A Study of Solvent Effects on the Synthesis of Pure Component and Composite Ceramic Powders by Metal Alkoxide Hydrolysis

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe production of ceramics having high density, low porosity, and fine grains requires the use of high-purity metal oxide powders that consist of particles of uniform shape, size, and composition. Metal alkoxide hydrolysis is an attractive method for the synthesis of high-purity metal oxide particles. The nature of the precipitate formed is affected by the solvent.This present study investigates the growth kinetics and characteristics of metal oxide particles (i.e., ZrO2 and TiO2) that are produced in various alcohol solvents (ethanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, and tert-butyl alcohol). Results are also presented for the synthesis of uniform homogeneous composite metal oxide particles (i.e., Y2O3-ZrO2 and ZrO2-TiO2) by low temperature metal alkoxide hydrolysis.