The objective of this study was to produce well‐dispersed nanosized yttria tetragonally stabilized zirconia (Y‐TZP) powder in aqueous suspension. The Y‐TZP powder was produced by precipitation from homogeneous solution at 200°C under hydrothermal conditions. A homogeneous solution was created through the use of a complexing agent, which subsequently could be used in a dispersion scheme developed for the nanosized Y‐TZP powder. Characterization of the Y‐TZP powder was performed using X‐ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray fluorescence, and high‐resolution transmission electron microscope. The overall goal of this study is the eventual production of bulk ceramics from well‐dispersed nanosized aqueous ceramic suspensions via wet processing techniques.

The objective of this study was to establish the mechanism(s) controlling degradation of yttria-tetragonally-stabilized zirconia (Y-TZP) powder in aqueous suspensions and determine the significance of this degradation to the aqueous physical chemistry of Y-TZP. Experiments were performed on commercially available Y-TZP powder placed in aqueous suspensions at 25°C. Experimental investigations included analysis of the aqueous chemistry of Y-TZP in water via ICP-MS, determination of the surface and bulk structure of the powder via XRD and solid-state NMR, and observation of changes in surface charges via zeta potential determinations. The goal of this study was to control the surface chemistry of Y-TZP in aqueous suspension to promote dispersion and permit aqueous processing of Y-TZP powders.

A modified Clabaugh method has been used to produce a well-dispersed barium titanyl oxalate tetrahydrate (BTO) powder with a particle size of less than 0.2 m. Production of the BTO powder is based on a double injection system, with reactants rapidly mixed using pressurized gas. The mixture resulting from the double injection of the reactants was subsequently quenched into a solution containing polyethyleneimine as a dispersant. The resulting dispersed BTO powder forms a suspension that is stable against coarsening or aggregation for greater than 1400 h. The dispersed BTO powder was also shown to produce BaTiO 3 with a particle size of 0.25 m or less after calcination.