Grinding beads and method of producing the same

1. A method of forming alumina-zirconia beads, comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a slip comprised of about 50% to about 70% by weight water and about 30% to about 50% by weight of a mixture of metal oxides, said mixture comprised of:

about 20% to about 40% by weight of alumina (Al 2 O 3 ),

about 9% to about 12% by weight ceria, and

about 51% to about 68% of monoclinic zirconia;

(b) milling said slip;

(c) adding manganese oxide (MnO) to said slip in a concentration of about 0.1% to about 1% by weight, based upon the final weight of said mixture of metal oxides;

(d) adding an ammonia-containing binding agent to said slip at a concentration of about 1.1% by weight;

(e) forming beads by dropping said slip into a calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ) solution wherein drops of said slip gel into beads in said calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ) solution;

(f) washing said beads to remove said calcium chloride therefrom, said beads being washed until the calcium content of said beads (on a calcium oxide basis) is between about 0.01% and about 0.8% by weight to said weight of said mixture of said metal oxides;

(g) drying said beads; and

(h) firing said beads at a temperature between about 1,320° C. and about 1,400° C. for about 2 hours to about 8 hours.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said mixture of metal oxides includes about 0.05% to about 0.2% by weight of silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) and about 0.01% to about 0.1% by weight of magnesium oxide (MgO).

3. A method as defined in claim 2 , wherein said silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) and magnesium oxide (MgO) are impurities in said alumina (Al 2 O 3 ).

4. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) has an average particle size of about 0.43 microns (μm).

5. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said metal oxides in said slip have an average particle size of about 0.43 microns (μm).