Effect of calcination conditions and precursor proportions on the properties of YSZ nanoparticles obtained by modified sol–gel route

The effect is studied of some crucial process parameters on the properties of YSZ nanoparticles produced for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) components by a sol–gel method using sucrose and pectin as precursors. The role of the new organic precursors in the chemical process is also discussed. The produced particles are characterized in various ways: by differential thermal analysis (DTA), by nitrogen adsorption using the BET isotherm, by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The DTA profiles of the gel are compared with those of pure sucrose in the same temperature interval, and substantial differences are seen. The XRD signature from the nanoparticles is one of cubic YSZ and no other crystalline phases. The analyses indicate a significant influence of calcination temperature on the particle size, which increases with increasing calcination temperature. The mean particle size calculated from the BET analyses, on the one hand, and the mean crystallite size from the XRD analyses calculated using the Scherrer formula, on the other, agree in terms of both order-of-magnitude and trend.