Synthesis of nanocrystalline ZrO2 with tailored phase composition and microstructure under high-power sonication

The effect of sonication on the composition and properties of zirconia precipitated from aqueous zirconyl nitrate solutions at various pH values has been studied using thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, and low-temperature nitrogen adsorption measurements. The results demonstrate that acoustic processing considerably reduces the content of sorbed ions in amorphous ZrO2 center dot xH(2)O gels and allows one to control the composition and microstructure of the nanocrystalline zirconia produced through thermal decomposition of the gels.