Ceria Ceramics Research Articles

Regulating the thermophysical properties of rare earth cerates through high entropy design and substitute

Cerate ceramics are considered promising candidates for the new generation of thermal barrier coatings. However, in the middle temperature area (473–673 K), the CTE mismatch due to the thermal contraction often results in coating failure. The aim of this work is to develop an innovative component regulation method that significantly reduces the thermal conductivity and alleviates the thermal contraction. Cerates exhibit a low thermal diffusion coefficient, primarily attributed to the impact of extrinsic phonon scattering mechanisms. Our comprehensive analysis encompassed various factors such as point defects, the degree of size and mass disorder, grain interfaces, and lattice distortion. By employing high entropy design and doping strategies, we have successfully alleviated the thermal contraction phenomenon in cerates, while maintaining their high CTE. Furthermore, an in-depth investigation of the valence states of elements and lattice energy was conducted to elucidate the thermal contraction mechanism of cerates in the middle temperature area.

Configurational entropy of cerate ceramics regulating by multicomponent rare earth for enhanced thermophysical properties

Cerate is regarded as a promising material for the next-generation of thermal barrier coating due to its high coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and low thermal conductivity. However, its thermal contraction within the temperature range of 473-673 K poses a significant challenge to its widespread application. The aim of this work is to improve the thermal contraction by regulating the configurational entropy of cerate ceramics. Six kinds of rare earth doped cerate ceramics with different configurational entropy were prepared. The results indicated that the phases of the as-prepared ceramics are all fluorite structures. With the increase of configurational entropy, the problem of thermal contraction is improved continuously. More importantly, the as-prepared (La1/8Sm1/8Yb1/8Y1/8Er1/8Eu1/8Nd1/8Gd1/8)2Ce2O7 (8RC) high entropy cerate ceramic demonstrates a near elimination of thermal contraction in the 473-673 K temperature range, and accompanied by high CTE, low thermal conductivity and good thermal stability, suggesting its potential application in the field of thermal barrier coating material.

Investigation of the Phase Composition, Structural, Mechanical, and Dielectric Properties of (1 − x)∙ZrO2-x∙CeO2 Ceramics Synthesized by the Solid-State Method

Ceramics based on zirconium dioxide are very important compounds for dental, implant, and structural material applications. Despite the fact that tetragonally stabilized YSZ has been well studied, the search for new compositions of zirconia-based ceramics is still in progress. The ZrO2-CeO2 system is one of the alternatives for YSZ materials, but there is conflicting experimental data on its phase composition and mechanical properties depending on the ratio of components. In this study, we investigated the phase composition, and microstructural, mechanical, and physical properties of (1 − x)∙ZrO2-x∙CeO2 (step of x = 0.05) ceramics obtained by the solid-state sintering process from micron-sized powders. For the characterization of samples, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM, the Vickers Microhardness Test, and dielectric spectroscopy were implemented. The results showed that by varying the CeO2 concentration, it is possible to synthesize stable tetragonal ZrO2 at room temperature with a high microhardness HV0.05 value of ~1500, low porosity (~2.5%), and a high dielectric constant of 36. The pronounced combined effect of tetragonal phase formation, densification, and grain size reduction on the mechanical and dielectric properties of the experimental samples was investigated. Refined experimental data make it possible to synthesize high-quality zirconia–ceria ceramics for use as refractories, dispersed nuclear fuel, or solid oxide fuel cells.

Chemical expansion of La3+ and Yb3+ incorporated Zr-doped ceria ceramics for concentrated solar energy-driven thermochemical production of fuels

