Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Phase equilibria, defect ordering and ionic conductivity in the zirconia-ytterbia-yttria system

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6019384

Phase equilibria in the ZrO/sub 2/Yb/sub 2/O/sub 3/-Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/ system were studied using nitrate gel prepared oxide powders and standard x-ray diffraction analysis procedures. Results on the zirconia-rich part of the ZrO/sub 2/-Yb/sub 2/O/sub 3/ binary system indicate that ytterbia is quite similar to yttria in its stabilizing effect on zirconia. In this binary system only one binary compound was found, that being Zr/sub 3/Yb/sub 4/O/sub 12/. This phase was found to be stable to 1637 +/- 13/sup 0/C where it disorders directly to the cubic fluorite structure solid solution phase. The ZrO/sub 2/-Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/ binary system was also studied, primarily in relation to the formation and stability of any binary phases. Again, only one binary phase was found, that being Zr/sub 3/Y/sub 4/O/sub 12/, which was determined to be stable to 1382 +/- 5/sup 0/C where it disorders directly to the cubic fluorite structure solid-solution phase. Studies of the zirconia-rich part of the ZrO/sub 2/-Yb/sub 2/O/sub 3/ ternary system were done at the three isotherms 1200/sup 0/, 1400/sup 0/ and 1650/sup 0/C. At 1200/sup 0/C the binary ordered phases, Zr/sub 3/Yb/sub 4/O/sub 12/ and Zr/sub 3/Y/sub 4/O/sub 12/, were found to be completely miscible. At 1400/sup 0/C the ordered phase solid solution was found to extend along the 60 m/o ZrO/sub 2/ join from 40 m/o Yb/sub 2/O/sub 3/ to only 15 m/o Yb/sub 2/O/sub 3/ plus 25 m/o Y/sub 2/O/sub 3/. At 1650/sup 0/C, where the ordered phases are no longer stable, the system is dominated by the cubic fluorite solid solution single phase field. The ionic conductivities of specimens containing 96 m/o to 86 m/o ZrO/sub 2/ were measured from 600/sup 0/C to 1000/sup 0/C in air using the complex impedance analysis technique. For a given level of total dopant, specimens doped only with ytterbia displayed higher conductivities.

Research Organization:
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA)
OSTI ID:
6019384
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English