Nanocrystalline undoped tetragonal and cubic zirconia synthesized using poly-acrylamide as gel and matrix

Nanocrystalline zirconia powders with tetragonal and cubic structure have been prepared from ZrO₂-polyacrylamide gel and precipitated zirconia in polyacrylamide matrix respectively. X-ray diffraction results of the samples annealed at high temperatures show that the tetragonal and cubic form, obtained from the gel, are fairly stable in air up to 1,173 K and partially stable in inert atmosphere, up to 1,273 K. The stability at such high temperatures is due to the presence of oxygen vacancies in zirconia sample, incorporated in the process of decomposition of polymer.