Redox studies on Zr, La, Yb doped ceria (Ce0.9M3+/4+0.1O2-x, M3+/4+ = Zr4+, La3+, Yb3+ and CeZr0.05 M3+0.05O1.95, M3+ = La3+, Yb3+) ceramics were performed using dilatometry and mass change measurements to analyze the chemical and thermal volume changes depending on reduction state which can have dramatic effects on the long-term stability of these ceramics in Concentrated Solar Energy (CSE)–driven applications relevant to the synthesis of fuels. The reduction extents determined by both methods under vacuum (p = 2×10−5 mbar) are similar up to 1673 K. At higher temperatures, CeO2, which has a higher vapor pressure than the oxides of the dopant ions, evaporates. As a result, there is an accumulation of doping ions, which leads to a porous surface zone. Surface enrichment of dopants, especially that of Zr4+, is crucial for re-oxidation kinetics. Co-doping with trivalent doping ions such as La3+ and Yb3+ reduces the extent of selective evaporation materializing it into a thinner porous surface layer. Trivalent dopants and their additional oxygen vacancies also influence the chemical expansion/contraction of the Zr4+ doped ceria crystal lattice during the redox reaction and thus lead to a reduction of mechanical stresses. We assume that additional oxygen vacancies from trivalent dopant ions promote the disordering of intrinsic oxygen vacancies, while smaller tetravalent ions such as Zr4+ compensates this effect. This explains that doped ceria with trivalent and tetravalent ions show almost the same chemical expansion as pure ceria. The new results on alteration, thermal and chemical expansions/contractions at high temperature are particularly important for the development of metal oxide ceramic components exposed to cyclic reducing and oxidizing atmospheres at elevated temperatures achieved via CSE.

Effects of Bi2O3 doping on structural and electrical properties of Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cells

The study investigates the impact of Bi2O3 doping on the crystal structure, density, and ionic conductivity of Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9, a type of samarium-doped ceria oxide (SDC). The material is intended for use as a solid electrolyte in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). The SDC-based electrolyte was created using the auto-combustion technique, with various molar ratios of Bi2O3. Phase compositions, microstructure, and ionic conductivity of all ceria ceramics were analysed using XRD, SEM and impedance analyses, respectively. The language is formal, clear, objective, and value-neutral, using high-level, standard language with consistent technical terms. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct. Consistent citation and footnote style are maintained. The samples are single-phase ceramics that crystallise into a cubic fluorite type structure with space group Fm-3 m, as confirmed by the X-ray diffraction pattern. Technical abbreviations are explained. The structure ensures a logical flow of information with causal connections between statements. No filler words or biased language are used. SDC/Bi2O3 composite powders exhibit high sintering activity. The relative density of all samples sintered at 1300 ºC for 5 h was more than 96%, which is higher than that achieved by pure SDC electrolyte sintered at 1400 ºC (94.06%). Electrochemical performance results demonstrate that adding an appropriate amount of Bi2O3 can significantly enhance the conductivity of SDC materials. The SDC-based electrolyte containing 9 mol% of Bi2O3 (SDCB9) demonstrates the maximum conductivity of 43.5 mS·cm−1 at 800 °C, surpassing that of pure SDC which measures 26.86 mS·cm−1.

Lead-free Zr-doped ceria ceramics with low permittivity displaying giant electrostriction

Electrostrictors, materials developing mechanical strain proportional to the square of the applied electric field, present many advantages for mechanical actuation as they convert electrical energy into mechanical, but not vice versa. Both high relative permittivity and reliance on Pb as the key component in commercial electrostrictors pose serious practical and health problems. Here we describe a low relative permittivity (<250) ceramic, ZrxCe1-xO2 (x < 0.2), that displays electromechanical properties rivaling those of the best performing electrostrictors: longitudinal electrostriction strain coefficient ~10−16 m2/V2; relaxation frequency ≈ a few kHz; and strain ≥0.02%. Combining X-ray absorption spectroscopy, atomic-level modeling and electromechanical measurements, here we show that electrostriction in ZrxCe1-xO2 is enabled by elastic dipoles produced by anharmonic motion of the smaller isovalent dopant (Zr). Unlike the elastic dipoles in aliovalent doped ceria, which are present even in the absence of an applied elastic or electric field, the elastic dipoles in ZrxCe1-xO2 are formed only under applied anisotropic field. The local descriptors of electrostrictive strain, namely, the cation size mismatch and dynamic anharmonicity, are sufficiently versatile to guide future searches in other polycrystalline solids.

