Model of Fractal Particles of Hydrated Zirconium Dioxide, Based on Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Data

Abstract

The parameters of the mesostructure of amorphous zirconium dioxide and their evolution at different stages of heat treatment are determined by small-angle neutron scattering. Particles of amorphous zirconium dioxide, which form mass fractals with the dimension D_v = 2.21, are rearranged into surface fractals with a surface dimension of D_s = 2.52 upon annealing at a temperature of 400°C or higher. In the resulting system, a shell with a fractal structure is formed over a dense core (a cluster of nanoparticles of zirconium dioxide with a constant density). Transformation of the fractal system from a mass fractal into a surface one is characterized by the appearance of a core, and its growth is due to the crystallization of hydrated zirconia particles at high temperatures. A model for the formation of a fractal particle, implying the existence of a core–shell surface fractal system, is proposed. The characteristic radius of ZrO₂ nanoparticles increases from 14 to 200 Å with an increase in the annealing temperature from 400 to 600°C.