Abstract: In this paper, zirconium oxychloride was used as the raw material, and the effects of pyrolysis temperature, pyrolysis atmosphere and other process parameters on the preparation of rod-like zirconia by direct pyrolysis were investigated by means of DTG, SEM, XRD and other characterization methods. The results showed that zirconium oxychloride could be decomposed into zirconia in oxidation or steam atmospheres, and the reaction path at the same atmosphere depended on the pyrolysis temperature. The effects of temperature, atmosphere and precursor type on the morphology and particle size of zirconium oxychloride pyrolysis products were significant. Rod-like zirconia with a relatively uniform particle size and length-diameter ratio of 4~6 could be obtained when ZrOCl₂·3.84H₂O was used as the pyrolysis precursor, and pyrolyzed at 450℃ in a H₂O-N₂ atmosphere. When the decomposition temperature was adjusted, the tetragonal, monoclinic or a mixture of tetragonal and monoclinic ZrO₂ powders could be obtained.