La2(Zr0.7Ce0.3)2O7 -: A new oxide ceramic material with high sintering-resistance

Oxide ceramics with high sintering-resistance above 1473 K have very important applications in thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), catalytic combustion and high-temperature structural materials. Lanthanum zirconate (La2Zr2O7, LZ) is an attractive TBC material which has higher sintering-resistance than yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ), and this property could be further improved by the proper addition of ceria. The composite La-2(Zr0.7Ce0.3)(2)O-7 (LZ7C3) has the highest sintering-resistance, and it is observed that fine particles of the second phase in the composite concentrate at the grain boundary to prevent the grain growth of the main phase. The formation of hollow fibers is helpful to the further improvement of sintering-resistance of LZ7C3, and this technique may be widely applied to protect the catalyst support against thermal sintering. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V.