Nano crystalline ceria-neodymia solid solutions by combustion route: effect of agglomeration on powder properties

About 8 compositions in the system Ce(1-x)Nd(x)O(2-x/2) (0.0 < or = x < or = 0.50) were prepared by the combustion process using glycine as a fuel and corresponding metal nitrates as the oxidants. The oxidant-to-fuel ratio was taken as 1:1.0. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), surface area, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering, sinterability etc. The crystallite size of powders, as obtained by the line broadening method, was typically in the range of 7 to 16 nm. The deagglomeration studies carried out showed that the average agglomerate size of these powders increases with increasing content of Nd in CeO2. The powders were sintered at 1200 degrees C to yield densities in the range of 80-95% of theoretical densities. This wide variation in the sintered density was explained based on the powder properties. An interesting observation was that the nature and size of the agglomerates plays an important role in governing properties such as sintered density and in turn ionic conductivity of nano ceramics.