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The effects of precipitants on co-precipitation synthesis of yttria-stabilized zirconia nanocrystalline powders

  • Original Paper: Nano-structured materials (particles, fibers, colloids, composites, etc.)
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Abstract

Yttrium-stabilized zirconia (Y0.08Zr0.92O1.96, YSZ) nanocrystalline powders were prepared by co-precipitation methods. Different precipitants (ammonium hydroxide, ammonium bicarbonate, oxalic acid, and urea) were used to study the effects of precipitants on co-precipitation synthesis of YSZ nanocrystalline powders. Thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive spectrometer, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, Barrett–Joyner–Halenda, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis methods were employed to investigate the thermal decompositions, phase evolutions, micro-morphologies, surface areas, and elements analysis of the synthesized YSZ precursor powders or nanoparticles. Although different precipitants were used, the calcined products at 600 °C have nearly identical chemical compositions. The crystallization temperature of the precursor powders to evolve to cubic phase is the lowest (about 400 °C) when ammonium hydroxide is used as a precipitant, while it is about 500 °C in the case of other three types of precipitants (ammonium bicarbonate, oxalic acid, and urea) that were used. Ammonium bicarbonate cannot precipitate ZrO2+ effectively in the solution, resulting in the formation of cubic Y0.18Zr0.82O1.91 at 1000 °C. Despite the time-consuming co-precipitation process, urea was proved to be the optimal precipitant in terms of the fabrication of nanocrystalline YSZ powders with designed Y/Zr/O molar ratio, large surface area, small crystallite size, and well dispersion.

Highlights

  • The phase transition (amorphous to cubic phase) temperature of the obtained YSZ precursor powders is as low as around 400 °C in the case of ammonium hydroxide co-precipitation method, while it is around 500 °C when ammonium bicarbonate, oxalic acid, and urea are used as precipitants.

  • Ammonium bicarbonate cannot precipitate ZrO2+ effectively in the solution, resulting in the formation of cubic Y0.18Zr0.82O1.91 at 1000 °C.

  • Despite the time-consuming co-precipitation process, urea was proved to be the optimal precipitant to prepare YSZ nanocrystalline powders with designed Y/Zr/O molar ratio, large surface area, small crystallite size, and well dispersion.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of the People’s Republic of China under Grant Nos. 11505122 and 11775152, the Science and Technology Innovation Team of Sichuan province under Grant No.15CXTD0025, and the Key Applied Basic Research (2017JY0329) of Sichuan province.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Physical Science and Technology, Sichuan University, 610064, Chengdu, People’s Republic of China

    Zhangyi Huang, Wei Han, Zhao Feng, Jianqi Qi, Nian Wei, Zhe Tang, Yutong Zhang, Junjing Duan & Tiecheng Lu

  2. Key Laboratory of High Energy Density Physics of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, 610064, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China

    Wei Han, Nian Wei, Zhe Tang & Tiecheng Lu

  3. Key Laboratory of Radiation Physics and Technology of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, 610064, Chengdu, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China

    Zhao Feng, Jianqi Qi & Tiecheng Lu

  4. The Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering and the Alexandra Navrotsky Institute for Experimental Thermodynamics, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA

    Di Wu

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  1. Zhangyi Huang
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Huang, Z., Han, W., Feng, Z. et al. The effects of precipitants on co-precipitation synthesis of yttria-stabilized zirconia nanocrystalline powders. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 90, 359–368 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-019-04947-y

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