Improved densification in cold sintering of gadolinia‐doped ceria with reactive sintering aids

AbstractThis study explores a novel reactive cold sintering method for improving the density of gadolinia‐doped ceria (GDC) ceramics while reducing the annealing temperature. Instead of using deionized water as an aid in conventional cold sintering, stoichiometrically mixed Ce(NO3)3·6H2O and Gd(NO3)3·6H2O precursors were added as additives during the CSP in this study. The effects of processing parameters such as sintering temperature and additive content on the relative density of the compacts were investigated using synthesized GDC and commercial GDC powders as raw materials. The results showed that with the aid of precursors, GDC ceramics were sintered up to 90% of their theoretical densities at 850°C and up to 94% at 950°C when the synthesized nanopowder GDC was used. Additionally, the sintering mechanism was investigated, and it was found that the GDC generated by the precursor reaction effectively filled the gaps between the original particles, promoting densification of the sample after cold‐pressing.

Creep and Superplasticity of Gadolinium‐Doped Ceria Ceramics under AC Electric Current

Shaping of dense ceramics is difficult due to their inherent brittleness. Nanograined ceramics like tetragonal zirconia (TZP) can be superplastically deformed and shaped at high temperatures owing to grain boundary sliding (GBS). Herein, the enhanced plasticity of gadolinium‐doped ceria (GDC) ceramics under mild and strong AC electric current in terms of steady state creep rate under both compressive and tensile loading is demonstrated. A current density of 25 and 200 mA mm−2 is used for the creep deformation. The creep rate increases by up to two orders of magnitude under electric current. The stress exponent remains unchanged for creep experiments at 1200 °C with and without electric current, suggesting a GBS mechanism of plastic deformation in both cases. The field‐enhanced creep rate is attributed to the interaction of space–charge layer and the electric field resulting in enhanced GBS. A higher current density results in enhanced ductility of GDC even when the Joule heating effect is compensated by reducing the furnace temperature.

Processing, Phase Stability, and Conductivity of Multication-Doped Ceria

Multicomponent doping of ceria with four cations is used as a preliminary investigation into the ionic conductivity of high-entropy-doped ceria systems. Different compositions of Ce1-x(Ndx/4Prx/4Smx/4Gdx/4)O2-δ (x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20) are synthesized using the oxalate co-precipitation method yielding single-phase oxalate precursors. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy are used to characterize the precipitated oxalates. Simultaneous thermal gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry reveal a two-step decomposition of the oxalates into the doped oxide. The ionic conductivity of the samples is measured from 250 °C to 600 °C using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. All samples exhibit similar grain conductivity values at 600 °C, comparable to singly doped samples. However, an increase in total conductivity is observed with an increase in doping concentration up to 15% followed by a decrease beyond this concentration. These findings suggest that multicomponent doping may not significantly enhance the grain conductivity of doped ceria beyond conventional single and co-doped compositions but can modulate the grain boundary conductivity and thus the total conductivity of ceria ceramics.

Influence of scandium codoping on the stability of barium cerate electrolyte

Proton (H+) conducting electrolytes significantly outperform oxide ion (O2–) conducting electrolytes in terms of performance while also costing less to operate the cell. This makes them popular and potential electrolytes in future electrochemical devices such as intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). The standard solid-state reaction method has been utilized in the synthesis of scandium (Sc) co-doped barium zirconium cerate ceramics, BaCe0.8-xZr0.2ScxO3-δ. The powder X-ray diffraction spectra confirmed that the prepared samples are of single phase and have orthorhombic symmetry. The samples were analyzed for thermal stability by employing thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). All samples are stable up to 800 °C, according to TGA performed on dried and pre-hydrated samples—however, the samples under higher partial pressure of water exhibit lower degree of stability. Raman analysis was used to determine the stability of perovskite phase of the studied compositions both before and after TGA. This study showed that most initial phases either persisted or remained stable when the samples were treated at high vapor pressure. The thermal stability increased as the amount of Sc-substitution increased. Also, to investigate how the presence of grains and grain boundaries influenced the total resistance of samples with different Sc concentrations, complex impedance spectroscopy (CIS) was performed.

