Local structure of the tetragonal phase in nanocrystalline ZrO2 -Sc2O3 powders

P.M. ABDALA; D.G. LAMAS; M.C.A. FANTINI; A.F. CRAIEVICH

2008 Activity Report of the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory

LNLS

Año: 2009 p. 1283 - 1283

1518-0204

In previous X-ray powder diffraction (XPD) studies carried out at the LNLS, we investigated the crystal structure and phase transitions of nanocrystalline ZrO2-1 to 13 mol% Sc2O3 synthesized by a nitrate-gel combustion route. We found that all the nanopowders were single-phased exhibiting metastable forms of the tetragonal phase or the cubic one, with a tetragonal/cubic compositional boundary of 12 mol%. The average crystallite size of these samples was about 10 nm. In the present work, we have investigated the local atomic structure around Zr atoms in the tetragonal ZrO2-Sc2O3 nanopowders (Sc2O3 contents up to 11 mol%) by EXAFS.2-1 to 13 mol% Sc2O3 synthesized by a nitrate-gel combustion route. We found that all the nanopowders were single-phased exhibiting metastable forms of the tetragonal phase or the cubic one, with a tetragonal/cubic compositional boundary of 12 mol%. The average crystallite size of these samples was about 10 nm. In the present work, we have investigated the local atomic structure around Zr atoms in the tetragonal ZrO2-Sc2O3 nanopowders (Sc2O3 contents up to 11 mol%) by EXAFS.