Zirconia fiber via biotemplate synthesis route

• Phase pure monoclinic zirconia fiber has been synthesized using biotemplate.
• Green shaping occurs through attraction of Zr4+ with structural OH− of biotemplate.
• Fibers are 1-10 cm long, 7-10 µm wide and consisted of nanosized grains.

Monoclinic zirconia fiber was fabricated through a novel chemical synthesis route using economically cheap biotemplate and aqueous zirconyl oxychloride. Zirconyl oxychloride gets converted through various steps as follows: hydroxylation to remove Cl−, nitrate addition and subsequently further hydroxylation. The process of green fiber formation lies on the reaction between hydroxyl groups of biotemplate and zirconium ion on the cell walls of biotemplate. With heat treatment at 1200 °C for 2 h, the deposited hydroxide converts to oxide in the form of sintered fiber. Fibers are handleable, 1–10 cm long and 7–10 µm wide. The fibers are made of monoclinic nanocrystals with crystallite size ranging mostly between 40 and 100 nm (compared to 32–34 nm as calculated from the Scherrer equation) with discrete ones as large as 400 nm.

Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide