Final answer:
To color zirconium dioxide beads, various metal oxide additives can be mixed with the zirconium powder before firing. These additives create color centers in the material, allowing for a spectrum of colors. This technique is similar to adding oxides to glass to produce different colors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yes, you can mix other metal oxides with zirconium dioxide to change its color once fired. This process is akin to the way different oxides are added to glass to produce various colors. For instance, to achieve turquoise, copper(II) oxide is added, manganese dioxide for purple, cadmium sulfide for red, cobalt oxide for blue, and a combination of iron(II) oxide and chromium(III) oxide for green.
In the case of zirconium dioxide, creating color centers, or F-centers, is key. These are defects in the crystal lattice where an anion should be, but instead, there is an electron which can absorb certain wavelengths of light and therefore impart color.
For example, the high temperature phase of ZnOx, with x < 1, results in such electrons replacing the missing oxygen atoms, creating these color centers. Similarly, non-stoichiometric solids can be designed to exhibit different colors while also displaying semiconductor properties.
This approach can be extended to zirconium dioxide beads by incorporating different metal oxide additives that introduce these color centers, enabling a variety of colors to be achieved post-firing beyond just white or black oxide.