Properties of Scandia-doped Zirconia Synthesized by the Polymeric Precursor and the Polyacrylamide Techniques

Zirconia-10 mol% scandia powders were synthesized by the polyacrylamide and the polymeric precursor techniques. The state of agglomeration of the powder particles was analyzed by laser scattering, the structural phases by X-ray diffraction, and the morphology by scanning electron microscopy. Transparent gels and polymeric resins were obtained by the polyacrylamide and the polymeric precursor techniques, respectively. The resulting ceramic powders, fully stabilized in the cubic fluorite structure, had high surface area. The electrical behavior of sintered pellets, using powders synthesized by both techniques, was analyzed by the impedance spectroscopy technique. The content of organics used in the syntheses was related to the state of agglomeration of the ceramic powders which, by its turn, was responsible for the different electrical behavior of the sintered pellets.