Manufacture, Structure, and Electric Conductivity of ZrO2–SrTiO3–BiScO3 Ceramics

Abstract

A three-component ceramic material is obtained in the system ZrO₂–SrTiO₃–BiScO₃; its phase composition and microstructure particularities are determined; and, the temperature dependence of the conductivity is studied. It is found that at room temperature the material consists of a cubic phase with space symmetry group Fm3m, corresponding to the cubic modification of zirconium dioxide, and a solid solution consisting of nonpolar cubic phase with Pm3m symmetry and polar tetragonal phase with P4mm symmetry characteristic for a two-component SrTiO₃–BiScO₃. An investigation of the microstructure and elemental composition of samples by means of scanning electron microscopy confirms the presence of these phases. It is found that above the temperature about 750 K the conductivity of the experimental samples increases significantly.