Thermal prehistory, structure and high-temperature thermodynamic properties of Y2O3-CeO2 and Y2O3-ZrO2-CeO2 solid solutions

Ceria-based solid solutions are important materials for high-and medium-temperature electrochemical applications. However, the stabilities of both binary and ternary ceria-based solid solutions are insufficient at elevated temperatures, which limits their application as solid electrolytes or SOFC cathodes. Data on the high-temperature stability of ceria-based ceramics are unavailable in the literature. In the present study, we report a thermodynamic stability investigation of Y2O3-CeO2 and Y2O3-ZrO2-CeO2 solid solutions. The thermal prehistories of binary and ternary systems were investigated using STA, XRD, and ESCA techniques. The vaporization processes were investigated in the temperature range of 1577-2227 degrees C via the Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry technique. Using data on the component activity in solid-phase thermodynamic properties of Y2O3-CeO2 solid solutions, which is represented as the Gibbs energy, the excess Gibbs energy was calculated as a function of the ceria mol. %. It was shown that the reduction of Ce4+ to Ce3+ in Y2O3-CeO2 and Y2O3-ZrO2-CeO2 solid solutions corresponds to less-negative Gibbs energy compared to ZrO2-CeO2 solid solutions.

Automated summary

Ceria-based solid solutions have insufficient stability at high temperatures, which hinders their applications in electrochemical fields. Investigating the thermal histories and vaporization processes of Y2O3-CeO2 and Y2O3-ZrO2-CeO2 solid solutions revealed that the reduction of Ce4+ to Ce3+ affects the Gibbs energy.