Abstract

Abstract The effects of sintering temperature and addition of 4 mol.% ZnO as sintering additive on the crystal structure, microstructure and electrical properties of SrZr 0.9 Y 0.1 O 3-δ are reported. The presence of ZnO as sintering aid brings about high densification at 1300 °C (relative density ∼97%); gas-tightness is not achieved for ZnO-free samples sintered below 1600 °C. Bulk conductivity (σ B ) is considerably higher in wet and dry O 2 on doping with ZnO, but only slight variations of σ B with sintering temperature are observed for the Zn-containing phases. Similarly, the apparent grain-boundary conductivities are much greater for the Zn-doped samples. The grain-boundary volume and accompanying resistances are much reduced on sintering at 1500 °C with ZnO addition in comparison to Zn-modified samples sintered below 1500 °C, with only minor changes in grain-boundary relaxation frequency observed. Conversely, in comparison to the undoped sample with sintering temperature of 1600 °C, there is an enormous improvement in the specific grain-boundary conductivity of two orders of magnitude for the ZnO-containing samples. Analysis on the basis of the core space-charge-layer model relates the enhancement of the grain-boundary transport to a higher concentration of charge carriers in the space-charge layer and associated lower potential barrier heights.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.