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Influences of sintering temperature on the electrical conductivity of GDC-50vol%MgO composite ceramics: the role of the GDC/MgO heterogeneous interface

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Abstract

Magnesium oxide can be added into Gd-doped CeO2 (GDC) as a suitable sintering additive, and the continuous GDC/MgO heterogeneous interface will contribute to the promotion of the oxygen ion transmission. GDC-50vol%MgO composite ceramics were sintered at different temperatures (1350~1500 °C). The phase composition, micromorphology, and electrical conductivity of GDC-50vol%MgO were analyzed by XRD, SEM, TEM, and electrochemical impedance, respectively. There are only GDC and MgO phases in the ceramics sintered at 1350 °C, 1400 °C, 1450 °C, and 1500 °C. As the sintering temperature rises from 1350 to 1500 °C, the average grain size of GDC and MgO increases from 239/274 to 680/651 nm, respectively. The GDC/MgO heterogeneous interface is clear, and many edge dislocations form there. The grain boundary and total conductivities decrease significantly with the rising sintering temperature, and the GDC/MgO heterogeneous interface possesses a higher electrical conductivity than the GDC/GDC homogeneous interface.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Yunnan Ten Thousand Talents Plan Young & Elite Talents Project and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51462018).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Materials Science & Engineering, Kunming University of Science & Technology, Kunming, 650093, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China

    Qian Zheng, Heng Zhang, Bin Meng, Wenke Liang, Chen Li, Xinyu Ping & Zhidong Xia

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  1. Qian Zheng
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  2. Heng Zhang
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  3. Bin Meng
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Correspondence to Bin Meng.

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Zheng, Q., Zhang, H., Meng, B. et al. Influences of sintering temperature on the electrical conductivity of GDC-50vol%MgO composite ceramics: the role of the GDC/MgO heterogeneous interface. Ionics 27, 269–277 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-020-03811-2

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