Ionic and electronic conductivity of 3 mol% Fe2O3-substituted cubic Y-stabilized ZrO2

The effect of the addition of a small amount of iron oxide (3 mol%) in Y-stabilized ZrO2 has been investigated. The aging of the obtained compound has been studied and the sintering temperature has been determined. The bulk and total conductivities of (ZrO2)0.90–(Y2O3)0.07–(Fe2O3)0.03 have been studied by means of impedance spectroscopy in the temperature range from 425 K to 775 K. The electronic conductivity has been studied by the Hebb-Wagner technique using a blocking Pt microelectrode. The investigation has been carried out in a wide range of oxygen activity, 10− 25 < aO2 < 103, and from 770 K to 1020 K. These data have been compared to the compound without iron oxide, YSZ (ZrO2)0.90–(Y2O3)0.10. This study demonstrates that the addition of a small amount of Fe2O3 decreases the sintering temperature and increases the stability of the compound without increasing the electronic conductivity.