Comparative Study of Sol-Gel Derived 2.5% and 11.3% Y2O3-ZrO2 by Perturbed Angular Correlations Spectroscopy

Powders and thin films of zirconia doped with 2.5 and 11.3 mole% Y₂O₃ have been fabricated via the sol-gel route. The phase structure and its thermal evolution have been investigated using mainly the hyperfine nuclear technique of Perturbed Angular Correlations. Both resulting structures, tetragonal and cubic, exhibited at least two different configurations around zirconium sites. The tetragonal powder involves an activation energy for vacancy fast diffusion lower than the cubic powder. Conclusions have also been drawn regarding the thermal stability of the ceramics under different heat treatments. Member of Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina. Member of Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CICPBA), Argentina.