No abstract

This paper investigates the effect of grain size within the nano to micron regime on ionic conductivity for yttria stabilised zirconia (YSZ) with various yttria levels. The samples were made using either slip casting or die pressing routes and were characterised via the use of 4-point electrical conductivity, AC impedance, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and a field emission gun scanning electron microscope (FEGSEM). Little variation in ionic conductivity was noted over the range of grain sizes examined; rather the yttria content had the largest effect. The greatest variation was noted between the 3 mol% YSZ and 8 mol% YSZ where the conductivity was seen to vary by ~65% at 850 °C. This work forms part of an investigation into the potential use of fine grained zirconias as electrolytes in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications.