Processing a Single Phase c-ZrO2 Nanopowder from a Transparent Amorphous Ceramic Gel.

A transparent stabilized amorphous ceramic gel is developed by hydrolyzing dispersed Zr4+ cations with 5 to 10 mol % Al3+ additive in an aqueous solution under specific conditions at room temperature.Al3+ additive supports gelation of hydrolysed Zr4+ in an interconnected polymeric network structure. Thermal decomposition of gel results in a single phase finely divided loose nanopowder in Al3+ stabilized c-ZrO2 at temperature as small as 350degree C. The c-ZrO2 polymorphic structure retains and average crystallite size does not grow above 20nm until the temperature is raised above 850 degree C.

The c-phase of Zirconia has potential applications as :

• oxygen sensors,
• solid fuel cells, and several other devices.

The sample obtained is stable at temperatures as high as 850 degree C. It is a very convenient and simple method as compared to sol gel or other conventional methods in use to obtain similar ceramics. The final product is obtained in fewer steps than the conventional methods.