Low Temperature Synthesis of Yttrium-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) Fibers by Non-Hydrolytic Sol-Gel Method

Yttrium-stabilized zirconia fibers were prepared at low temperature via a novel non-hydrolytic sol-gel (NHSG) method by using anhydrous zirconium chloride as precursor, ethanol as oxygen donor, yttrium hydride as stabilizer, dibasic ester (DBE) as solvent, ethoxyline as spinning aid. DTA-TG, XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM and TEM were used to characterize samples. The results show that the YSZ tetragonal zirconia can be synthesized at 410 °C and the formation of =Y-O-Zr≡ bond is the key for the low temperature synthesis tetragonal zirconia. Zirconia fibers calcined at 800 °C have a smooth surface, free of crack and dense section. The diameter of fibers are in the range of 5~10 μm. The addition of ethoxyline can make the colloidal particles linear growth which is the basic reason for the spinnability of the sol.