Preparation of La2Zr2O7 nanopowders via a novel tartaric coprecipitation method

The properties of the raw ceramic powder, such as particle size, dispersibility and homogeneity, play a crucial role in its performance in practical applications. Therefore, in the study, a novel coprecipitation method using tartaric acid as a precipitating agent is proposed for the preparation of La 2 Zr 2 O 7 (LZ) nanopowder . Owing to the excellent properties of the precipitated precursor, including ultrafine particle size, uniform composition as well as high chemical activity, fluorite-phase LZ nanopowder with an average particle size of 32.6 nm is synthesized through a low-temperature calcination treatment at 600 °C, which subsequently transforms as pyrochlore-phase LZ nanopowder with an average particle size of 68.4 nm when the calcination temperature reaches 800 °C. Meanwhile, a compact LZ ceramic with fine grains and a high relative density of 98.52 % is obtained via a low-temperature sintering process at 1200 °C, indicating that it has a promising prospect of application in various ceramic devices.