Synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction study of the tetragonal-cubic phase transition in nanostructured ZrO2-Sc2O3 solid solutions

Abstract

The transition between tetragonal and cubic phases in nanostructured ZrO2-Sc2O3 solid solutions by high-temperature X-ray powder diffraction using synchrotron radiation is presented. ZrO2-8 and 11 mol% Sc2O3 nanopowders that exhibit the t′- and t″-forms of the tetragonal phase, respectively, were synthesized by a stoichiometric nitrate-lysine gel-combustion route. The average crystallite size treated at 900°C was about 25 nm for both compositions. Our results showed that t′-t″ and t″-cubic transitions take place for the 8 and 11 mol% Sc2O3 samples, respectively.