Fabrication of novel (5, 10 and 15 mol.-%) CeO<inf>2</inf>+YSZ ceramic composites by spark plasma sintering

In this research, fabrication of 8 mol.-% yttria stabilised zirconia (YSZ) composites doped with 5, 10 and 15 mol.-% ceria (CeO2) via spark plasma sintering has been studied. Phase evolution during sintering and microstructural characterisation has been carried out with the help of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. Thermal diffusivity of composites has been studied using laser flash method. The results suggest that the cubic structure of YSZ can be retained even at 15 mol.-%CeO2 doping level. There has been a significant hindrance to grain growth of the YSZ matrix with the increase in CeO2 addition. Thermal conductivity of the sintered composite depends on the doping level of CeO2, temperature and porosity in the sintered composites. © 2014 Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.