CaO-partially stabilized ZrO2 ceramics were prepared from nanosized powders synthesized by the coprecipitation technique. In order to study the effect of different crystallographic phases on the electrical resistivity, powder compacts were sintered at 1500 ºC for soaking times of 2 h and 3 min. The thermal decomposition of the precursor gel occurs at low temperatures giving rise to a high specific surface area powder material. The densification of powder compacts starts at temperatures lower than 1000 ºC, although the sintering kinetics depends on the crystallographic phase formed during heating of the compact. The phase assemblage of sintered compacts depends on the soaking time. Impedance spectroscopy measurements allowed for identification of the relative contribution of different phases to the total electrical resistivity of calcia-partially stabilized zirconia ceramics.
impedance spectroscopy; zirconia; powder synthesis; sintering