Solvothermal-derived multicomponent rare-earth cerate ceramics toward remarkable thermophysical properties

The multicomponent rare-earth cerate (Y0.2La0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2)2Ce2O7 (5RE2Ce2O7) ceramics were successfully fabricated through solvothermal method and the following calcination process. The microstructure and phase composition of the as-obtained products were systematically characterized via SEM, TEM and XRD techniques. The results showed that the as-synthesised 5RE2Ce2O7 has a single-phase fluorite-type crystal structure with the particle size of approximately 200 nm. Furthermore, the as-synthesised 5RE2Ce2O7 demonstrated lower thermal conductivity (1.9–1.26 W m−1·K−1 at 25–1000 °C), higher thermal expansion coefficients (CTEs, 12.48 × 10−6 K−1 at 1000 °C), and outstanding mechanical properties including large Young's modulus (248.0 ± 0.35 GPa) and high fracture toughness (2.4 ± 0.21 MPam1/2). The excellent properties of the as-synthesised 5RE2Ce2O7 demonstrates its potential application as a new type of next-generation TBCs.

Large Non-Classical Electrostriction in Aliovalent and Isovalent Doped Ceria

The majority of commonly used electrostrictive ceramics are based on lead manganese niobate. These ceramics display large electrostriction strain coefficients ≈ 10-16 m2/V2 at frequencies up to a few kHz. However, they suffer from major drawbacks: they require high driving currents (dielectric constant >10000), contain toxic elements, and are incompatible with thin film Si-microfabrication techniques.We have recently reported that ceria ceramics doped with aliovalent cations having crystal radii smaller than that of cerium, display increased high frequency (f >100Hz) longitudinal electrostriction strain coefficients |M|. For instance, with 10 mol% Lu3+ or Yb3+ lanthanide dopants, |M| ~ 10-17 m2/V2 is observed for f >100Hz . Despite Yceria ~200GPa and eceria ~ , these electrostriction strain coefficients are 100-fold larger than estimated on the basis of Newnham’s scaling law for “classical” electrostrictors. Such “non-classical” behavior has been attributed to the formation of highly polarizable, elastic dipoles reorienting under external electric field.Surprisingly, doping with small isovalent dopants, such as Zr and Hf , produces an increase in |M| to , independent of frequency up to several kHz, as determined by converse electrostriction measurements. The introduction of Zr raises the dielectric constant more than predicted by the Clausius-Mossotti relation. This suggests that the presence of a small dopant creates a highly polarizable unit which may be responsible for the large electrostriction strain coefficient. Our results demonstrate that, by systematically adjusting the composition of ceria-based solid solutions, the possibility exists for development of technologically useful electrostrictive materials which are, at the same time, ecologically sound and fully compatible with Si-microfabrication.

Ceria-based solid electrolyte exhibits superior mechanical and electric properties compared to zirconia-based solid electrolyte

The mechanical strength and electrical characteristics of 10 mol% gadolinium (Gd)-doped ceria (10GDC) and gadolinium-samarium (Gd–Sm) co-doped ceria ceramics treated by contact reduction were investigated. The observed increased strength of 10GDC was similar to the strength previously reported for ceria with and without Sm doping. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that only the surface was reduced in the strengthened material. In addition, the strengthened ceramic displayed improved hardness at low test loads, which suggested the formation of a surface compression layer. The reducing conditions did not affect the electrical conductivity of the 10GDC material. Co-doping with 10 mol% each of Gd and Sm improved strength and conductivity compared with 10GDC and 20GDC. When the co-doped material was reduced, the electric conductivity remained identical; however, the mechanical strength improved, exceeding the strength of zirconia.

Effect of fuel choice on conductivity and morphological properties of samarium doped ceria electrolytes for IT-SOFC.

The present investigation is emphasized on the effect of various combustion agents on the crystal properties, surface microstructure, and oxygen ion conductivity of 20% mole-Sm doped ceria (Ce0.80Sm0.20O1.90/SDC20) ceramics as solid electrolyte for IT-SOFCs. The most widely used combustion agents for engineering ceramic production as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, L-alanine, L-valine, glycine, citric acid monohydrate, urea, and EDTA-citric acid were compared in terms of SDC20 properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to determine the microstructure properties, crystal structure and ionic conductivity of SDC20 powder. XRD pattern of the ceramics revealed the formation of single-phase fluorite structure. According to the results of electrochemical analysis, the maximum total ionic conductivity was observed in SDC20 electrolyte synthesized using triethylene glycol as the fuel among all the synthesized electrolytes (5.72 x 10–2 S.cm–1).

