Sintering and electrical conductivity of gadolinia-doped ceria

Abstract: Bulk specimens of Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-delta prepared with powders within a range of specific surface area were sintered in oxidizing, inert, and reducing atmospheres. The aim of this work is to investigate the effects of the sintering atmosphere on the microstructure and grain and grain boundary conductivities of the solid electrolyte. The lattice parameter determined by Rietveld refinement is 0.5420(1) nm, and the microstrain was found negligible in the powder materials. Specimens sintered in the Ar/4 % H-2 mixture display larger average grain sizes independent on the particle size of the starting powders. The grain and grain boundary conductivities of specimens sintered under reducing atmosphere are remarkably lower than those sintered under oxidizing and inert atmospheres. The activation energy (similar to 0.90 eV) for total electrical conductivity remains unchanged with both the initial particle size and the sintering atmosphere.

Author(s): Batista, RM; Ferreira, AMDC &  Muccillo, ENS.

IONICS

DOI: 10.1007/s11581-016-1648-7