Enhanced ionic conductivity and thermal shock resistance of MgO stabilized ZrO2 doped with Y2O3

The present work focused on the effect of Y2O3 co-doping on the phase composition, microstructure, ionic conductivity and thermal shock resistance of 8 mol% MgO stabilized ZrO2 (Mg-PSZ) electrolyte ceramics for high temperature applications. The addition of Y2O3 could promote the process of monoclinic-to-cubic/tetragonal phase transformation and became the metastable phase at room temperature. Meanwhile, the grain size of Mg-PSZ decreased. It was demonstrated that an appreciable increase in the ionic conductivity and compressive strength occurred on substituting MgO with Y2O3 in the Mg-PSZ electrolyte ceramics across the measured temperature range. Moreover, the Y2O3 addition could restrain the adverse effect of the cyclic thermal shock on the ionic conductivity and compressive strength of Mg-PSZ. The main reason was that the increase of the amount of monoclinic phase caused by cubic/tetragonal-to-monoclinic phase transformation by the cyclic thermal shock was restrained after the Y2O3 addition.