Neste trabalho as propriedades elétricas de LaAlO3 dopado com estrôncio (Sr) e co-dopado com praseodímio (Pr) e manganês (Mn) foram investigadas. Pós de LaAlO3 dopados foram preparados via mistura de óxidos seguida de calcinações. Amostras, conformadas por prensagem isostática, foram sinterizadas a 1600 °C com tempo de patamar de 6 h. Amostras sinterizadas foram caracterizadas por difração de raios-X, microscopia eletrônica de varredura e espectroscopia de impedância. Medidas de condutividade elétrica mostraram que LaAlO3 dopado com Sr é um semicondutor do tipo p em altas pressões parciais de oxigênio, mas se torna um condutor iônio puro em baixas pressões parciais de oxigênio. Uma diferença significativa na condutividade elétrica foi observada na co-dopagem com Pr e Mn nos sítios A e B, respectivamente, em Sr-LaAlO3. A co-dopagem com Pr promoveu aumento da condutividade do grão em condição oxidante e a energia de ativação se manteve constante. A co-dopagem com Mn gerou amostras com elevada condutividade eletrônica.

In this work, the electrical properties of LaAlO3 doped with strontium (Sr) and co-doped with praseodymium (Pr) and manganese (Mn) were investigated. Doped-LaAlO3 powders were prepared by oxide mixture through successive calcinations. Samples, obtained via isostatic pressing, were sintered at 1600 °C in air during 6 h of soaking time. Sintered samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and impedance spectroscopy. Conductivity measurements show that Sr-doped-LaAlO3 is a p-type semiconductor at high oxygen partial pressures, but becomes a pure oxide-ion conductor at low oxygen partial pressures. A significant difference in electrical conductivity of Pr- and Mn-co-doping on the B- and A-site, respectively, in Sr-LaAlO3 was observed. The Pr-co-doping increased the grain conductivity in oxidizing condition and the activation energy remained constant. The Mn co-doping generated samples with high electronic conductivity.

Silica was extracted from rice hulls by three processing routes, starting with acid treatment followed by burning and milling. The amorphous white silica powder showed a surface area of 260 to 480 m²/g, purity above 99% and average particle size of 2.0 to 0.6 mm. This silica is suitable for the preparation of mullite whiskers employing the rare earth aluminosilicate glass technique. Due to its highly pozzolanic reaction, this prepared silica is used as an additive in high performance concrete.

Yttria stabilized zirconia sintered by silicate glass phase with addition of ytterbium or gadolinium was investigated. The grain growth rate was found to be higher in the gadolinium doped samples. The glass phase of the ytterbium doped sample showed partial crystallization on cooling. Grain conductivity was found to be highest in samples with a half hour of sintering, having decreased due to stabilizing ion migration from the grains to the grain boundary glassy phase. The differences observed in the sintering behavior and properties of the sintered bodies are attributed to the different ionic radii of the Yb+3 and Gd+3 ions.