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Electron Microscopy Study on Zirconia and Alumina Ceramic Powders Synthesized by Microwave Plasma Pyrolysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2011

Kurt E. Sickafus ,
Dieter Vollath  and
Ravi Varma
Kurt E. Sickafus
Affiliation:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA 87545
Dieter Vollath
Affiliation:
Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany
Ravi Varma
Affiliation:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA 87545
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Abstract

Morphology, chemistry and microstructure of zirconia and alumina based ceramic powders synthesized by microwave plasma pyrolysis were studied by transmission electron microscopy. Electron diffraction was used to determine the phases present, while conventional bright field and dark field imaging were used to characterize grain size and density variations. Materials analyzed in this study were either pure zirconia, pure alumina, or a ternary zirconia-yttria-alumina oxide. Solid spheres, hollow spheres, and fragments of hollow spheres were observed. All three modifications of zirconia were observed in the pure zirconia powder. In alumina, the predominant phase was cubic, gamma alumina. In the ternary oxide, most structures exhibited cubic zirconia diffraction patterns. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy revealed chemical inhomogeneities in the ternary oxide powder.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 269: Symposium L – Microwave Processing of Materials III , 1992 , 363
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1992

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References

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