Careful Choices in Low Temperature Ceramic Processing and Slow Hydration Kinetics Can Affect Proton Conduction in Ceria

AbstractLow‐temperature ceramic proton conductors such as ceria are important for applications ranging from sensors and resistive switches to new devices like implantable solid‐oxide glucose fuel cells. Spray pyrolysis offers a promising fabrication route for proton‐conducting ceria, with direct liquid‐to‐solid synthesis and control over crystallinity and grain size. To date, there are conflicting reports on ceria's proton conduction mechanism, particularly whether the interior contributes to proton conduction or transport occurs exclusively along a surface water layer. In this work, proton conductivity is observed in sprayed ceria thin films at 125 °C and below. Post‐annealed films exhibit higher conductivity than as‐deposited films of 3.3 × 10−5 S cm−1 at 25 °C, which is comparable to previous reports and ascribed to the increase in crystallinity and grain size by post‐annealing. This indicates that the interior of ceria in fact contributes to proton conduction. Remarkably slow hydration kinetics of ceria are observed, with time‐dependent conductivity equilibrating to 9.53 × 10−6 S cm−1 after up to 76 h. This implies kinetics may have suppressed proton conduction in previous studies, explaining the strong fluctuations in reports to date. Slow protonation kinetics must be considered when designing functional ceria ceramics, for example, in electrochemical bio‐energy conversion, sensing or neuromorphic computing.

Trivalent Dopant Size Influences Electrostrictive Strain in Ceria Solid Solutions.

The technologically important frequency range for the application of electrostrictors and piezoelectrics is tens of Hz to tens of kHz. Sm3+- and Gd3+-doped ceria ceramics, excellent intermediate-temperature ion conductors, have been shown to exhibit very large electrostriction below 1 Hz. Why this is so is still not understood. While optimal design of ceria-based devices requires an in-depth understanding of their mechanical and electromechanical properties, systematic investigation of the influence of dopant size on frequency response is lacking. In this report, the mechanical and electromechanical properties of dense ceria ceramics doped with trivalent lanthanides (RE0.1Ce0.9O1.95, RE = Lu, Yb, Er, Gd, Sm, and Nd) were investigated. Young’s, shear, and bulk moduli were obtained from ultrasound pulse echo measurements. Nanoindentation measurements revealed room-temperature creep in all samples as well as the dependence of Young’s modulus on the unloading rate. Both are evidence for viscoelastic behavior, in this case anelasticity. For all samples, within the frequency range f = 0.15–150 Hz and electric field E ≤ 0.7 MV/m, the longitudinal electrostriction strain coefficient (|M33|) was 102 to 104-fold larger than expected for classical (Newnham) electrostrictors. However, electrostrictive strain in Er-, Gd-, Sm-, and Nd-doped ceramics exhibited marked frequency relaxation, with the Debye-type characteristic relaxation time τ ≤ 1 s, while for the smallest dopants—Lu and Yb—little change in electrostrictive strain was detected over the complete frequency range studied. We find that only the small, less-studied dopants continue to produce useable electrostrictive strain at the higher frequencies. We suggest that this striking difference in frequency response may be explained by postulating that introduction of a dopant induces two types of polarizable elastic dipoles and that the dopant size determines which of the two will be dominant.

The effect of the sintering parameters on the structure and oxygen ion conductivity of Y2O3–ZrO2–CeO2 ceramics

Yttria and zirconia co-doped ceria ceramics is a promising material for solid electrolytes for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFC). The ionic conductivity of ceramics significantly depends on Ce 3+admixture presence, which can be controlled by heat treatment regimes. In the current study we report the detailed electrochemical and structural study of 10Y2O3-30ZrO2-60CeO2 ceramics manufactured via two-step sintering approach. The effects of the second sintering step on the phase composition, homogeneity of components distribution, grain growth and the microstructures of ceramics wereinvestigated via XRD, SEM, Raman spectroscopy techniques. Special attention was paid to valence state of cerium ions, which was examined via XPS. Using impedance spectroscopy it was shown that ternary ceramics possesses ionic conductivity up to 2.09·10−3 S/cm at 973 ​K in the N2 atmosphere and at the residual oxygen partial pressure no more than 10−3 atm.

