A Reversible Change between Lithium Zirconate and Zirconia in Molten Carbonate

Abstract

The stabilities of lithium zirconate (Li₂ZrO₃) and zirconia in molten carbonates were tested. There are some disputes about the stable zirconium compound in molten carbonates. We considered a possible reversible change between lithium zirconate and zirconia by means of the thermodynamic calculation and experiments. All results suggest that the change not only depends on temperature and CO₂ partial pressure but also on the presence of molten carbonates, e.g., alkali carbonate in molar ratio of Li : K = 62 : 38. In the presence of the molten carbonates, the change proceeds reversibly.