Synthesis of doped and undoped nanopowders of tetragonal polycrystalline zirconia (TPZ) by spray-pyrolysis

This work is focused on the synthesis of nanocrystallized tetragonal polycrystalline zirconia (TPZ) powders by the spray-pyrolysis method. A design of experiment (DOE) was used with doped zirconia (2YSZ) to understand the influence of four spray-pyrolysis parameters on the crystallization of TPZ: solution concentration, atomizing frequency, carrier gas flow rate, and furnace temperature, Experimental conditions of the spray pyrolysis method were then selected on the DOE basis, in order to synthetize tetragonal undoped zirconia powders (0YSZ) with well controlled crystallite size. Smallest and largest averaged crystallite sizes of 0YSZ obtained by this method were 6.9 and 13.2 nm, respectively. Their influence on the microstructure of TPZ is characterized by XRD and Raman spectroscopy. Morphology, particle size, and particle size distribution were studied using SEM and granulometry. Nanocrystallization was observed by TEM. (C) 1998 Academic Press.