. The ferrule has a stable spherical face at the tip, and will not deform during long-term connection. The granular zirconia-alumina has excellent sintering characteristics.

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Yamaguchi, Japan

Koji Matsui