Thermal Stability of Sol-Gel Derived 6 Mole%CaO-ZrO2 Ceramics

The thermal behavior of the hyperfine interaction at Zr sites on two sol-gel derived 6 mole% CaO-ZrO2 powders, obtained from the particulate and non-particulate regimes, has been studied by Perturbed Angular Correlations and complementary techniques. The aim was to get experimental support on the thermal stability of the obtained material in order to see the advantages of the different preparation regimes. The results could be interpreted in terms of the different microstructures and nanoscopic configurations exhibited by the resulting powders. After crystallization both powders showed the hyperfine nanoconfigurations of metastable tetragonal zirconia. In the sample obtained following the hydrolysis and the condensation processes via a particulate regime, the undesirable phase transformation towards the monoclinic form of zirconia is inhibited up to higher temperatures.