Yttria-stabilized zirconia

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is a zirconium-oxide based ceramic, in which the particular crystal structure of zirconium oxide is made stable at room temperature by an addition of yttrium oxide. These oxides are commonly called "zirconia" (Zr O₂) and "yttria" (Y₂O₃), hence the name.

The addition of yttria to pure zirconia replaces some of the Zr⁴⁺ ions in the zirconia lattice with Y³⁺ ions. This produces oxygen vacancies, as three O^2- ions replace four O^2- ions. It also permits yttrium stabilized zirconia to conduct O^2- ions, provided there is sufficient vacancy site mobility, a property that increases with temperature. This ability to conduct O^2- ions makes yttria-stabilized zirconia well suited to use in solid oxide fuel cells, although it requires that they operate at high enough temperatures.

1 Applications
2 See also
3 References
4 Further reading

Applications

YSZ has a number of applications:

For its hardness and chemical inertness (e.g., tooth crowns).
As a refractory (e.g., in jet engines).
As a thermal barrier coating in gas turbines
As an electroceramic due to its ion-conducting properties (e.g., to determine oxygen content in exhaust gases, to measure pH in high-temperature water, in fuel cells).
Used in the production of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). YSZ is used as the solid electrolyte, which enables oxygen ion conduction while blocking electronic conduction. In order to achieve sufficient ion conduction, an SOFC with a YSZ electrolyte must be operated at high temperatures (800°C-1000°C). While it is advantageous that YSZ retains mechanical robustness at those temperatures, overall the high temperature necessary is a disadvantage of current SOFCs, and is one of the major barriers to successful commercialization. The high density of YSZ is also necessary in order to physically separate the gaseous fuel from oxygen, or else the electrochemical system would produce no electrical power.^[1]^[2]
For its hardness and optical properties in monocrystal form (see "cubic zirconia"), it is used as jewelry.
As a material for non-metallic knife blades, produced by Boker and Kyocera companies.
In water-based pastes for do-it-yourself ceramics and cements. These contain microscopic YSZ milled fibers or sub-micrometer particles, often with potassium silicate and zirconium acetate binders (at mildly acidic pH). The cementation occurs on removal of water. The resulting ceramic material is suitable for very high temperature applications.
YSZ doped with rare-earth materials can act as a thermographic phosphor and a luminescent material.^[3]
Historically used for glowing rods in Nernst lamps.

Related materials include calcia-, magnesia-, ceria- or alumina-stabilized zirconias, or partially-stabilized zirconias (PSZ). Stabilized hafnia is also known.

References

^ Minh, N.Q. (1993). "Ceramic Fuel-Cells". Journal of the American Ceramic Society 76 (3): 563–588. doi:10.1111/j.1151-2916.1993.tb03645.x.
^ De Guire, Eileen (2003). Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. CSA. http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/fuecel/overview.php.
^ American Ceramic Society (29 May 2009). Progress in Thermal Barrier Coatings. John Wiley and Sons. pp. 139–. ISBN 978-0-470-40838-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=dqCNlgDsu0EC&pg=PA139. Retrieved 23 October 2011.

Yttria-stabilized zirconia

Contents

Applications

See also

References

Further reading