Structural, thermal stability and electrical conductivity of zirconium substituted barium cerate ceramics

Barium cerate perovskite ceramics substituted with zirconium BaCe1-xZrxO3 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20) were prepared by the standard solid-state reaction route. The x-ray diffraction patterns affirmed the single-phase orthorhombic symmetry of the synthesized ceramics. The thermal stability of the samples has been checked by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). TGA of dry and pre-hydrated (pH2O (g) ≈ 0.03 atm and 1.0 atm) compositions revealed that all the samples are stable up to a temperature of 800 °C. However, the samples treated at a higher partial pressure of water are found less stable. The crystalline phase of the studied compositions before and after TGA was measured with the Raman study, confirming that most of the parent phases exist or remain stable even after the treatment of samples at higher vapor pressure. Thermal stability gradually improved with increasing Zr-substitution. The TGA results that are consistent with the Raman studies proved the sample with x = 0.20 is the most stable among the studied compositions. Complex impedance spectroscopy studies clearly demonstrated the impact of bulk and grain boundary on the total resistance of the compounds with different zirconium contents. The Arrhenius dependence of the total conductivity indicates that the conductivity decreased with an increase in Zr concentration both in air and wet nitrogen atmosphere. Comparing the conductivity under both ambiances suggests that some additional charged species participate in the conduction mechanism under the wet environment. These are ascribed to the protonic defects, developing into barium cerate via extrinsic oxygen vacancies because of high-temperature sintering.

Structural and Electrical Study of Boron Doped Ceria Ceramics Electrolytes for SOFC

Abstract The world’s present reserves in terms of fossil fuels are exhausting speedily. Such rapid energy consumption can be caused of unsustainable worldwide progress. Therefore, the researcher’s challenge is to identify the most efficient and economical energy conversion method to provide a viable replacement for the ongoing conventional energy converters. In this context, fuel cell technology (solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs)) can play a key role and convert hydrocarbon energy into electrical energy. The conventional electrolyte YSZ based SOFCs work at high temperature ∼1000 °C. In this present research, the new ceramics electrolytes materials boron doped ceria (BDC) have been developed by auto-combustion technique. The prepared materials have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and TEM. The crystallite sizes of all prepared samples are in the range of 50–80 nm applying Scherer’s formula. The electrical studies and fuel cell performance have been completed at temperature ≤ 700 °C. The doping of boron into ceria has significantly improved the electrical conduction of pure ceria oxide which has been studied using four-probe setup. The maximum ionic conductivity and power density of B0.20:Ce0.80 (molar ratio) electrolyte material named as E4 have been achieved and found to be 0.09 S/cm at 700 °C and 198.125 mW/cm2 at 650 °C. It has been observed that all electrochemical results are consistent with the doping of boron into ceria.

Dopant Concentration Controls Quasi-Static Electrostrictive Strain Response of Ceria Ceramics.

Electromechanically active ceramic materials, piezoelectrics and electrostrictors, provide the backbone of a variety of consumer technologies. Gd- and Sm-doped ceria are ion conducting ceramics, finding application in fuel cells, oxygen sensors, and, potentially, as memristor materials. While optimal design of ceria-based devices requires a thorough understanding of their mechanical and electromechanical properties, reports of systematic study of the effect of dopant concentration on the electromechanical behavior of ceria-based ceramics are lacking. Here we report the longitudinal electrostriction strain coefficient (M33) of dense RExCe1–xO2–x/2 (x ≤ 0.25) ceramic pellets, where RE = Gd or Sm, measured under ambient conditions as a function of dopant concentration within the frequency range f = 0.15–350 Hz and electric field amplitude E ≤ 0.5 MV/m. For >100 Hz, all ceramic pellets tested, independent of dopant concentration, exhibit longitudinal electrostriction strain coefficient with magnitude on the order of 10–18 m2/V2. The quasi-static (f < 1 Hz) electrostriction strain coefficient for undoped ceria is comparable in magnitude, while introducing 5 mol % Gd or 5 mol % Sm produces an increase in M33 by up to 2 orders of magnitude. For x ≤ 0.1 (Gd)–0.15 (Sm), the Debye-type relaxation time constant (τ) is in the range 60–300 ms. The inverse relationship between dopant concentration and quasi-static electrostrictive strain parallels the anelasticity and ionic conductivity of Gd- and Sm-doped ceria ceramics, indicating that electrostriction is partially governed by ordering of vacancies and changes in local symmetry.