Synthesis and characterization of nanocrystalline powders for partially stabilized zirconia ceramics

In this work, wet-chemical methods to obtain yttria or calcia-doped zirconia powders for partially stabilized zirconia ceramics are presented. They are based on pyrolisis of nitrate solutions with the addition of citric acid or glycine as a fuel. Powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, finding that tetragonal and cubic phases are stabilized at room temperature because of the small crystallite size (about 10-20 nm). Ceramic samples obtained after uniaxial pressing and sintering in air were characterized by density and Vickers microhardness measurements in order to evaluate the final material performance. © 1998 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights reserved.